Screendance from Film to Festival

Dance and film have shared a dynamic relationship since the advent of cinema—a natural interplay that developed into the genre known as screendance. Charting the history of screendance festivals, this book examines important shifts in practice and theory, distinct festival eras and communities, and the process of selecting and programming works.

Cara Hagan is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar whose work is informed by movement, digital space, words, contemplative practice, and community. She is the director and curator for ADF’s Movies by Movers, an annual, international screendance festival under the auspices of the American Dance Festival. Her scholarly works can be found in the International Journal of Screendance, The Journal of Dance Education and Dance Magazine.

• “The author’s broad experience as both a maker and curator informs this important examination of the history and future of screendance festivals.”—Rebecca Salzer, director of the Dancing Digital Project, and associate professor of Dance at the University of Alabama

• “Provides an insightful exploration of screendance, encompassing personal reflections, the curatorial process, and a history of this art form. Readers will benefit from Hagan’s research and analysis, which is presented through an introduction followed by twelve chapters that reveal the origins and significance of screendance…Ultimately, Hagan illuminates the constant exploration and experimentation of artists who have pushed, and continue to push, the boundaries of this hybrid medium…By sharing personal anecdotes, Hagan establishes a sense of relatability, and her writing is engaging and accessible…an invaluable resource for scholars, practitioners, and anyone interested in the intersection of dance and film.”—Dance Chronicle

Cara Hagan

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 207
Bibliographic Info:  36 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6984-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4545-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments v
Introduction 1
1. Falling in Love 3
2. An Art Worth Celebrating 13
3. Screendance Before the Screendance Festival 35
4. The Four Generations of Screendance Festivals 42
5. Screendance Festival Models 69
6. Curating: A Historical, Practical and Philosophical Exploration 85
7. Mapping Curatorial Development in Screendance Festivals 96
8. Curatorial Adventures 108
9. Investigating Representation as Curatorial Activism 119
10. Case Studies 155
11. Curatorial Considerations 170
12. A Treatise on Curating 182
Chapter Notes 187
Bibliography 191
Index 195