The Indie Film Corner: ‘Joffery: Mavericks of American Dance’

“JOFFREY: Mavericks of American Dance” from The Documentary Series presented by Emerging Pictures in HD at USCB Center For the Arts on Tuesday, May 29 at 7 p.m.
Synopsis: This film documents how The Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet and dance by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet technique; combining art with social statement and even setting ballets to pop/rock musical scores.
Ratings & Reviews: Like most documentaries, the ratings are directly proportional to the interest the audience and critics have in the subject.  On that score, the film does very well with Rotten Tomatoes  audience rating of 100%.  Not enough critics have seen the film to develop a consensus rating, but, based on early reviews, it is likely to be middle of the road.
Previewer Comments: This documentary shows some very early footage of the Joffrey and its development over the years. It relates to the ups and downs of a remarkable dance company that operated “outside of the box.” It shows the fragileness of support for the arts, complete with funding issues and personal conflicts among those in the world of dance. This rule-breaking dance company took formal ballet and changed it.  They merged other forms of dance and music with ballet and made dance much more accessible to all.  To the classical purist, it was something to be shunned, to others it was a revelation or perhaps even a revolution. It has had “sold out” screenings in Chicago, San Francisco and NYC’s Lincoln Center. If you enjoy dance, see it!
Rated: Unrated, but can be considered to be PG. Certainly suitable for adult dance fans and students of dance, junior high and older.
Tickets for adults are $7, seniors $6, students $5. Call USCB Center for the Arts box office at 843-521-4145 or purchase day of performance.
Dennis Tavernetti lives on St. Helena Island and retired to the Lowcountry having a lifelong interest in the arts. He encouraged USCB ‘s Center for the Arts to investigate the possibility of bringing Indie, World and Documentary HD films to Beaufort.