Dance film merges choreographic forms with cinematic techniques, filling the screen with the emotional presence and kinetic power of dance. Choreography made specifically for the camera embraces the potential of film and video technology to transcend the ephemeral nature of dance performance, creating new perspectives of bodies in motion.

Projects emerging from the Embodied Media Performance Technology Lab (emptLab) at UC Irvine include hybrid media/dance works that combine live performance of contemporary dance with projected imagery derived from dance. These can be regarded as “dance film in performance” and are developed with the intention of connecting choreography for stage with choreography for camera. Other works, conceived as “dance film for the screen,” work with filmed choreography to create a screen experience independent of the performance experience it is derived from.