SSF @ Age Well Center: Dance is Like a Fine Wine

In a deserted city, a young boy stumbles into a theatre. He wanders through the auditorium, where rows of velvet chairs, draping curtains and chandeliers seem to lie in lonely wait for audiences to return. The theatre may be empty, but the show will go on… Starring characters from our most popular festive ballets, the worlds of the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy collide when the theatre bursts into life. In this spectacular feature-length film, you’ll be treated to an extraordinary show filled with acrobats, snowflakes, clowns, princes and – of course – beautiful ballerinas.

Aïpeur Foundou is a Congolese dancer and choreographer. Amidst some popular areas of Brazzaville, he shows us one possible way to freedom.

Exhale starts in shock, when a traumatic event makes you aware of your vulnerability. Your reality has been affected. Can you trust your senses? Exhale evokes reflection, letting go of your anger and overcoming the feeling of powerlessness. And ultimately regaining confidence in your own instincts and body.

A young man, oppressed by the density of the city, decides to flee. He finds himself in a clear, calm space. He starts dancing, more and more intensely. Little by little, the sea will join the dance, sonically, accompanying his movements. After a crescendo ascent, close to trance, we will find him far away from urban buildings, in a clear, liberated aquatic setting.

A bored young woman helping her dad with chores finds she can’t keep from dancing, despite the risk of getting in trouble. When she finally gets caught, dance once again saves the day.

A portrait of star ballerina, Lauren Cuthbertson, returning to dance after having a baby.

Two hands lead the movement and poetry of a solo dancer contemplating life and loss.

Five people venture to a secret meadow tucked behind snow capped mountains to participate in a ritual of their own making. Together, they delight in dream logic and ceremonial uncanny through their mischievous traditions.

In the videodance Maracatu vs Passinho we invited a Passinho dancer and a Caboclo de Lança to present some of their expressions in a friendly duel.

Boy meets girl at a coffee shop, and the two are thrown into a mud wrestling ring to find a common path forward, while their best friends act as coaches.

This documentary blends the past of a dancer born and raised in the countryside of São Paulo-Brazil, and her present updated in the duets danced with her daughter, who is a dancer as well. The film transits between bucolic images of ruined landscapes and the stage, bringing a letter that is a familiar legacy, with instructions to dance the Russian choreography “The Dying Swan.”

Flooding. Soft stone shedding. Hard water, merging veins. Inside or outside. Bodies, connected. The earth, the stone, the air, the sea. Cold scream of burning lungs. Creating. Path bodies, planting bodies, growing bodies. Connected. Inside or Outside.

After successfully redefining Hong Kong Ballet’s brand last year, our goal this year — their 40th anniversary — was to establish Hong Kong Ballet as an institution of national prestige and reach new audiences with the Ballet’s vision. the people of Hong Kong needed to see themselves reflected in the Ballet. Our strategy led us to blend traditional and pop-culture colors, tutus and street clothes, Chinese opera-inspired and contemporary makeup, and a backdrop of iconic Hong Kong landmarks to celebrate the Ballet’s heritage and its spirit of innovation. Hong Kong Ballet, like the city itself, is “Never Standing Still.” The film went viral and earned more than 2 million views.

Moving With is a short film to capture a precious moment in time between mother and son and their local landscape. A celebration of simple things: being together, moving together, listening and watching all we have on our doorstep. It aims to document dance artist Lucy Nicholson and her son, Benji’s, regular journeys out and about in their local village of Staveley, Lake District, Cumbria. They pack a bag and walk to their favourite spots and ask themselves, noticing…what can we hear?….what can we see?…how shall we move?… Mother and son dance together, responding to the accompaniment of their natural surroundings with a backdrop of the beautiful national park. We acknowledge the power and grace in stillness, slowness, gentleness, calmness – without challenge, target or adrenaline we love, appreciate, participate and experience our wonderful world. Moving With acts as an alternative perspective on how we can be with our children in our natural spaces, on what outdoor activity can look like and how the appreciation of our natural world can be nurtured.

This short marries the people of Yerevan — the capital of Armenia and one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities — with the modern day metropolis. Created in public spaces in 3 days and 3 nights.