The MDC Talks | A Screendance Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of The MDC Talks, we talk with Douglas Rosenberg; writer, theorist and artist working at the intersection of performance, media and object-making. Currently Professor of Art at the University of Wisconsin - Madison and an award winning filmmaker whose work for the screen has been exhibited internationally for over 30 years.

Omari and Doug connected many years ago at LightMoves Festival in 2014 and he has since become a mentor and friend. We discuss Doug's desire for more critical writing about screendance, the godmother of experimental cinema, platform determinism, how the award culture of the industry is fuelling a specific type of work and more!

Douglas Rosenberg

https://www.douglas-rosenberg.com/

@rosenberg_douglas

References: 

Moving Sites by Dr Victoria Winter - https://www.routledge.com/Moving-Sites-Investigating-Site-Specific-Dance-Performance/Hunter/p/book/9780415713252

Screendance: Inscribing the Ephemeral Image - https://www.douglas-rosenberg.com/screendance-inscribing-the-ephemeral-image

Screendance Symposium 2022 - https://screendancesymposium.art.wisc.edu/archive/2022-symposium/

Amy Greenfield - https://film-makerscoop.com/filmmakers/amy-greenfield

Robert Raschenberg - https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/performance-history

Paul Taylor - https://www.youtube.com/paultaylordance

Hofesh Shechter - https://hofesh.co.uk/film/

Merce Cunningham (Blue Studio) - https://www.mercecunningham.org/the-work/choreography/blue-studio-five-segments-videodance/

Beach Birds for Camera - https://vimeo.com/141096694

Song of Songs - https://www.douglas-rosenberg.com/11225414-song-of-songs

After Quarantine: The Future of Screendance (Roundtable) - https://screendancejournal.org/index.php/screendance/article/view/8347/6100

Chirstinn Whyte - https://screendancejournal.org/index.php/screendance/article/view/6145

Circling - https://www.douglas-rosenberg.com/circling

Here Now with Sally Gross (documentary) - https://vimeo.com/118514611

CHAMBRE (LA) - https://www.numeridanse.tv/en/dance-videotheque/chambre-la

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

In this episode of The MDC Talks, we talk with Cara Hagan; mover, maker, writer, curator, champion of just communities, and a dreamer.

We have always admired Cara's approach to making art, we have championed each others practice from afar and finally connected in person in 2018. In this conversation we talk about curation, black bodies on screen, navigating the festival circuit, her book 'Screendance from Film to Festival: Celebration and Curatorial Practice' and more!

Cara Hagan

https://carahagan.net/

@carahagan_art

References: 

Screendance from Film to Festival: Celebration and Curatorial Practice - https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/screendance-from-film-to-festival/

Cygnus - https://youtu.be/0yxsTerwHjA?si=ZfSU2iZDi7l1IjNh

ADF Movies by Movers - https://americandancefestival.org/movies-by-movers/

Cut Me Summa Dat Noise Film - @cutmesummadatnoise_film

Funding Bodies by Sarah Wilbur -

https://www.weslpress.org/9780819580528/funding-bodies/

NYCB New Works Festival -

https://www.nycballet.com/discover/stories/the-making-of-the-2021-summer-session-films/

1 - https://youtu.be/4qOGsKdvz1o?si=vvV_5R8e7E_51Wfy

2 - https://youtu.be/ihw4QM7YebQ?si=sget-g8KN_730aBg

3 - https://youtu.be/O_0JmVMovu0?si=IoYn36n1wRqnmRqi

4 - https://youtu.be/VUc188WtE08?si=jvfPAGq9s3BtXKXI

5 - https://youtu.be/g1CVEGFcN44?si=DpnvOaETu6cTONMK

In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch- https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLINK-EYE-NEW-EDN-New/dp/1879505622

What is urban dance on screen? | Omari Carter Video Essay - https://vimeo.com/328049558

Ode to an Unapologetically Free and Sacred Body - https://youtu.be/Se-paC7a8wM?si=ljHitZpDLQUCiBvY

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

Episode 7 of The MDC Talks Season 2 features award-winning Swedish Choreographer and Director Nicola Hepp alongside Omari 'Motion' Carter, Anna Clifford and James Williams.  Currently based in The Netherlands Nicola works under commission for campaigns, films on artistic and commercial projects.   

We speak to Nicola about her recipe for a 1 minute film, her exploration of the themes of loneliness and ageing within her work and the rewarding experience of working with her 88 year old father.   Working in live performance, installation and film, she also offers perspective on mixing medias to deepen the viewer experience and the importance of collaboration and trust in your creative team.  Nicola describes her working process and also touches on how the Covid-19 pandemic has evolved her teaching and creative practice.   

Nicola Hepp: nicolahepp.com 

Instagram @nicolaheppfilm 

Facebook: Nicola Hepp - Filmmaker and Choreographer 

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/nicolahepp  

References: Echo - http://www.nicolahepp.com/echo/ 

23 | 73 -http://www.nicolahepp.com/23-i-73/ 

Traces -http://www.nicolahepp.com/traces/ 

Songs of the Underworld - http://www.nicolahepp.com/songs-of-the-underworld/ 

Tabula Rasa - https://vimeo.com/430410823   

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

This episode brings world renowned screendance artist Simon Fildes into The MDC Talks conversation with Omari 'Motion' Carter and Anna Clifford.  Simon is an international award-winning film-maker, artist, curator and teacher based in Edinburgh, Scotland.  

Simon; a self-proclaimed 'daydreamer', talks about the evolution of terminology in the screendance world, his connection to music and a desire to make art that inspires feeling.  He highlights the importance of making mistakes and giving yourself permission to fail in order to explore your own voice.  We shared our opinions on the value of watching other artists work and allowing yourself to have an opinion.  Simon also discussed some of the common trends in screendance and the impact Covid-19 is currently having on the screendance industry.  

Simon Fildes: 

https://www.fildes.work/ 

http://www.go-at.co.uk/ 

https://www.screen.dance/

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

In episode five of the 'The MDC Talks' Season 2, the team talk to Rodrigo Rocha-Campos.  Rodrigo is a Brazilian filmmaker and cinematography teacher based in Vancouver, Canada.  He has been creating and producing screendance for six years now and in this episode we discuss his latest work 'Chapter 5' which explores addiction.  Rodrigo also explains his attraction to the expression of dark themes in his films, the use of light and props to enrich story-telling and the ultimately the visceral impact these choices make to his work.  

Rodrigo Rocha-Campos: https://vimeo.com/rochacampos 

References: 

Screen.Dance Artist Presentation - https://www.screen.dance/festival2019...

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Magic-Cr...  

In the fourth episode of Season 2, The MDC team speak with New Mexico native, Roman Baca about his dance documentary 'Exit 12: Moved by War'. Roman trained as a classical ballet dancer and took a hiatus from dance to enlist in the United States Marine Corps and served in the Iraq War. After returning home, he co-founded Exit12 Dance Company to explore telling veterans' stories choreographically and the healing power of dance.  

Roman details the journey of making the docu-dance; including some of the choreographic and filmic choices, the collaboration between himself and the director Mohammed Gorjestani as well as the importance of safe-guarding the veterans and dancers involved.   

Exit12 Dance Company: http://exit12danceco.org/  

References: 'Exit12: Moved by War' - http://exit12danceco.org/video   

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

In Episode 3 of Season 2 the MDC team host Antoine Marc, multi award-winning producer and choreographer.  We talk about his screendance work; the experience of blending digital with live, and incorporating technology into his recent work in innovative ways.    

He emphasises the importance of a good team, who can not only support your vision but challenge you and this inspires a conversation about the value in understanding the WHY in artistic practice.  Antoine believes the key to making meaningful work is human connection and using research and develop to find and refine your message.  

Antoine Marc:   

http://www.antoinemarc.com/  

References: 

'Luminous' - http://www.antoinemarc.com/videos 

'finding my feet' - [currently on festival tour] 

'Descent' - https://youtu.be/7XK4NHkFT9E 

'Fracture/d Frame/s' - Coming soon

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

In this episode the MDC team chat with Valerie Ebuwa and Gerrard Martin - two prominent movers and makers who have dipped their toes into the screendance space.  We talk about the experience of dancing for camera, the representation of black bodies on screen and interpretations of the term 'black dance'.  

Valerie Ebuwa:  www.valerieebuwa.com 

Body Data - https://vimeo.com/319312029  

Gerrard Martin: www.gerrardmartindance.com

'B' - https://youtu.be/asHDI5FJ_fA  

References: 

Fred Astaire Dancing - https://youtu.be/faN0kPOQykM 

Narratives in Black British Dance: Embodies Practices - Edited by Adesola Akinleye   

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

Welcome to the second season of The MDC Talks! 

In this series we focus on interdisciplinary artists, as we speak to prominent practitioners who work within the realm of screendance. Kicking us off is performing arts consultant, coach, mentor, movement director and choreographer, Tomorr Kokona. As a mentor of The Motion Dance Collective, it was only a matter of time before we invited this brilliant mind onto the podcast. Tomorr breaks down important themes of distribution, profitability, intellectual property, collaborations and partnerships, through his incredible personal stories that take place within 30 years of creative and leadership roles. 

This man fills a gap in the need for the further education of the above themes! In great anticipation for his upcoming book, 'Perform Your Best: How to do what you love and get paid what your worth', we chat with Tomorr on how we can develop systems for success through being interdisciplinary artists.   

References: 

• www.tomorrkokona.com 
• Twitter: @TomorrKokona 
• Dance Film Club (Facebook Group - New Title 'Dance and Film Network'): https://www.facebook.com/groups/dancefilmclub/

Special thanks to The MDC work experience students, Kate Hamilton and Finlay Quinn, from the University of East London. For their assistant sound design and editing.

Like to watch while you listen? We've created something special for our youtube listeners :)

https://youtu.be/6vIQllCI_y0

Episode 6: Cinematic Language  

In episode 6 of The MDC Talks our team sits down to unpack the term 'cinematic language'.  Our individual interpretations of what it means versus our experiences of using it in practice.  Analysing various collaborations helped us explore different reasons for the benefits of knowing and understanding cinematic language to service your story.  As well as the value of learning the rules so that you can break them.  

References: finding my feet - https://youtu.be/zJjxoOGhzuI 

I See You (creating choreo and then deciding how to capture it) - https://youtu.be/Oe9bqvQuRdA 

Fracture/d Frame/s - COMING SOON  

Ease on Down (pull to flower) - https://youtu.be/elECm7-r5nc?t=77

In Angst - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW9M8lKZ7ns