Dance On Screen

Our Films (2000-2011)

Between 2001 and 2010, 16 films from South East Dance's back catalogue were distributed to eight countries, reaching 2,200 people promoting the work of UK dance and screen dance artists. A further estimated 200,000 UK TV viewers watched Animalz and Night Practice on Channel Four in December 2008. Our other film programmes, including Dance for Camera Shorts, Forward Motion and various festival screenings presented a further 38 films reaching 6,500 people worldwide.

Film Commissions (2009/10)

In 2009/10 we commissioned five new films; Isabel Rocamora - Body of War; Matthew Hellett and Simon Wilkinson - Mrs Sparkle; Liz Aggiss - Beach Party Animal; Sergio Cruz - Hannah; Billy Cowie - Tango de Soledad. Watch excerpts from our recent commissions and back catalogue in the Dance Channel.

Background to Our Films

South East Dance has championed screen dance since the organisation was founded in 1997. This specialism was driven by Liz Aggiss, director of Brighton Dance Agency (later known as South East Dance) and further developed by Linda Jasper South East Dance Director (1998 – 2002). The first dance film commissions were made in partnership with the film organisation Lighthouse, starting in 1997 and the original model was to bring a filmmaker and a choreographer together to collaborate. This scheme was called TAKE TWO and ran for a further six years in this format. The commissioning scheme evolved over time to acknowledge that artists from many disciplines and those specifically trained in both dance and film may wish to apply in a less formal division of roles as "choreographer" and "filmmaker". Mairead Turner took over as Chief Executive in 2003 – 2008 and worked to establish broadcast partners for the commissioned films bringing work to wider audiences. In 2004 South East Dance worked with Channel 4 and BravoFACT! to make four 3-minute wonders for broadcast in the UK and in Canada on 35mm film. In 2006 we worked with Youth Dance England and Channel 4 to make four 3-Minute Wonders featuring young people. In 2008 we launched an open commissioning scheme for artists to pitch ideas up to the value of 56k. This resulted in 5 films being commissioned at the same time: Beach Party Animal, Hannah, Mrs Sparkle, Body of War and Tango de Soledad. In 2009 Jamie Watton took over as Artistic Director/CEO of South East Dance. Screen Dance was repositioned within the broader frame of choreographic practice, and our screen dance work broadened into the realm of digital dance.