The MDC Talks | A Screendance Podcast

In this episode of The MDC Talks, we talk with Cara Hagan; mover, maker, writer, curator, champion of just communities, and a dreamer.

We have always admired Cara's approach to making art, we have championed each others practice from afar and finally connected in person in 2018. In this conversation we talk about curation, black bodies on screen, navigating the festival circuit, her book 'Screendance from Film to Festival: Celebration and Curatorial Practice' and more!

Cara Hagan

https://carahagan.net/

@carahagan_art

References: 

Screendance from Film to Festival: Celebration and Curatorial Practice - https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/screendance-from-film-to-festival/

Cygnus - https://youtu.be/0yxsTerwHjA?si=ZfSU2iZDi7l1IjNh

ADF Movies by Movers - https://americandancefestival.org/movies-by-movers/

Cut Me Summa Dat Noise Film - @cutmesummadatnoise_film

Funding Bodies by Sarah Wilbur -

https://www.weslpress.org/9780819580528/funding-bodies/

NYCB New Works Festival -

https://www.nycballet.com/discover/stories/the-making-of-the-2021-summer-session-films/

1 - https://youtu.be/4qOGsKdvz1o?si=vvV_5R8e7E_51Wfy

2 - https://youtu.be/ihw4QM7YebQ?si=sget-g8KN_730aBg

3 - https://youtu.be/O_0JmVMovu0?si=IoYn36n1wRqnmRqi

4 - https://youtu.be/VUc188WtE08?si=jvfPAGq9s3BtXKXI

5 - https://youtu.be/g1CVEGFcN44?si=DpnvOaETu6cTONMK

In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch- https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLINK-EYE-NEW-EDN-New/dp/1879505622

What is urban dance on screen? | Omari Carter Video Essay - https://vimeo.com/328049558

Ode to an Unapologetically Free and Sacred Body - https://youtu.be/Se-paC7a8wM?si=ljHitZpDLQUCiBvY

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

In this episode of The MDC Talks, we talk with Gitta Wigro; an arts professional with over 20 years’ experience, specialising in dance-film and dance.

We met Gitta on the dance-film festival circuit and became fast friends, sharing her interest in connecting people and ideas. In this conversation we talk curation, connectors, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, teaching practice, research and more!

Gitta Wigro

gittawigro.com

https://www.facebook.com/gitta.wigro

Screendance calendar - https://screendancecalendar.wordpress.com/?fbclid=IwAR35N9P4sXRnZl_0JoE9KXQK3DZ0gl17msdh26plkUgq20vP6ZqMpDvJc9c

References: 

'Boy' by Rosemary Lee & Peter Anderson - https://www.artsadmin.co.uk/project/boy/

'Hands' by Adam Roberts & Jonathan Burrows - https://vimeo.com/388689595

' A Drifting Up' by Jacob Lee - https://youtu.be/3ctLXHdb4dY

Rosemary Butcher - rosemarybutcher.com

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

The MDC Talks is BACK and we cannot wait to continue our creative conversations around all things dance-film with the incredible guests we have lined up for Season 3! The MDC team returns after a hiatus, lots of exciting projects and some big moves. In this episode, we get you up to speed on where the team is at and what we've been doing for the last 2 years. We hope you'll enjoy reconnecting with us and the upcoming stimulating conversations about bridging the gap between moving body and moving image.

In episode 12 of Season 2 on The MDC Talks, Anna Clifford and Omari ‘Motion’ Carter talk with Wilkie Branson; a self-taught interdisciplinary dance artist and filmmaker, currently based in the United Kingdom.  His latest feature length work TOM is commencing its international tour and currently being showcased at La Bienniale de Venezia 23/07/2021 - 01/08/2021.  

Wilkie expresses how the focus of his work always lies in the practice and not the product.  His early days of studying b-boying techniques were how he first entered into film and he was later drawn to animation because of its power to create something from nothing.  The evolution of his artistic practice is inspired by landscape, architecture and how the choreography within the environment & surroundings can impact and support telling stories through dance on screen.  Wilkie explains how his latest work is about reconnecting with your inner child.  He shares how the process of making the work reconnected him with his own family, some of the technical challenges and his most significant takeaway from the making of TOM.  

Wilkie Branson: 

https://www.wilkiebranson.com/

Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/wilkiebransonInstagram @wilkiebranson 

Twitter @WilkieBranson  

References: 

‘Little Dreams’: https://vimeo.com/128052930

‘End of the Block’: https://vimeo.com/73935264

‘White Caps’: https://vimeo.com/11272451

‘TOM’: https://vimeo.com/wilkiebranson/tomtrail

Making TOM - Part 3 - Available on Wilkie’s instagram @wilkiebranson 

La Bienniale di Venezia - https://www.labiennale.org/en/dance/2021/wilkie-branson-tom 

WATCH ‘TOM’ HERE: https://vimeo.com/wilkiebranson/tomfilm 

*Exclusively available to our listeners for 4 weeks only!!  

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

Episode 8 (Pt 2) of Season 2 on The MDC Talks features Montreal filmmaker Marlene Millar, in conversation with Omari 'Motion' Carter, Anna Clifford and James Williams.  Marlene is an internationally award-winning dance filmmaker, her creative partnerships include Mouvement Perpétuel (2001) alongside Philip Szporer and Migration Dance Film Project with Sandy Silva.  

In Part 2 of this podcast Marlene breaks down the making of NAVIGATION, a dance-film recently made as the latest addition to the Migration Dance Film Project series.  She touched on pre-production choices and emphasised the importance of a cohesive crew, in particular, the vital role it played in filming this work.  Marlene generously spoke about sourcing funding for your creative work; how strategic planning and forward thinking with a focus on the bigger picture is key.  She also expressed her appreciation for working with camera operators who understand the language of dance because of their ability to predict choreographic phrases.

Marlene Millar: 

www.marlenemillar.com 

Instagram @millarmarlene 

Vimeo - vimeo.com/marlenemillar  

References: 

Navigation - vimeo.com/424337004 

Migration Dance Film Project - www.marlenemillar.com/#/mdfp/ 

Lay Me Low - vimeo.com/125331919 

mouvementperpetuel.net  

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

Episode 8 of Season 2 on The MDC Talks features Montreal filmmaker Marlene Millar, in conversation with Omari 'Motion' Carter, Anna Clifford and James Williams.  Marlene is an internationally award-winning dance filmmaker, her creative partnerships include Mouvement Perpétuel (2001) alongside Philip Szporer and Migration Dance Film Project with Sandy Silva.  

Marlene talks about the simplicity yet significance of work having a beginning, middle and end.  She shares her experience of finding a deeper understanding of time, rhythm and pace from working with analogue film, as well as the true importance of the pre-production process.  She also stressed the value in following through on an idea and taking creative chances.  Additionally, Marlene touches on finding your creative partners in people you trust and feel comfortable to challenge, as well as the value of distribution and its ability to give your work a longer lifespan.   

Marlene Millar: 

www.marlenemillar.com 

Instagram @millarmarlene 

Vimeo - vimeo.com/marlenemillar  

References: 

'One Day Pina Asked...' - vimeo.com/ondemand/onedaypina 

Bhairava - https://vimeo.com/marlenemillar

Lost Action: Trace - https://www.nfb.ca/film/lost_action_trace/

Mouvement Perpétuel - https://www.marlenemillar.com/#/mouvement-perpetuel/

Migration Dance Film Project - https://www.marlenemillar.com/#/mdfp/  

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

Episode 7 of The MDC Talks Season 2 features award-winning Swedish Choreographer and Director Nicola Hepp alongside Omari 'Motion' Carter, Anna Clifford and James Williams.  Currently based in The Netherlands Nicola works under commission for campaigns, films on artistic and commercial projects.   

We speak to Nicola about her recipe for a 1 minute film, her exploration of the themes of loneliness and ageing within her work and the rewarding experience of working with her 88 year old father.   Working in live performance, installation and film, she also offers perspective on mixing medias to deepen the viewer experience and the importance of collaboration and trust in your creative team.  Nicola describes her working process and also touches on how the Covid-19 pandemic has evolved her teaching and creative practice.   

Nicola Hepp: nicolahepp.com 

Instagram @nicolaheppfilm 

Facebook: Nicola Hepp - Filmmaker and Choreographer 

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/nicolahepp  

References: Echo - http://www.nicolahepp.com/echo/ 

23 | 73 -http://www.nicolahepp.com/23-i-73/ 

Traces -http://www.nicolahepp.com/traces/ 

Songs of the Underworld - http://www.nicolahepp.com/songs-of-the-underworld/ 

Tabula Rasa - https://vimeo.com/430410823   

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

In the fourth episode of Season 2, The MDC team speak with New Mexico native, Roman Baca about his dance documentary 'Exit 12: Moved by War'. Roman trained as a classical ballet dancer and took a hiatus from dance to enlist in the United States Marine Corps and served in the Iraq War. After returning home, he co-founded Exit12 Dance Company to explore telling veterans' stories choreographically and the healing power of dance.  

Roman details the journey of making the docu-dance; including some of the choreographic and filmic choices, the collaboration between himself and the director Mohammed Gorjestani as well as the importance of safe-guarding the veterans and dancers involved.   

Exit12 Dance Company: http://exit12danceco.org/  

References: 'Exit12: Moved by War' - http://exit12danceco.org/video   

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

In Episode 3 of Season 2 the MDC team host Antoine Marc, multi award-winning producer and choreographer.  We talk about his screendance work; the experience of blending digital with live, and incorporating technology into his recent work in innovative ways.    

He emphasises the importance of a good team, who can not only support your vision but challenge you and this inspires a conversation about the value in understanding the WHY in artistic practice.  Antoine believes the key to making meaningful work is human connection and using research and develop to find and refine your message.  

Antoine Marc:   

http://www.antoinemarc.com/  

References: 

'Luminous' - http://www.antoinemarc.com/videos 

'finding my feet' - [currently on festival tour] 

'Descent' - https://youtu.be/7XK4NHkFT9E 

'Fracture/d Frame/s' - Coming soon

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective 

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

In this episode the MDC team chat with Valerie Ebuwa and Gerrard Martin - two prominent movers and makers who have dipped their toes into the screendance space.  We talk about the experience of dancing for camera, the representation of black bodies on screen and interpretations of the term 'black dance'.  

Valerie Ebuwa:  www.valerieebuwa.com 

Body Data - https://vimeo.com/319312029  

Gerrard Martin: www.gerrardmartindance.com

'B' - https://youtu.be/asHDI5FJ_fA  

References: 

Fred Astaire Dancing - https://youtu.be/faN0kPOQykM 

Narratives in Black British Dance: Embodies Practices - Edited by Adesola Akinleye   

motiondancecollective.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMotionDanceCollective 

Twitter: @TheMDCollective

Instagram: @TheMDCollective

Welcome to the second episode of The MDC Talks | A Screendance Podcast!  

In this episode, we discuss choreography within the screendance space.  Featuring collective members Omari 'Motion' Carter, Anna Clifford and James Williams.  

References:  

1) EASE ON DOWN | BEHIND THE SCENES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YujWJmUJW4Y  

2) DOUGLAS ROSENBERG: Essay on Screen Dance (First presented February 2000 Dance For the Camera Symposium, Madison, Wisconsin, USA):  http://www.dvpg.net/docs/screendance.pdf  

Please add to the conversation and stay tuned for our next episode!