Dance on Camera: "Dancing in the Streets!"

Hip hop, house, and street dance traditions are displayed in two high-energy documentary films from the Dance On Camera festival, featuring street dancers at their finest:

"Check Your Body At The Door" (2011, USA, 60 min.) This long-awaited documentary produced by Sally Sommer actually "brings to light" the House dance culture that has largely been in the dark -- by taking club dancers into professional studios and recording their "moves" in full light to be able to fully appreciate their technical abilities. Master free-stylists dance and chat in clubs, at their jobs, and in their everyday lives. The film reveals the virtuosity of these eclectic urban dance styles and the personalities of the people who create the moves. Director Charles Atlas is also noted for his many collaborations with Merce Cunningham.

"All The Ladies Say" (2010, USA, 45 min.) Everyone knows about the men in hip hop, but this documentary showcases the female break-dancers, Vendetta, Severe, Lady Champ, Aiko Shirakawa, Baby Love, and Rokafella, illuminating the triumphs and challenges of hip hop culture. A smart and exciting exploration of the B-Girl phenomena, Rokafella and Kwikstep, directors.

Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth are celebrating modern dance and contemporary dance during the Modern Dance Festival. For more information visit www.cdfw.org.

Admission is free.

Photo credit: Andrew Eccles. Dancers: Barbara Tucker and Brahms "Bravo" LaFortune