http://vimeo.com/19881823
I've been interested in dance since I was a kid. After seeing James Cagney recreating those amazing George M Cohen routines in Yankee Doodle Dandy, I was hooked. Although I was too young to understand what the attraction was, looking back, it was the combination of movement and emotion. The way dance seemed to unveil deeper more hidden emotions, emotions that the dialogue wasn't able to express, was so powerful to me in strange and mysterious way. At first I was attracted by the tap dancers, the Nicholas brothers, Cagney and Gene Kelly. but then I started watching Fred Astaire, and the way he so smoothly floated across the floor seemed to combine film and dance in a way that seemed even more cinematic. But what finally blew me away was Gene Kelly in An American in Paris! It was pure poetry. Painting, cinematography, music, dance....a perfect combination of all the arts.......pure, deep heartfelt emotion through movement and art....no dialogue needed. It was an epiphany. Since then I have always been fascinated with dance on film. I am currently working on several screenplays involving dance in a much more intrinsic way........but in the meantime, I've put together this short piece exploring that enigmatic combination of dance, color, music and emotion. I've recently re edited this piece to this amazingly deep and gorgeous score by an amazing composer friend of mine Erika Ito. It's my first attempt at something that caught my eye as a little kid in Brooklyn...........and I'll always have that image of James Cagney tap dancing down the White House steps. Go Jimmy!..........hope you enjoy this piece.........
Sal
