WGBH DanceFest 2009

The eighth annual WGBH DanceFest celebrates the world of dance with documentaries, interviews, and performances showcasing all types of dance, from all across the world, Saturday-Saturday, Sept. 19-26.

Center Stage with Jared Bowen: Local Dance Moves
Saturday, Sept. 19, at 6pm | WGBH 2
This Greater Boston special features Jared Bowen in one-on-one interviews with dancers, choreographers, and directors of the local dance scene, from the Boston Ballet to Jacob’s Pillow.

Independent Lens: Water Flowing Together
Sunday, Sept. 20, at 7pm | WGBH 44
Water Flowing Together is an intimate portrait of New York City Ballet’s Jock Soto, one of the most influential modern ballet dancers.

Independent Lens: Na Kameli — The Men of Hula
Sunday, Sept. 20, at 8pm | WGBH 44
This program goes beyond stereotypes of “grass skirt girls” and reveals a story of Hawaiian pride through the exploration of male roles in the hula tradition, past and present.

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure
Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 8pm | WGBH 44
This celebration of song and dance begins with the Busby Berkeley films that lifted the spirits of audiences during the Great Depression, continues through the patriotic musicals of the 1940s, and ends with the collapse of the studio system in the 1950s. Shirley Jones hosts this historical look at the magic of musical Hollywood. Film sequences are interspersed with commentary from Pat Boone, Leslie Caron, Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, Rita Moreno, Tommy Tune, and others.

Bellydance Superstars: Live in Paris at the Folies Bergere
Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 8pm | WGBH 44
Bellydance Superstars bridge the styles of East and West. The 14-person troupe draws inspiration for their stage shows from diverse cultures — from the Middle East to ballet to Polynesia. This program captures the group's 2004 performance at one of the oldest and most lavish performance spaces in France. Over the course of three acts, the Superstars don ornate costumes and dance solo and chorus numbers set to music.

America’s Ballroom Challenge 2009
Thursday, Sept. 24, at 8pm | WGBH 44
This program captures the action at the world's largest ballroom dancing competition. Top couples from North America compete across dance styles — with just one couple emerging as “America's best.” Jean Louisa Kelly and Ron Montez cohost.

New York City Ballet: Bringing Balanchine Back
Friday, Sept. 25, at 8pm | WGBH 44
Narrated by Kevin Kline, this program follows the New York City Ballet’s journey to St. Petersburg, Russia, the birthplace of its founder, choreographer George Balanchine (1904–1983). The trip is marked by behind-the-scenes drama as the company rehearses and performs in the legendary Mariinsky Theatre.

American Masters: Jerome Robbins — Something to Dance About
Friday, Sept. 25, at 9pm | WGBH 44
In a life that inspired controversy, Jerome Robbins was the preeminent director/choreographer of American musical theater. He transformed Broadway with shows such as West Side Story, Gypsy, and Fiddler on the Roof and forged a career in ballet, first at American Ballet Theatre, then at New York City Ballet. The son of an immigrant deli owner, he was known for his ruthless perfectionism and was dogged by his decision, in 1953, to name names in his House Un-American Activities Committee testimony. This program features excerpts from Robbins’s work, including never-before-seen rehearsal footage, and interviews with many of his colleagues, from both ballet and Broadway, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jacques d’Amboise, Suzanne Farrell, Arthur Laurents, Peter Martins, Chita Rivera, and Stephen Sondheim.

Great Performances: Dance in America — Dancing in the Light
Saturday, Sept. 26, at 2:30pm | WGBH 44
In June 2001, Dance in America presented the three-hour series Free to Dance, which chronicled the role that African American dancers and choreographers have played in the development of modern dance as an American art form. The series was highlighted by several dance milestones that were filmed especially for the series and interwoven throughout the historical narrative. Now Dance in America presents an all-performance program featuring complete or extended dance sequences that were not included in the original series, spotlighting the work of choreographers Asadata Dafora, Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, Talley Beatty, Donald McKayle, and Bill T. Jones. Actor Taye Diggs hosts.

African Footprint
Saturday, Sept. 26, at 3:30pm | WGBH 44
In postapartheid South Africa, producer Richard Loring started a school for young people interested in the performing arts. Members from the school formed a dance troupe, which received their big break when they performed before Nelson Mandela and a global television audience on Robben Island as part of millennial celebrations. Their success at the event led to the creation of South Africa’s longest-running production, African Footprint. In this vibrant show, the young cast of 30 stomps, jives, taps, and sings to the beat of Africam rhythms in a musical and cultural celebration.

DanceFest also signals the launch of the Celebrity Series of Boston's 2009–2010 season; WGBH member discounts are available to select performances. New England's leading presenter of music, dance, and the performing arts from around the world, the Celebrity Series was founded in 1904 and incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in 1989. Learn more >