The Erica Essner Performance Co-Op performing Moon Uprising, as seen in NEVER STAND STILL, a film by Ron Honsa. A First Run Features release. Photo by Christopher Duggan, Courtesy of Jacob's Pillow.
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- Moving Pictures
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Never Stand Still (2011/2012)
Also Known As: Never Stand Still: Dancing at Jacob's Pillow
Opened: 05/18/2012 Limited
| Theaters | 05/18/2012 | |
| Quad Cinema/NYC | 05/18/2012 - 05/31/2012 | 14 days |
| Music Hall 3 | 07/06/2012 - 07/12/2012 | 7 days |
| DVD | 07/17/2012 |
Trailer: Click for trailer
Websites: Home
Genre: Documentary
Rated: Unrated
Synopsis
Legendary dancers and choreographers Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Suzanne Farrell, Mark Morris, Judith Jamison and Bill Irwin appear alongside new innovators to reveal the passion, discipline, and daring of the world of dance in Never Stand Still. Filmed at the iconic Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, this thrilling documentary features amazing performances by world-renowned dancers interwoven with intimate interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, and rare archival footage.
Founded in the 1930s by visionary dance pioneer Ted Shawn on a farm in the Berkshires, today the Pillow is an idyllic mecca for artists and audiences from around the world, a place where dance in all its forms -- from ballet to jazz to contemporary --- is studied, created, performed and celebrated.
Like Wim Wenders's Pina, Never Stand Still immerses us in the lives of extraordinary artists and the power of dance.
Director's Statement
As someone who has spent his life working in a visual medium, capturing the human form moving through space has always fascinated me. The trick is how to capture the ephemeral experience of dance in a two-dimensional medium that is caught in time. As a young filmmaker in New York City, I was hired to film the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in the early 1980s. I was struck by the beauty and intelligence of the work that was taking place at this secluded dance festival. I began to learn about the Pillow's unique history and met one of its earliest dance pioneers, Barton Mumaw. This ultimately led me to the making of the award-winning documentary The Men Who Danced -- the story of Ted Shawn and the first all-male dance company in America.
Many years passed as I worked in the New York film industry and established my company Moving Pictures. When I learned that the 75th Anniversary of Jacob's Pillow was approaching, I was eager to return to the Pillow. Producer Nan Penman and I met with Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow and this meeting began the journey of Never Stand Still. Filmed over several seasons, the documentary shows the passion, discipline and sense of whimsy that is demanded of those who choose a life in dance. Perhaps this love for dance can only be experienced in the body of a dancer. And yet, this film is a humble attempt to document what this art form demands.
From the youngest dancers in this film to the legendary masters of the dance, it was obvious to me that a deep and creative vibration has always resonated at Jacob's Pillow. This mighty international dance festival captured my heart many years ago. Never Stand Still is a love letter to a rare place and the dancers who dare to express the inexpressible through movement.
Trailer
