A month after the first screening in this ongoing series, Rensselaer’s Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) presents “DANCE MOViES 2” at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 2005, in Sage 3303.

Dance films are a hybrid genre of work created specifically for the screen, combining the visceral physicality of movement and dance with the open possibilities and magic of film, pushing the boundaries of both.

The Oct. 26 program includes a selection of short films and experimental videos made by contemporary dancers and filmmakers from all over the world. The videos and films presented in this second installment of DANCE MOViES were all created in the last five years. They represent a sampling of works made by dancers and directors who investigate the ongoing search for love and logic in human affairs, often with a strong eye for the absurd, according to the event organizers.

The films include a comical take on the penny-arcade entitled “Peepshow” (2002), by the Canadian team of Robert Deleskie, Sylvie Bouchard and David Danzon. “Left or Right for Love?” (2002) by UK- based director Magali Charrier with choreography by Maria Lloyd, depicts the daydreams of a woman who disappears in a tub of milk to awaken in a white world of fantasy, memory and chaotic busywork.  In “Rest In Peace” (2000) by Dutch filmmaker Annick Vroom, three siblings cut loose in the aftermath of their parents’ funeral wake.  

The short film “Portrait” (2003) by Saara Cantell, a Finnish production, shows what happens when an older couple is left alone in a photography studio, whereas in “Measure” (2001), by Seattle-based choreographers Gaelen Hanson and Dayna Hanson, the duo use subtle gesture and rhythmic footwork to communicate. “The Cost of Living” (2004) follows the misadventures of two street performers as they roam the streets of a seaside town. Confronting issues of personal freedom, prejudice and fulfillment, this last film seamlessly merges theater, film and dance; it is a big audience favorite and has garnered nine international film awards, including a Rose D’Or from Lucerne.

Admission to “DANCE MOViES 2” is free and open to the public. Parking is available in the Rensselaer garage on College Avenue.

Additional information on “DANCE MOViES 2” may be found on the EMPAC website, http://www.empac.rpi.edu.

Published October 24, 2005