Photo of Lar Lubovitch @ Jack Mitchell
Male dancers talk about their beginnings, challenges, race,
homophobia, AIDS, the support they did/didn't get and more.
THE FILM
LIVES BEYOND MOTION, a documentary centered on cisgender men in contemporary dance, is a love letter to every creative across the arts. Filmmaker, modern dancer and choreographer, Keith Glassman, follows his passion to explore the lives of an intergenerational group of celebrated movement artists who have made their mark on and off the stage. Some of our most treasured dancers and choreographers, including Kennedy Center honoree, BILL T. JONES, Alvin Ailey Associate Artistic Director, MATTHEW RUSHING, Guggenheim Fellow, LAR LUBOVITCH and MacArthur Genius, KYLE ABRAHAM, gift us a rare level of transparency and expressionism as they share their sacrifices, triumphs and struggles to transcend economic, racial and sexual marginalization. From the park bench to the Broadway stage, LIVES BEYOND MOTION uncovers rare performances, the legacy of legendary artists and spotlights the uncompromising quest to find individual expression and joy in the art of movement.
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Click on image to watch trailer
Council Chambers, West Hollywood, CA
Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA
Theater & Dance, UC Santa Barbara
Tisch Dance @ NYU, NY, NY
Bill Cosford Cinema, Coral Gables
Screendance Film Festival, Miami
Church in Ocean Park Santa Monica
Frame X Frame Dance FF Houston
Micheaux Film Fest Culver City, CA
RED Int'l Dance Art & Film Norway
William Way LGBTQ CC Phila., PA
South Bay Film Society Torrance, CA
Dance Studies Ass. Wshngtn, D.C.
Festival Videodanza de Puerto Rico
Pacific UU Church Palos Verdes, CA
Dance Camera West LA
Tapestry UU Church Lake Forest, CA
NDEO Conference Seattle, WA
Blake’s Barn @ Jacob’s Pillow, MA
Frida Cinema Santa Ana, CA
THE MESSAGE
Lives Beyond Motion aims to share the backstories of cisgender male terpsichoreans, who are often marginalized and stereotyped in today's society. Viewed through the lens of these artists' experiences and using their own words and real life events, the dancers reveal their often-hidden backgrounds to, perhaps, explain their subsequent choices and actions.
THE RESPONSE
"This is an essential moving document. I’m gratified to be included."
- Bill T. Jones, Kennedy Center Awardee
"An important, deftly crafted work that highlights Gay men's creative contributions to the Arts."
- Mike, William Way LGBT Community Center, Philadelphia, PA
"I enjoyed it ... the men spoke so beautifully"
- Judy Kinberg, Producer/Director
PBS Great Performances
"A must-see film for anyone who celebrates dance!"
- Pamela Tatge, Director Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
"So interesting and moving"
- JoAnn Jansen, Film Director
"It was my third time watching the film and I was still so moved and inspired. Bravos!"
- Sean Curren, NYU Tisch School of the Arts
"Not just entertaining, it's inspiring!"
- Jeff Slayton, Educator/Author
"A profound and thought-provoking cinematic journey"
- DeAngelo Blanchard, Faculty, Mason Gross SOTA, Rutgers University
THE FILMMAKERS
Keith Glassman (writer/director) is a modern dancer, choreographer, company director, educator and filmmaker, who has been part of the concert dance community for several decades. His stage and site specific work has been seen at theaters, museums, community centers, beaches, parks and coffeehouses throughout California and in New York, New Mexico, Canada and Tijuana. He and his company, Keith Glassman Dance & Performance, have been awarded grants and aupport from private institutions and public agerncies across the country. Keith's career as a dancer ended thirty years ago with an MS diagnosis. But it didn’t end his connection with dance. In fact, it was the catalyst to his exploration of the existential question, “Why do I dance?” Over a decade ago, he began examining what drives the passion of more than thirty celebrated men in contemporary dance. The result is LIVES BEYOND MOTION.
The Angel (producer/composer) established herself as a record producer and recording artist before scoring film and TV. She has brought her signature sensibilities to seminal feature films such as New Line Cinema's BOILER ROOM, UK classic, KiDULTHOOD, current award winning feature documentary, VELVET VISION: THE STORY OF JAMES BIDGOOD and the MAKING of PINK NARCISSUS as well as cable and network TV series. She is also a producer of the PBS
sports documentary, BORN TO LEAD: THE SAL AUNESE STORY and 2024 Diversity In Cannes award-winning short narrative film, CONFESSIONS among others.
Douglas Thompson (producer/editor) has written, edited and produced numerous documentaries. He most recently completed features on Gypsy (Roma) history and music in Eastern Europe, the animistic cosmology of Voodoo in West Africa with actor/director Djimon Hounsou, a biopic of the life and legacy of super-producer and sports mogul, Peter Guber. and current award winning feature documentary, VELVET VISION: THE STORY OF JAMES BIDGOOD and the MAKING of PINK NARCISSUS. Douglas has had his own work featured in Dance Camera West and has collaborated with Heidi Duckler on site-specific multimedia dance installations.
