International Reach, Movies by Movers, & Archives

ADF’S MOVIES BY MOVERS

ARCHIVES

Jodee Nimerichter and three arts presenters and educators traveled to China to foster relationships with several companies and academies. Yang Meiqi and co-organizers Ou Jian-Ping and Frank Fu led the nongovernmental tour of contemporary dance in China that provided an insider’s look on classes and rehearsals in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. US colleagues included James Frazier (former ADF Co-Dean and current Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Florida State University), Aaron Mattocks (Director of Programming at The Joyce Theater), and Stanford Makishi (Vice President for Programming at City Center). This trip provided opportunities for artistic exchange, educational programming, and creative residencies. Chinese companies and choreographers will be considered for future ADF choreographic residency programs and presentations. The trip also laid the groundwork for ADF teaching and creative residencies in China.

ADF’s trip to China was made possible in part with a grant from the Asian Cultural Council to advance international understanding through cultural exchange in the arts.

Under the direction of Cara Hagan, ADF’s Movies by Movers is an annual film festival dedicated to the conversation between the body and the camera. The 2020 festival was co-curated by Hagan, Juel D. Lane, and Jennifer Scully-Thurston. Pivoting this program online not only expanded our audience, generating an average of 107 views per film, but also increased our capacity to share 85 dance films over the course of six weeks, nearly doubling the featured films from the year prior.

In 2020, the ADF Archives provided video footage for a number of online initiatives created by the American Dance Festival and by choreographers and companies who have appeared at the festival. A highlight was a special limited presentation of classic works by Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, and Martha Graham performed by ADF students in the 2019 Footprints program. Other new initiatives included ADF’s series Gathering for Dance and ADF Celebrates Black Artistry.