DANCE: FILM 2011 festival roundup

Films about Bill T Jones, Tanja Liedtke, Mariemma and Pina Bausch feature at the 2011 fest

When you’ve got a meaty filling, there’s nothing wrong with wrapping it in a bit of frivolous puff pastry. That’s the strategy taken by DANCE:FILM director, Steph Wright with this, her fourth festival celebrating the coming together of movement and celluloid. Opening with the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers classic, Shall We Dance?, the festival goes on to feature a strong programme of dance documentaries, before a closing event as cheesy as they come.

This year’s DANCE: FILM festival theme is ‘insights’, with choreographer Bill T Jones under the spotlight in A Good Man; the late Tanja Liedtke seen in Life in Movement; while My Paths Through Dance explores the life of Mariemma, the woman who shaped 20th century Spanish dance. Never Stand Still celebrates American dance festival Jacob’s Pillow, and The Rising Sun follows Swiss hip hoppers Roc Kidz Crew.

There’s also another chance to see Wim Wenders’ highly acclaimed Pina 3D.

‘It’s a film I found so beautiful, it made me cry,’ says festival director Steph Wright. ‘It was made in 3D and needs to be shown in 3D.’

DANCE:FILM comes to a close with Dance till Dawn, an all-nighter featuring Footloose, Xanadu, Flashdance and Dirty Dancing. ‘The idea was borne out of the realisation that my tradition of ending the festival with a 1980’s dance film had a finite end,’ says Wright. ‘There are only so many decent films out there, so we’ll end the tradition in style. It’ll be a proper night out at the Cameo, with fancy dress and a performance from Dance Base’s Footloose performance group.’

DANCE: FILM, various venues, Edinburgh, Sat 12–Sat 19 Nov.