Date posted: March 16, 2008

A Compilation of Online Dance Videos

In a recent interview with The New York Times Trevor Carlson, the executive director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, said that [one new challenge is] “how do we together offer our own approved version of the material, so that we’re not seeing things on YouTube that have been recorded on someone’s cellphone from the back of the theater,” [..] “But rather we’ve got the actual footage here, and it’s broadcast quality and something we really want you to see.”

I hope he will put his money where his mouth is and will upload some good videos of Split Sides soon.

Unfortunately most dance companies have yet to wake up to the new reality of YouTube, camera phones and dancers posting rehearsal footage online to promote their own skills. They don’t realize that people post the videos on YouTube because they are enthusiastic and want to share their enthusiasm. They don’t realize either that a short 3 to 5 minute clip is excellent promotion material. Instead they worry about copyrights and DVD sales, which never offset the production costs anyway.

The only (major) dance company that has embraced YouTube is Netherlands Dance Theatre (NDT), which has its own YouTube channel, where you can find short clips, rehearsal footage and interviews.

Update: As of 15 July 2008 the Merce Cunningham Dance Company now also has its own YouTube Channel.

The problem with YouTube is that it uses an old if not obsolete codec to compress video and that therefore video quality is below par and far worse than the QuickTime trailers at for example the Apple site and the iTunes movie store. I'm pretty sure that two years from now the online video landscape will look entirely different.

For the moment, to share my own enthusiasm, I have compiled a short collection of great dance videos that I have found at YouTube: excerpts from rehearsals, DVD rips etc. Unfortunately videos come and go, so some links may no longer work.

An excerpt from William Forsythe: Self Meant To Govern and William Forsythe: Firstext, definitely some of the best dance currently on YouTube.

A short excerpt from Merce Cunningham: Biped. And some of the animation sequences. Buy the DVD (Region 2 only)!

A short excerpt from William Forsythe: One Flat Thing Reproduced.

A short excerpt from Jiri Kylian: Falling Angels.

More Jiri Kylian. Short excerpts from Petit Mort, Six Dances, from the DVD Black And White Ballet, buy it, Wings of Wax, Wings of Wax (Part 2), One of a Kind and 27'52".

A short excerpt from Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon: Silent Screen.

A short excerpt from La La La Human Steps: Human Sex (1985). Once they were cool.

A short excerpt from Rosas Danst Rosas and Piano Phase.

A short excerpt from an interview with Pina Bausch which includes some rare archive footage of Cafe Muller in which she herself dances. The Intimate Strangers scene from Masurca Fogo.

Some vintage archive footage of the rehearsals for In the Middle Somewhat Elevated at the Paris Opera Ballet. Poor video and sound quality, but very interesting if you'd like to see Bill Forsythe at work.

A short excerpt from an interview with Lucinda Childs which includes some rare archive footage of Einstein on the Beach.