Zara in Paris

This week’s selection for ScreenDance Diaries is yet another dynamic and beautiful dance short by Dominique Palombo, one that doubles as an ad for the Spanish founded clothing company Zara. Shot in black and white, and once again seemingly set under the cloudy gray skies and amidst the historic and mercurial streets of Paris that Palombo favors, this short to my eye works as a successful and beautifully coordinated balance of site, score, scale, editing, and of course, dance.

A dancer bends her body to the shape of the stairs
A dancer bends her body to the shape of the stairs

From the opening shots in which we see a slender and leggy dancer pop up into frame, the viewer experiences the lines of the dancer’s limbs against the context of the city’s architectural railings, sloping stairs, and arching rooftops.  The choreography, which appears to be mostly improvisational with a bit of structure, is honest, astute, and powerful — completely authentic to each set up and in its response to both architecture and clothing.  And as stated previously about this filmmaker, one of the key distinctions that sets him apart (aside from his keen eye and singular style) is that he usually chooses the music after the fact, editing movement in such a way that we really feel and see the score with the dance, making Palombo himself ultimately at once key choreographer and filmmaker.

With dance by Zaratiana R, styling by Damien Chevron, production by Bruno Pere, and music endearingly entitled “Fuck You Batman” by LEON, this short is a minute of full blown WOW.  Enjoy.

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