Five Dances

All dance pays homage to Eros. There are other gods it may invoke. But no art is as carnal as dance. Its meanings, no matter how abstract, must be incarnate. And they must be musical,at the very least rhythmic, responsive to the human pulse, just as the measures of poetry are. Five Dances is an original, innovative, beautiful, and above all lyric film. At its heart is its invocation to love through the body's movement, if by 'love' is meant many things in addition to the sexual: for example, the carefulness of touch, the suggestions of glance, the movements of arms and legs, and so on, in response to others' movements and touches and looks. It is lyric because as much of the story is told through those movements, through dance, as by words. In fact, the fundamental narrative of the film is in its choreography. I don't mean just the five dances isolated by the number titles, but throughout the movie as the choreography is tested, rehearsed, changed, prepared for performance. It is therefore a mistake to separate the "plot" of the film from the dance. Rather, they weave in and out of one another, as the dancers do so often in their dancing. How the dancers dance is affected by what has just happened or is about to happen in their lives. Their lives are part of the continuity of the dance. In the dance numbered three, for example, Chip is most isolated; he dances his solo. In the one numbered five, Chip and Theo dance together and how they dance is now transformed by their having been together in other ways shortly before. This way of living in and through dance is true for all four dancers, five if one counts the choreographer Anthony who is also part of his piece. The movie shows not only the dances, of course, but all the other dancers watching one another. The mirrors found in any dance studio play an obviously important part in this seeing. The dancers see each other but also themselves. This is perhaps most poignantly visualized at the movie's end when Chip and Theo happily, almost giddily dance for each other and for the mirror, seeing each other and being seen in a sense as the other sees him. At this moment, they are dancing freely, with no choreography, yet the fullest expression of their new love for one another might be found in this rhapsodic bodily freedom. The glimpses one sees in the movie of its dancers' lives are what their dancing expresses in other ways. Look, for instance, how Theo and Chip lean back to back, as they have done several times previously, at the last realization of this passage in the piece. But now the stance, the pressure, differ. It is expressive in a new way. Or note, earlier, after Cynthia and Anthony have had sex the previous night, how their bodies change. It is not just her little mistake. It is as much a matter of posture, of how the body is carried. It is full of erotic expression, even in its failures, its errors, its disappointments. Chip has a funny voice, a little man who talks when his mouth is closed. At one point, he pretends to have swallowed him. The voice is incorporated into him. What one eats and drinks matters a lot, though it would appear superficially almost insignificant and off hand. Twice Chip lays out a place on a counter top with spoon, knife, and fork. One thinks of that gesture as an expression of a longing for a place at the table, which his whole life has lacked. After he and Theo have been together, have become boyfriends, he celebrates with what looks very much like votive candles and a bottle of wine. Life in this movie, in these superficially small ways, is ritualized. This is, of course, how dance transfigures the body. It makes it part of a rite of sorts, of art. Love is similar in the way it turns the carnal into the sublime. Such transformation is what any form of lyricism aspires to. The movie takes place in winter, after Christmas. Cynthia brings in her and her husband's Christmas tree lights. They appear in the movie, wrapped around the dancers' bodies at night, in the darkened studio. Once Chip is seen alone, his own body so lit. In a way, this might be seen as a figure for how dance works in this film (and outside of it, too). It is that illuminated body in a darkened room. Chip begins alone, unsmiling, more than a bit diffident. He has no place to live. What the film stresses over and over, even while Chip, say, is dancing his solo, is how dance is itself always communal, the body never just the body alone. Chip's discovery of happiness toward the film's end, therefore, is not just his alone either. It is part of the dance. It enters into it, as the dance has entered into him, the abstract (for the dance itself is an abstract piece, not a narrative one) united with the deeply personal. It is an expression of the joy of no longer being alone. Most films about dance have let the story, the narrative predominate. In this way, they fail dancing. But in Five Dances the story, the bits and snippets of plot and character that we see of the five people in it, are inextricably woven into the dances themselves. This movie is not about life here and art over there. It is about their simultaneity. Save for a few documentaries, I think it is perhaps the best film ever made about dance. As seriously it is a stunningly touching film, generous and compassionate, about how through art one comes to love and, perhaps for a while, perhaps for longer than a while, a human joy.

Most enjoyable movie of, about, and by dance. Modern interpretive dance has always interested me and this was done well. Alan Brown did a bit of experimenting with Private Romeo that I thought was a beautiful gamble as well as with this. The Reviewer who said that this is not for everyone was right, however, it was well thought out and although a little slow had a lot of hidden meaning. The characters were great both in their acting and the positively beautiful dancing. The expressions Ryan Steele showed on his face were priceless and made me want to fall in love with him. The romance in this was very realistic and I felt satisfied when the movie ended. I will be buying the dvd on this movie, It is a fine item for my collection. Highly recommended, if you like modern dance, gay storyline (to a degree), and give it a chance it is a little slow. 5.0 Stars 07282014

I've always been a big fan of dance. It's a rare combination of grace and athleticism. The five dancers in this movie are very talented people. They're accomplished dancers and actors. The plot should appeal to many. Many of us have been there and done that, only without the beautiful dancing. There were family problems, unrequited love, and the pure terror and pure happiness of first love. Now in the spirit of full disclosure, like many gentlemen of my persuasion, I have become a follower of Ryan Steele. His name is what drew me to this movie. Portraying an eighteen year old could have been the one thing that really could have tripped him up, but he pulled it off. The fact that he looked eighteen didn't hurt. However, this brings me to a part of the movie I didn't understand, and that was "The man in my mouth" schtick. I had the same reaction as the character, Jackie. Although, it did make me laugh, so I guess it was somewhat successful. This was a very beautiful movie. Be kind to yourself, watch this movie.

If you love modern dance and like romantic backstories, this may fill the bill for an evening well-spent with a cuddly partner or bottle! Not a lot of new ground here. Newcomer, Ryan Steele is a talented dancer and whether by training or instinct, a good actor, at least in this role. He effectively communicates the anxiety, uncertainty and youthful, unconscious risk-taking of an 18 year-old breaking-into the hustle, bustle and pace of the big city as an artist in the uber-competitive world of dance. We feel for this character and we want him to succeed. Steele successfully portrays all the awkwardness and social immaturity of his character's age, but exudes a talent that betrays all of that. His dancing, and that of his co-stars, is interesting to watch not only because they are good, but having been taken behind the scenes into each dancer's 'struggle', we are in awe of just how they are even able to to do it. Performing artists are, for that reason, highly entertaining and curious, i.e., despite personal, known demons of internal and external origin, they are able to find that place within--again and again--of grace, purity and innocence and without any obvious constraints, give it up (in public performances, anyway) for the world to wonder, explore, discover and appreciate. I like that and I am forever fascinated by it.

Alan Brown réalise un film d'une rare sobriété sur le milieu de la dance à NY, tous les ingrédients sont réunis pour faire de ce film une réussite totale d'une sensualité visuelle dense, vibrante et du coup émouvante, un jeu d'acteurs tout en retenue, tout est dans la gestuelle et les non-dits ; la critique aurait peut-être pu éviter de tenter de récupérer l'histoire d'amour naissante des deux jeunes héros pour cataloguer ce film dans la catégorie des films "gays".

A beautifuly raw fim of the internal workings of a dance studio - and the different personal lives of the dancers. Reed Luplau and Ryan Steele are perfectly suited for their roles. Each shows authentic acting in the role of each character - and the attraction toward love is breathtaking. Love this film!!!

Five Dances [US 2013 / LZ 80'07 / OmdtU] ϻein/e/ung: Der 18-jährige zurückhaltende Chip-Daniel kommt nach New York und bekommt dort einen Tanzjob. Schon früh erfährt man etwas über seinen sozialen Hintergrund und seine Schwierigkeiten. Teils zur Aufheiterung setzt er eine besondere Spracheigentümlichkeit ein. Der Filmtitel bezieht sich auf die fünf eingestreuten Tanzszenen, die mit schlichter aber wohlgestalteter Musik unterlegt sind. Langsam und unaufgeregt dargeboten, weitgehend jedoch in sprunghaften Szenen (auch auf das Tanzmilieu bezogen). Die persönliche Entwicklung von Chip ist nicht immer psychologisch nachvollziehbar, ist er in einer Szene abweisend und kurz danach zuwendend. Auch seine Heimatbeziehung schwankt zwischen diesen beiden Einstellungen. Insgesamt ein sehenswerter Film, abseits der schrillen und stark sozial belasteten Schwulkracher. Mit seinen fünf Personen eher ein Tanz-Kammerspiel. Mit Erotik durchzogen aber nie anstößig. Auch als Chip & Theo offenen Körperkontakt haben, bleiben die Erotikzonen ausgespart. Ein Film mit melancholisch positivem Ende. Beigaben: Ausgesparte Szenen (8` keine UT) und Audiokommentar. Ein eklatanter Schnittfehler ab 61`30 wo bei der Tanzdarbietung abwechselnd eine, im Spiegelbild aber zwei gespiegelte Personen am Fensterrand stehen. Außerdem sieht man, schaut man zum Fenster heraus, Schnee - oder auch nicht. Internationale Kritiker (z.B. auf IMDb) sparen vielfach die homoerotische Komponente gänzlich aus und sehen nur einen gelungenen Tanzfilm.

intimate and touching. I saw it at a GLBT Torino Festival screening with the director: he said casting was very difficult because (as you can see in the film) actors are real dancers. must see it.

Five Dances is the beautiful story of a naive but very gifted 18-year-old dancer named Chip. He came to New York from his troubled home in Kansas for a summer dance workshop and managed to stay on into the new year, when the story takes place. The movie begins as he joins four older dancers (two each, male and female) rehearsing for an upcoming performance. He slowly gets past his social awkwardness and begins to develop relationships with the others - especially with Katie, who becomes like an older sister to him, and later with Theo. His opening up is the key theme of the movie, which takes place almost entirely in the studio as the dancers rehearse. It has no other cast but the five dancers. (All of them are professional dancers, not actors, but they do both jobs brilliantly in this movie.) The movie itself is like a dance, gracefully and deliberately paced and choreographed, the characters weaving in and out of each other's lives as they do in the dance they're rehearsing. Anyone who hates classical modern dance, or who hates slow character development with very little irrelevant action or drama, will not enjoy this movie. However, it does not require any particular knowledge of or interest in dance. Indifference to dance should not be a handicap, but the viewer must be able to watch dancers without irritation. And it definitely is a gay movie. It's a sort of coming-out story - really more an opening-out story, because Chip is coming out of his shell as a person even more than as a gay man. It's also a sexy and tender and gratifying love story. Although it has those conventional gay-movie elements, the grace and discipline of dance permeate everything and make this an entirely original and unique - and unusually beautiful - gay movie. Alan Brown's earlier movie Private Romeo (also highly original) was my favorite gay movie for a long time, but Five Dances is even better.