WWU's Susan Haines partners with Pickford to present Doctober dance documentaries

Western Washington University and WWU Director of Dance Susan Haines are partnering with the Pickform Film Center to present two dance documentaries during the film center's month-long documentary film festival, Doctober.

aines will lead a pre-show lecture and discussion on "Balanchine's Movement Language: Innovation and Appropriation" on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 10:15 a.m. before the 11 a.m. screening of “In Balanchine’s Classroom.” In the world of ballet, no names loom larger than George Balanchine and the New York City Ballet. This documentary allows viewers to enter his classroom and his world as seen through the eyes of the dancers he taught who are determined to pass on his legacy to a new generation of ballerinas. 

Presented on Indigenous Peoples' Day Monday, Oct. 11,  Bangarra Dance Theatre’s 30th anniversary is marked by "Firestarter," following three Aboriginal brothers as they form what has become a cultural phenom. With gorgeous and original choreography and music the brothers must meet personal and intergenerational trauma with a message for social change. The screening begins at 5:20 p.m. and is presented by Western's Theatre and Dance Department.

Learn more about these screenings and Doctober events at the Pickford Film Center's website.

 

Poster for the documentary "Firestarter"
Poster for "In Balanchine's Classroom"