What is a dance film?
A dance film (also called screendance) is a dance made to be seen on a screen. It is not just a stage dance that someone recorded. The camera is part of the dance.
Frame
The frame is the edge of the picture. Anything outside the frame is not seen. The filmmaker chooses what to put inside.
Shots
- Wide shot: the whole body and the space. It shows patterns and groups.
- Close-up: a face, a hand or feet. It shows small feelings and details that a theatre seat can miss.
Editing and place
Editing
Editing means joining clips. A cut is the jump from one shot to the next. Cuts can match the beat of the music, so the picture dances too. Slow motion and speed-up can also change the feeling.
Place
A stage is fixed. A film can go anywhere: a beach, a street, a field, a classroom. The place becomes part of the meaning, for example a crowded street can show busy city life.
Planning
Filmmakers plan the shots first (a simple shot list), then film, then edit. The dancer and the camera person need to work as a team.
Cross-disciplinary dance
Cross-disciplinary dance mixes dance with another field. This is also called crossing boundaries.
- Dance + music: new sounds or live musicians that react to the dancer.
- Dance + visual art: paintings or drawings projected on the dancers, or dancers drawing with light.
- Dance + technology: sensors, projections, animation or motion capture that react to movement.
The idea is not to add things for show. Each new part must help the meaning of the dance.
Key formulas and definitions
- Frame = the edge of the picture; only inside is seen
- Wide shot = whole body and space; close-up = small details
- Cut = jump from one shot to the next
- Editing = joining clips in order and time
- Dance film (screendance) = dance made for the camera
- Cross-disciplinary dance = dance mixed with another field
Worked examples
1. A filmmaker wants to show a dancer’s nervous face before a big jump. Which shot should they use?
A close-up. It shows the face clearly, which a wide shot cannot.
2. A group dance forms a large circle. Which shot best shows the pattern?
A wide shot, because it shows all dancers and the space at once.
3. Why can a dance film show something a stage dance cannot?
The camera can move close, change place, cut between views and use effects. A theatre audience sits at one spot.
4. Give an example of cross-disciplinary dance.
A dancer whose moves control a projected pattern of light by sensors. It joins dance with technology and visual art.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a dance film is just a stage dance recorded from one seat.
- Using only close-ups. Without wide shots the viewer cannot see the pattern.
- Cutting too fast, so the viewer cannot follow the dance.
- Adding music, effects or technology only for show, without a reason.