Collaboration between choreographer Monica Bill Barnes and filmmaker Celia Rowlson-Hall. Composer: Emily Lee Bellingham

With increasingly affordable video tools and the pressure to engage with audiences online, ‘Behind the Scenes’ media creation is exploding in the dance world. The growing online presence of rehearsal footage, dancer profiles, and choreographers talking to the camera is fast becoming an assumed part of a company’s marketing repertoire. It is worth noting, refreshing even, when a choreographer takes an entirely different approach to ‘Behind the Scenes’ video.

Take for example NYC-based choreographer Monica Bill Barnes and her recent collaboration with filmmaker Celia Rowlson-Hall. When invited by Jacob’s Pillow to create video for online audiences during a week-long creative residency for the new work Mostly Fanfare, Monica and Celia took the opportunity to carefully consider how they were interested in showing process or illuminating work.  Their questioning and collaboration resulted in 8 short ‘companion’ films, each one a window into the worlds, scenarios, characters, and elements explored during the creation of Mostly Fanfare.

The films are a collection of beautifully stylized imagery with character, humor, a touch of sadness and texture.  They create an abstract space for my own questioning and rewards for engaging in the work at differing entry points- in short the films are a brilliant media partnering of Monica’s stage work/world.

Both collaborators value clear choices in staging and reward audiences for staying present/patient – an important element in successful media. Bringing those values and concepts to the video and online space, a project specific webpage was created in collaboration with Jacob’s Pillow to frame the films within a “blank stage”.  For this reason the videos are not embedded here; please visit the website to view the films in HD.  On August 24, 2010 the curtain will come down on the website and the online performance of the films will end.

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