Dance Camera West Presents Indigenous Dance Artists in Contemporary Culture June 21, 2009

“Contemporary Sacred: Indigenous Dance Artists in Contemporary Culture”
– A program of two films featuring First Nation and Native American artists
– Q&A with filmmaker Philip Szporer

Please join us for an afternoon exploring this cultural treasure, have lunch at The Golden Spur Café (open 9:00am – 4:30pm), and enjoy our matinee film program.

- Byron Chief-Moon: Grey Horse Rider-
A documentary film featuring First Nation artist Byron Chief-Moon, Grey Horse Rider was directed by Philip Szporer and Marlene Millar and won “Best Documentary Short” at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco. Byron Chief-Moon is a multi-talented actor, stuntman, dancer, choreographer playwright, and founder of the Coyote Arts Percussive Performance Association. Through art and life, his story is one of cultural survival. Themes of Chief-Moon’s dance creations begin with his people's traditional stories, his attachment to the land and his community, as well as the inner conflict he faces in existing within the Aboriginal culture and society at large. He is ensuring the preservation of his native language through its incorporation into his work, and he's adamant that the spoken legends of his people are passed on to the next generation, and to the greater community. Challenging the cultural construct is never easy, but Chief-Moon does so with steadfast determination and spirit. One of the main features is the name-giving ceremony for The Blood Nation of which until now has never been filmed.
Canada, 2007, 48 minutes

- Q&A with filmmaker Philip Szporer sponsored by Quebec Government Office-Los Angeles

- Water Flowing Together –
A documentary on legendary Jock Soto and his 25 year career with the New York City Ballet by filmmaker Gwendolen Cate is a moving, intimate portrait of an internationally renowned artist who is Navajo Indian, Puerto Rican, and openly gay. On the verge of retirement, one of modern ballet's most gifted and celebrated dancers is forced to contemplate life after dance. Exploring identity, family, and transition, the film climaxes with his emotional departure from ballet at age 40 in 2005. As Soto reflects on his uncertain future, he also attempts to connect with his past, revisiting his Navajo roots and the cultural heritage to which he is at once detached and devoted. Soto's story defies stereotypes in the same way that his dancing transcends the expected. Written by Gwendolen Cates.
USA, 2007, 77 minutes

Autry National Center of the American West
4700 Western Heritage Way (Griffith Park Campus), Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323-667-2000; www.autrynationalcenter.org)
- Tickets $10, $7 Autry and DCW members, free parking

The Autry National Center explores the experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West, connecting the past with the present to inform our shared future.

More June dates, venues and programs TBA for Dance Camera West's Eighth Annual Dance Media Film Festival. Please visit DCW's website for continuous updates - www.dancecamerawest.org.

Official Website: http://www.dancecamerawest.org/