Dance Film Homework

 I have chosen 2 moving image projects to convey the feeling I want to portray on my dance film for FDA.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRr6e27CVqs&ab_channel=KaytranadaVEVO - Kaytranada - Need It

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPUCAYU-83Q&ab_channel=SanFranciscoDanceFilmFestival - In The Space Between

Critical Review(s)

1. Kaytranada's "Need It"

An experimental take on black on black crime and how third parties find profit from condoning such behavior through various art forms. The lyrics, written by Masego, Kaytranada and their respective teams for Kaytranada's critically acclaimed album "Bubba", try to portray that the black youth of today find confusion on the terms of 'hero' and 'villain' by looking at such events as black or white, not in the skin colour but on the simplicity we attribute to the existence of racism socially and systematically. Masego tries to imply that the law "is not our villain" and that "All of the get-rich want my shillings" so that we don't confuse our morality with our desires and our needs. Throughout the song the lyrics seem to be battling themselves with little common sense with Masego always asking "What you need?" after he showcases the desire for obtaining material things and evading the law whilst doing so. Is it morally correct? Not even the person singing the lyrics knows as he is constantly battling with himself. 

The start of the music video brings us to 3 black males that have hidden some sort of contraband behind the toilet of a night club infested with black youth both trying to have fun and also trying to portray an image of male bravado. They speak to each other about "needing" to show to the other black males that they do not associate with what it is they intend to do. It is not implied directly but through their body language and how the cameras tends to lose focus of the subjects we feel a sense of confusion and animosity in the scene. In aid of that feeling the bathroom is quite small and claustrophobic and that gives us a feeling of a small bubble about to burst. After a small agreement the men decide to walk downstairs to the club where a lot of people of colour are not happy with their presence (this will be important later on). 

Once the men find other men that are receiving the attention and money they so desire probably due to living a life of crime just like our protagonists desire so they challenge them to a fight. One of our protagonists goes to pull out something from his waist almost looking like he was pulling out a gun but he pulls out a shilling and thus an experimental hip hop inspired dance battle starts with exaggerated punches being thrown. To finish off the macho man exhibition, our protagonists imitate a gun shot thus killing their enemies. The crowd finally starts grooving with the men and all is forgotten.

In my opinion, I loved the cinematography in this film and the attempt at telling a story almost the same way as the lyrics were written to convey confusion however, if there could have been some sort of consequence it would have had more of an impact especially considering the fact that it was an all black cast and the hidden metaphors that conveyed a deeper message were left feeling flat because they weren't explored as much.

2. In The Space Between

An experimental take on the uncertainty of relationships. Two strangers meet on the subway and as most encounters on the subway it is quite awkward. They slightly touch each others' hands while holding the railing but soon enough their initial connection deems too strong that they embark on a journey within their subway journey. They go to various places outdoors in a natural setting that conveys the connection was natural. They try to let go of each other but just like opposites on a magnet they always find a way back to each other. One scene in particular when the man lifts the woman up it looks as if they are attached however when the camera pans down and the woman is being put on the ground the man is suddenly on a different tree trunk dancing and still figuring out what is going on - a very intimate way of showcasing the initial bumpy road of a connection forming. Their contemporary dance moves sometimes reflect upon each other but the ways they move really show their uneasyness for example: the man will start dancing to move away but no matter what his body tells him to move closer to her. Only rarely do they look at each other but when they do for the first time the next scene is a reflection of the woman looking at herself which could indicate that she sees her other half or she is seeing an older version of herself which she adores so much. Quite an open to interpretation piece of work. The woman exhumes control over the man because every time he would try to dance with her their moves would be quite similar but as soon as they got close she would maneuver around the man rendering him useless and almost weak like, almost as if she was outsmarting him. Towards the end of the journey they find themselves in a claustrophobic place but at the same time it was in the open. The camera angles convey that they are stuck but the body language of both of them show different sides - the woman is quite comfortable whereas the man is starting to feel claustrophobic and weak. Once they leave the woman needs to pick up the man and direct him to the rail but for some reason she doesn't want to hold the rail... she doesn't want to let go. She finally does hold the rail and they are back on the train station and not outdoors anymore. They are looking at each other, the man happy and the woman happy but also sad at the same time. The man leaves on the stop but the woman stays. It is hard for her to let him go but her body makes her stay.

In my opinion, I was astonished with this take on relationships because it can be interpreted in many ways, it could be the relationships we form with ourselves or with other people or with our accomplishments, our past but the main message is the power of letting go falling back to reality.

How do I envision this for my work?

I would like to use a similar look to the kaytranada video both cinematographically but also it's urban feel considering my dance types are different to contemporary or hip hop or even hip hop fusion. With the other video I really appreciate the "coming and going" that the couple go through on their journey and that is something I would like to explore with my story. Overall, I wish I could find this other video of a woman on a subway teasing a man in a funny but romantic way as it was my main inspiration for the story I am currently writing but tough luck finding it :(