Shirley Clarke's Rare Films: A Dance Filmmaking Event

Sarah Jenkins · 2026-01-30

Hey there, dance community. I just came across something that stopped my scrolling cold. It's not every day you get to peek behind the curtain of a true pioneer, you know? I'm talking about an upcoming event featuring eight rare films by Shirley Clarke. If that name doesn't ring a bell, let me tell you, it should. Shirley Clarke was a force. She wasn't just making movies; she was capturing movement in its rawest, most honest form. Her work sits right at that beautiful, messy intersection of dance and film. For choreographers and studio owners, her techniques are like finding a secret playbook. ### Why This Screening Matters for Dancers Look, we all watch dance films for inspiration. But Clarke's approach was different. She called it 'embodied filmmaking.' That's a fancy term for a simple, powerful idea: the camera itself becomes a dancer. It moves with the performers, it breathes with them. It's not a passive observer from the back row of the theater. Think about how you choreograph for the stage. Every angle matters, every entrance and exit is planned. Now imagine applying that same spatial awareness to the lens. That's what Clarke mastered. Her films aren't recordings of performances; they're performances in their own right. For us in the studio, this is pure gold. It challenges how we think about documenting our work. Are we just making a keepsake video for parents, or are we creating a piece of art that stands on its own? Clarke's work argues for the latter, and honestly, I think she's right.  ### What You Can Learn from These Rare Films This screening isn't just a history lesson. It's a toolkit. Watching these eight films, you'll start to see techniques you can borrow. Here are a few takeaways I'm excited about: - **Camera as Partner:** How the movement of the camera can mirror or counter the dancer's movement to create tension and release. - **Intimate Framing:** Getting close, not just for detail, but to convey emotion and physical effort in a way a wide shot never could. - **Rhythmic Editing:** Cutting not just on the beat, but on the breath, on the completion of a gesture. It makes the edit feel inevitable, not jarring. As the great Merce Cunningham once said about collaboration: 'You have to love the medium you're working in.' Clarke loved both film and dance, and that passion bleeds through every frame.  ### Bringing It Back to Your Studio So, what do you do with this? You don't need a Hollywood budget. Start small. Grab your smartphone and experiment during your next rehearsal. Try moving with your dancer instead of standing still. Get low to the ground. Follow the line of an arm as it extends. Ask yourself: if my choreography was only ever seen through a camera, how would I change it? Would I use more floor work for a low angle? Would I slow a turn to let the camera sweep around? These questions make you a better choreographer, period. This event, which also launches a companion book, is a rare chance to immerse yourself in this mindset. It's happening soon, and if you're serious about how dance lives beyond the studio walls, it's worth your time. In a world of quick TikTok clips, Clarke's work reminds us that dance film can have depth, patience, and a powerful, lasting point of view. It reminds us to be artists in every medium we touch.