Reimagining Dance on Screen
A Practical Guide to Dance-Filmmaking · Mitchell Rose
“Mitchell Rose has redefined the landscape of dance-film with his distinctive approach. By working with film syntax as the source material for a choreographic concept, he has opened up myriad possibilities for choreographers, dancers and filmmakers. This witty and useful book provides practical support to any artist seeking to weave movement with film.”
“The world of screendance is exploding but utterly overwhelming—yet finally, here is Mitchell Rose with an indispensable road map, a how-to and a do not miss it pep talk. On top of everything, Rose keeps us laughing throughout. Grab this book and keep it closer than your camera!”
The future of dance is intertwined with media.
Whether you're just starting to explore that space or you've been deep in it for years, this book will be a rich playground for you—12 video editing tutorials, 50 downloadable dance clips for editing practice, and over 65 links to example films and other resources curated throughout the text. And most importantly, a fresh film-centric approach to the form.
Reimagining Dance on Screen treats screendance as a cinematic art form in itself, not merely choreography captured beautifully on video. We're making films—the film itself IS the dance. So the book is squarely about filmmaking. And humanity. Visual storytelling, shot design, camera movement, editing—all in service of capturing dance's special aliveness in a two-dimensional medium.
“Mitchell has always made generous, engaging films that meld the people moving with the moving image. Now, dance makers of all ages and experiences have an indispensable guide to making films that move, and will move their audiences. Devour this book—it will lead you on a new path of endless, gratifying making. I wish I had read this eons ago.”
For that job, no experience is necessary. Just an open mind. And comfortable shoes.
It's a hands-on guide that walks you through the whole arc of making a dance-film—from the first spark of an idea to getting the finished piece out into the world.
You don't need a budget. You don't need a crew. You don't even need a camera (because we all have phones). You just need a willingness to think differently. And the shoes.
“Mitchell's classes shifted my entire artistic direction. This book distills that same clarity and insight. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing dance—and putting it on the screen.”
“Mitchell Rose has redefined the landscape of dance-film with his distinctive approach. By working with film syntax as the source material for a choreographic concept, he has opened up myriad possibilities for choreographers, dancers and filmmakers. This witty and useful book provides practical support to any artist seeking to weave movement with film.”
“The world of screendance is exploding but utterly overwhelming—yet finally, here is Mitchell Rose with an indispensable road map, a how-to and a do not miss it pep talk. On top of everything, Rose keeps us laughing throughout. Grab this book and keep it closer than your camera!”
The future of dance is linked with media.
But few dance programs can afford a screendance instructor—and in today's budgetary climate, that gap is only widening.
Reimagining Dance on Screen is designed to close that gap. It's a complete screendance course package: a hands-on guide that walks students through the whole arc of making a dance-film—from the first spark of an idea to getting the finished piece out into the world—with 12 video tutorials, 50 downloadable dance clips for editing practice, and over 65 links to example films and other resources curated throughout the text.
“Mitchell has always made generous, engaging films that meld the people moving with the moving image. Now, dance makers of all ages and experiences have an indispensable guide to making films that move, and will move their audiences. Devour this book—it will lead you on a new path of endless, gratifying making. I wish I had read this eons ago.”
An instructor doesn't need to be a dance-film specialist. Anyone with a good eye can facilitate the course while learning alongside the students—and it could be a perfect fit for today's media-savvy grad student. The book comes with a full Teacher's Guide structured around a 28-class semester, so the course is essentially ready to run.
“Mitchell's classes shifted my entire artistic direction. This book distills that same clarity and insight. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing dance—and putting it on the screen.”
This book is my effort to democratize dance-film. I think your students will love it.
