Just Announced, World Premiere
The world premiere of Dancing Man, plus three original short films, in a meld of dance, music, and storytelling from the IU community.
Robert Steven Mack Productions presents the world premiere of Dancing Man, plus three original short films, in a meld of dance, music, and storytelling to showcase talent from across Indiana University and the photographic beauty of Bloomington.
A Q&A with the filmmakers and cast members will follow the screening and be moderated by Connie Shakalis, freelance arts writer for The Herald Times and other publications.
Chisel (Robert Steven Mack, 2021, 8 min): A lone woman wakes up in an abandoned quarry, followed by a masked stranger who seems to want to tell her something. Shot in haunting black-and-white 16mm film, this short was made during the pandemic in the decaying remains of a limestone quarry. Chisel features choreography by Michael Vernon and premieres a newly recorded version of Isaak Liu’s original score by the Budapest Film Orchestra.
Shift (Kasey Poracky, 2019, 8 min): A studious boy finds himself bogged down by his uninspired and mundane chores and responsibilities. Suddenly, the beautiful Terpsichore appears and whisks him away to a dreamscape where she beckons him into a romantic pas de deux. Shift features choreography by Sasha Janes to a lush score by Larry Groupé.
North (Robert Steven Mack, 2021, 8 min): A music video set to John Raymond’s nostalgic composition "North" with choreography by Sarah Wroth, danced jointly by IU Jacobs School of Music Ballet Department and dancers from IU‘s Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance. Bright, grainy, and naturalistic, North was shot on Super 8mm entirely in the Musical Arts Centre on IU’s campus.
Dancing Man (Clarisse Gamblin and Robert Steven Mack, 2023, 23 min): David, a young and quixotic dancer, is confronted with the decision of whether to stay at a Midwestern ballet company with his new love interest Gabrielle or follow a promising choreographer to New York to chase his pipe dream of dancing in Golden Age musicals. Featuring vibrant cinematography, an elegant score by Yi-Chen Chiang, and toe-tapping choreography by Chris Lingner, Dancing Man showcases dancers from IU Ballet Theatre and Indianapolis Ballet in a colorful and bittersweet coming-of-age story.
