*Dance

The program is a "step-by-step course on the healing tradition and expressive movements that are unique to Africa's dance heritage". Demonstrated are six African dances: Sowu, Gbêgbé, Focodoba, Umoya, Nago, Yonwalu, Healing journey.

Here is a spirited celebration of traditional African dance filmed in the villages and suburban compounds of Senegal and The Gambia. Chuck Davis, an internationally renowned ethnic dancer, is accompanied by several American dancers on one of his frequent visits to West Africa. The film is an intimate and inspiring portrait of African dance and village life, celebrating life, movement, and a sense of community. It focuses upon three different tribes or ethnic groups (Wolof, Mandinka, and Diola) in three different regions of Senegambia. It shows the warmth of the West African people and the importance of dance in their daily lives. The film concludes with a stimulating performance in the United States by Chuck Davis and his integrated company, the African American Dance Ensemble, celebrating peace, love and mutual respect.

Probes the traditions of dance in communities around the world--from the often misunderstood waltz to the eloquent gestures of an Asante court dancer in Ghana, and from the latest hip-hop in Morocco to a ballet class in Russia and a modern dance rehearsal in New York.

Re-make of the musical Ipi Tombi. A Johannesburg mine worker sings of his love for the girl back home and his sense of separation from his tribal roots.

Alan Govenar's new film reveals the extraordinary life of African immigrant Sidiki Conde. Sidiki lost the use of his legs to polio at age fourteen. Today, he balances his career as a performing artist with the almost insurmountable obstacles of day-to-day life in New York City. From his fifth-floor walk-up apartment, he traverses down the stairs on his hands and then navigates in his wheelchair through the sidewalks of Manhattan onto buses and into the subway. Despite his disability, he manages to teach workshops for disabled kids, busk on the street, rehearse with his musical group, bicycle with his hands, and prepare for a baby naming ceremony, where he plays djembe drums, sings, and dances on his hands...proving to the world You Don't Need Feet to Dance.

Lewis Carroll's ever-popular story provides the basis for a spectacular new work from the Royal Ballet, which features an engaging and passionate score as well as breathtaking choreography.

First of a seven part series produced in the early 1970's to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of ballet through a study of its development and history.

Mikhail Baryshnikov discusses dance and performs in three works choreographed by Twyla Tharp.

The depth of male dancing at the American Ballet Theatre today is unprecedented. Travel home with Jose Manuel Carreño, Angel Corella, Vladimir Malakhov, and Ethan Stiefel, exploring the dancer's personal backgrounds and formal training. The program culminates with a work created especially for the four dancers by acclaimed choreographer Mark Morris, and includes revealing glimpses of the rehearsal process along the way.

The Bolshoi Ballet performs Grigorovich's revision of Petipa's version of the ballet The sleeping beauty.

In this two-part program, members of Ailey's dance company celebrate his memory by performing three works choreographed by Ailey himself, as well as a special ballet tribute choreographed by Ulysses Dove. Includes biography of Alvin Ailey.

Chronicles the unique era of modern dance inspired by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. Archival footage and modern reconstruction of several Denishawn dances are used to document the lives and work of the Denishawn founders.

A compilation of three works dealing with Martha Graham; all are collaborations with television arts-programming pioneer Nathan Kroll. A Dancer's World (1957), narrated by Graham herself, is a glimpse into her class work and methodology. Appalachian Spring (1958) and Night Journey (1961) are two complete Graham ballets. The first is a celebration of the American pioneer spirit , scored by Aaron Copland, and the second is a powerfully physical rendering of the Oedipus myth. Also included are: Martha Graham: the Dancer Revealed, a 1994 documentary produced for PBS's American Masters series; new interviews with six dancers from the films; excerpts from a 1975 filmed technique demonstration by Graham's company, narrated by Graham; and footage of Graham's company from a 1954 European tour.

Merce Cunningham, a colossus of 20th-century choreography, is perhaps most famous for his sheer fecundity--inventing steps, choreographing 200+ dances, and over 800 "Events" (site-specific works). At the forefront of the American avant-garde for more than 50 years, he abandoned conventional elements of dance structure, most controversially, the relationship of dance and music influenced by his collaboration with composer John Cage. Endlessly inventive and inquisitive, Cunningham collaborated with a wide range of composers, designers, and artists, incorporating video into pieces, and employing computerized choreography in his later years to instruct members of his company. Unlike most choreographers, movement itself was his principal subject matter--neither narrative nor musical form determines the dance structure. Cunningham leaves a vast legacy, but he expressed his view of his art saying, "Dancing is the art of the present tense." Cunningham himself, along with his dancers, collaborators, and observers, traces the course of his long career and that of his dance company.

Legendary dancers and choreographers Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Suzanne Farrell, Mark Morris, Judith Jamison, and Bill Irwin appear alongside new innovators to reveal the passion, discipline, and daring of the world of dance. Featured are amazing performances by world-renowned dancers interwoven with intimate interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, and rare archival footage.

The development of theater dance is discussed with emphasis on Broadway dances.

A compilation of rare performances from the archives of the Tony Awards, produced as PBS specials. Legendary stars including Lauren Bacall, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Goulet, Nell Carter, Ethel Merman, Julie Andrews, Angela Landsbury, Joel Grey, Annette Being, James Earl Jones, Morgen Freeman and many more, share Broadway and Tony memories. Also included are musical numbers from legendary shows including, Anything Goes, Man of La Mancha, Guys and Dolls, Ain't Misbehavin', Chicago, Fosse, Miss Saigon, and key scenes from celebrated plays including, The Great White Hope, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, M. Butterfly, The Heidi Chronicles, Fences, Hamlet, and As You Like It.

With a theatrical and cinematic legacy that includes "Damn Yankees," "The Pajama Game," "Sweet Charity," "Pippin," "Chicago," and "Dancin'," the genius of Bob Fosse will always cast a long shadow over Broadway and Hollywood. The all-dancing, all-singing "Fosse" was created by those who worked most closely with him, including co-director and co-choreographer Ann Reinking and Fosse's wife, the late Gwen Verdon. This video presents the award-winning musical, recorded live in performance from Broadway. Celebrating Fosse's brilliance with the most important dance numbers from his greatest shows, movies, and early television work, From Broadway: "Fosse" is a showstopping tribute to one of the past century's most influential forces on Broadway.

Instructional jazz dance video demonstrating step by step techniques for the beginner to advanced beginner.

Join Jared as he blasts you out of your tap "comfort zone" and into a place of self-expression. He will guide you through a warm-up and three explosive combinations. In this video you will learn choreography and find those places within the steps where you can add your personality and dance comfortably. Jared's charisma will motivate and inspire you so that you won't get caught up in a web of concentration, sound and discipline. You will find security in yourself and in your body that enables you to learn in a comfortable state of relaxation, allowing for steady gains and progress. Relax your body and mind, let the music of tap guide you down paths of countless possibilities.

During New York's "Palladium Era" of the 1940s and 50s, the Latin orchestras of Tito Puente, Machito and Tito Rodriguez exploded on the night scene; the mambo and other Latin dances took the country by storm. For nearly a decade, dancer Eddie Torres has cherished a dream of establishing a Latin dance troupe and resurrecting the rhythms which enthralled post-war America. To that end, Torres recruited an enthusiastic, multi-ethnic group of "salseros," Hispanic club and street dancers. In this documentary portrait, Eddie is seen molding the troupe and preparing them for an audition with renowned Latin musician Tito Puente. Initially skeptical, Puente is soon won over by the group's energized performance. Rehearsal and interview sequences reveal the hard work and commitment required for success. The film concludes with the triumphant debut of the Eddie Torres Latin Dance Company (accompanied by the Tito Puente Orchestra) before a sold-out audience at Harlem's Apollo Theater.

Dozens of film clips of American popular dances from the first half of the 20th century, organized by type of dance.

Tyce Diorio and Krista Saab will take you through combinations in Jazz, Hip Hop, Theatre and Latin Dance using the mats in various formations to help guide the steps and teach you spacial awareness. They'll also take you through basic across the floor progressions to introduce some fundamental technique. Learn from them and then challenge yourself to be the choreographer! You have the freedom to place the mats in many different formations and create patterns that are visually breath-taking. Great for large group numbers!

Drawing on interviews with more than fifty major personalities from a broad cross-section of disciplines, this tour de force both analyzes and celebrates the growing influence of Latino culture in the U.S. Featured guests include artist Andres Serrano, poet Pedro Pietri, composer Luis Dias, dancer Paloma Herrera, actor Guillermo Diaz, fashion designer Willey Esco, photographer Mariluz Gordillo, radio host Paco de Radio Mega, TV producer Gamelier de Jesus, Newsweek editor Veronica Chambers, and Washington Post journalist Jaime Manrique, who share their personal and professional experiences of being of Latino descent in America today.

This remarkable documentary on multiculturalism explores the growing subculture of salsa dancing in Japan, where salsa dancing and salsa clubs serve as a source of interaction and cultural mingling between native Japanese and Latino immigrants to Japan. Each group has a different way of dancing and different reasons for going to the dance clubs. In scenes at the clubs these differences are apparent. However, salsa clubs are also important and popular places for interaction between Japanese and Latinos, places where learning between the two groups and a greater cultural appreciation of one another can occur.The video examines two types of salsa clubs in Japan. One draws more Japanese and the other draws more Latinos. The key difference between the two is the purpose for going. In the clubs that draw more Japanese, there is a greater focus on dancing well -- on looking good. Most of the clientele are students of salsa and some enter competitions.The clubs that draw a largely Latino crowd have more of a "party" atmosphere. Some of the clientele are great dancers, others not. Some even learn how to dance salsa in Japan, because it's not in fact a universally "Latin" dance. The main attraction of these "parties" is the chance to get together with other Latinos, blow off steam, and have a good time."Salsa in Japan" briefly recounts the history of salsa for those unfamiliar with the dance and examines the many connections between Latin America and Japan through interviews with people involved in the salsa world.This energetic, vibrant, and accessible video will reward viewing and stimulate discussion in any class dealing with issues of multiculturalism and immigration, and in a wide variety of courses in Japanese and Asian studies, Latin American studies, and cultural anthropology.

Documentary on 20th-century dance in San Francisco and the Bay Area, focusing on groundbreaking choreographers and companies. Interviews with the choreographers and artistic directors, along with their colleagues and contemporaries, explore their goals, achievements, impact, and influence on others. Also discussed is the unique creative atmosphere of the West Coast: its closeness to nature, openness to experimentalism and new work, tolerance for unconventional lifestyles and political activism.

Choreographers Kumiko Kimoto, Sun Ock Lee, Mel Wong and moderator Peggy Choy discuss how Asian and Asian-American issues and identity shape their work. Discussion is intercut with excerpts from work performed by each choreographer.

A performance of five dances by Martha Graham and her dance troupe which exemplify diverse aspects of Graham's unique style of modern dance.

Rare archival films, stills and interviews illuminate the rise of modern dance in Europe and its founders, Rudolf Laban, Mary Wigman and Kurt Jooss. Part I begins with Rudolf Laban, credited with being one of the most important innovators and guiding forces for modern dance. It continues with Laban's two most gifted and influential students, Mary Wigman, who became the foremost choreographer and exponent of German Expressionist dance, and Kurt Jooss, who was Laban's assistant and lead dancer. Jooss later established his own company, Ballets Jooss, with great success until forced to leave Germany for political reasons in 1933. Part II continues with the 1936 Olympics and the cancellation by Josef Goebbels of Laban's massive opening choreographic piece The Spring Wind and The New Joy, and Laban's subsequent fall from favor. World War II finds Jooss and Laban teaching and working in England, while Wigman remains in Germany only to experience the destruction of her school in an air raid. The post-War period focuses on Jooss' return to Germany and the famous Folkwang School; and Wigman's eventual move to West Germany and return to choreography.

Guests discuss the impulses which drove choreographers to push back the boundaries of dance during the 1970's.