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Joffrey documentary -- broad distribution


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After its premiere in January at the Dance and the Camera Festival, "Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance" is starting broader distribution. You can see the trailer

, or look for screening information here (it's going to screen in Seattle at the Northwest Film Forum June 1-7)
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Thanks, sandik. It never did get broadly distributed to my vicinity, but at long last my local PBS stations have gotten around to showing it (instead of endless reruns of Jackie Evancho, grumble grumble). My knowledge of early Joffrey history not being as detailed as it should be, the first part of the documentary was especially useful in filling the gaps. The meat of the film is of course the dance excerpts, of which there could be more. The footage of The Green Table is smashing, as is the bits of Parade, with Gary Chryst as the Chinese Conjuror and the segments showing Massine and Joffrey in rehearsal, all of which were new and wonderful to this viewer. Also liked the contributions from the former Joffrey dancers, especially Trinette Singleton, still beautiful, and another whose name I'm sorry to say escapes me. Fantastic to see Singleton and Zomosa in Astarte.

The film is diplomatic on the subject of Arpino's choreography, with Sasha Anawalt noting that ballet critics seemed to view it as their job to remind the untutored that Balanchine was a better choreographer than Arpino. Critics can be funny that way.

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The film is diplomatic on the subject of Arpino's choreography, with Sasha Anawalt noting that ballet critics seemed to view it as their job to remind the untutored that Balanchine was a better choreographer than Arpino. Critics can be funny that way.

I giggled at that one too!

I'm so glad you finally got to see it -- as a Seattle person, I have very warm feelings about Joffrey and the company. They were my introduction to the art form, and I think that's true for many others as well.

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