In the unlikely scenario that God might own a TV, the only channel that would work would be the one showing contemporary dance. And then you would understand why the divinity seems lost in eternity. Photo Credits:

I , for one, would gladly exchange every movie premiere in this town for a bit of modern dance instead. Those bodies hurling around in viciously perfect form demonstrate again that the true special effects companies in this world are for the most part dance companies and not animation houses based out of Tinsel town. That’s a comforting thought by the way.

Once a year, this town has a chance to get its yearly quota of contemporary dance all in one stop during the memorable, the unique and only Dance Camera West led by the indefatigable Lynette Kessler.

If I said exotic, if I said rousing or memorable, you’d know for sure I ain’t talking about no thespian minutia. Only dance deserves quixotic words. Exotic & rousing tend to be contemporary dance’s middle name.

But contemporary dance during Dance Camera West is more than the usual bodies in motion: each piece in the festival has been especially choreographed and executed for the camera lens. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to score a seat in the sweet middle spot at a major dance performance hall, you’ll understand perfectly: the camera brings you the sweet spot. Every dancer dances for you and for you alone. In fact, the camera forces you and I, the spectators, into the sweet spot. The dancers’ movements feel breathtakingly close.

Impossible to imagine that only a few years back, Los Angeles didn’t even have a dance centric film festival. I say impossible because when people discover dance thru film, something clicks: both artistic mediums are made for each other. As the camera lasciviously catches in slow motion every nuanced movement of the body, what you’re in fact witnessing is an aberration of physics: movement carving the air, painting it and giving it color. And to think that before you conceived the air as invisible.

OK, but enough metaphors about the loftiness of dance, following are some hard facts:

Internationally renowned Dance Camera West, a film festival devoted to the art of ‘dance made for the screen’ announces its seventh annual month long festival, hitting venues throughout southern California during June 2008.

This film festival, which features dance media in all forms, is a unique cinematic experience that focuses on the intersection of cinematography and choreography. The Los Angeles Times named the DCW festival ‘Best of LA’ for both 2006 and 2007. Partnering with some of our most prestigious venues in Los Angeles, the festival offers a global perspective of a new visual language. The programming consists of experimental shorts, documentaries, features, and symposiums with visiting international artists. Please visit DCW's website for continuous updates - http://www.dancecamerawest.org/. See below for the confirmed events.

The June festival opens at the REDCAT Theater in downtown LA, with its legendary kick-off party on Friday, June 6, 2008. Presenting "ScreenDance: A New Visual Language," three programs of short films from around the world will captivate audiences on Friday and Saturday night during the opening weekend. Continuing through the month with various programs the festival will present the second annual “Choreography Media Honors” on Friday, June 13th, a new event created last year honoring the craft of choreography in media to be held at the Directors Guild of America.

Join DCW the following morning for a lively panel discussion with luminaries from the field of mainstream choreography. DCW will also present two days of programming at the Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theatre entitled “From B-boys to Ballerinas” with big dance party in the Hammer Courtyard on Saturday, June 14th. For fans of Russian Ballet stop by the Aero in Santa Monica on the 19th for Bertrand Normand’s ravishing documentary, Ballerina.

The month-long festival continues with an outdoor screening, Videodanza, Saturday, June 21st featuring Latin American artists at the Braude Center Plaza in Van Nuys. A special screening of the award winning phenom Across the Universe with choreographer Daniel Ezralow at American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre is Sunday, June 22.

And because I assume you’re now wondering which shows are still not sold out, here’s a complete festival schedule:

Schedule & Tickets

Screendance: A New Visual Language
Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7
Screen Dance: A New Visual Language
Three different programs of experimental dance film

Program A: Friday, June 6, 8:00pm Opening Night Reception
Program B: Saturday, June 7, 6:00pm
Program C: Saturday, June 7, 8:00pm

REDCAT (Roy & Edna Disney/CalArts Theater)
Walt Disney Concert Hall Complex
631 West Second Street at Hope, Los Angeles
$15 for Opening Night
$10 for Saturday screenings
213-237-2800 http://redcat.org/season/0708/dan/dcw.php

Choreography Media HonorsScreening and Reception
Friday, June 13, 7:30pm

Directors Guild of America (DGA)
7920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046
6pm $150 pre-screening VIP cocktail party - meet the artists
7:30pm $50 screening and reception to follow
$25 group rate for 10 or more
213-480-8633

From Studio to Screen Panel Discussion
Saturday, June 14, 11am
FREE No Reservations. First come first serve. Doors open 10:30am

Creating Dance for Media
Panel featuring leading commercial choreographers
Moderated by Oscar nominated director Matthew Diamond

Screen Actors Guild
5757 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90036
Free 213-480-8633

From B-boys to Ballerinas
Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15

Inside the Circle
Saturday, June 14, 7:00pm Screening and Party
Q & A with director Marcy Garriott and featured dancers
DJ Dance party to follow in the courtyard 9 –11pm

Sleepless by Jiri Kylián with Nederlands Dans Theater
Body Remix/Goldberg Variations by Marie Chouinard
Sunday, June 15, 2:00pm

Dance Like Your Old Man by Chunky Moves
Here After by Wim Vandekeybus [viewer discretion]
Sunday, June 15, 6:00pm

Hammer Museum
Billy Wilder Theater
10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024
FREE admission (seating first-come-first-served)
310-443-7000 http://www.hammer.ucla.edu/

Ballerina
Feature documentary focusing on Russia’s pre-eminent ballerinas. Thursday, June 19, 7:30pm

American Cinematheque at the Aero Theater
1328 Montana Ave at 14th St., Santa Monica, CA 90403
$10 tickets: fandango.com

Bye Bye Birdie
45th Anniversary
Friday, June 20, 8:30pm

Dick Van Dyke and Ann Margret attending
Los Angeles Film Festival
FREE outdoor screening on Broxton Avenuene, Westwood http://www.lafilmfest.com/

Videodanza: Latin American Dance on Screen
10 Short dance films from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay Saturday, June 21, 8:00 pm

Braude Center Plaza
Martin Braude Center Plaza
6262 Van Nuys Blvd.Van Nuys, CA 91401
FREE Bring your own seating, blankets or lawn chairs

Across the Universe
Academy Award® winning revolutionary rock musical.
Sunday, June 22, 5:30pm
Q & A with choreographer Daniel Ezralow

American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Ave at 14th St., Santa Monica, CA 90403
$10 tickets: fandango.com