December 5, 2007

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet's Compelling Dance Video

I often complain about the quality of dance videos. So here's one I like. This short video clip is of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet's "Rite," a work-in-progress choreographed by Stijn Celis that will be performed as part of the company's 2008 Winter Season at their Cedar Lake Theater here in New York City. (January 10-19, 2008)

This is one of the few times that I've watched an Internet video and actually wanted to see the dance performance as a result of seeing the clip. I like the music, the dancing and the voice-over narrations by Artistic Director Benoit-Swan Pouffer and Stijn Celis.

The video is also timely. It was uploaded to YouTube two days ago and incorporated into an email marketing blast that went out on the same day.

Rehearsal Videos on NYC Dance Performance Blog

I also posted the above video to the new NYC Dance Performances Blog. My goal is not just to link to reviews. I would like to give audiences multiple ways of learning about and previewing dance performances they are thinking of attending. And one of the best resources that dancegoers can have access to are videos directly from the dance-makers themselves.

So if you have videos of rehearsals, works-in-progress or, or course, performances that you will soon be performing in the New York City area, I encourage you to submit them.

Bloggers at Cedar Lake

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet is also doing something innovative for dance bloggers.

At the dress rehearsal on January 9th, they have invited dance bloggers for drinks and mingling. As Caleb Custer of the ballet company wrote in the invitation to bloggers:

"It would be a chance for all the New York dance bloggers to see the show the day before it opens, meet and talk and even give some feedback."

So far 11 dance bloggers will be attending. I, of course, like this idea. And I think it's invaluable for a dance company. Here you have 11 people at a dress rehearsal who may write about your performance. And bloggers turn around reviews very quickly. This means that dancegoers can actually read the reviews while there are still performances to see. How do you top that?

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