Dancing up a storm

BENGALURU: Going beyond the Step Up series, La La Land, this upcoming festival will give you many more options to choose from if you intend to watch dance-themed movies. Alliance Francaise de Bangalore (AFB) is hosting a dance-themed short film festival, Let’s Dance from May 24 to 26. Movies from France, Belgium, Netherlands etc will be screened.

The films show dance in various emotions which could be personal, dramatic, funny, or even explosive. This retrospective provides an eclectic view of all dance styles and their origins. “Cinema and dance have the ability to question and renew our relationship with space and time through movement,” says Christian Randrianampizafy, director, AFB. 

“For Bonjour India, we got in touch with the team of Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, who had organised the dance-themed film festival in France,” he adds. Apart from films, the festival will showcase performances by city-based contemporary dancers.

“The goal is to expand the view on dance and that is why we contacted some of the Indian dancers who will perform next week,” adds Randrianampizafy, who was earlier in South Africa before relocating to India in 2021.

The festival will have contemporary performances by city-based dancer Seher Noor Mehra and Flamenco by Arachana Kumar. “Dance has always been something that has touched many people. It’s an art form that speaks a thousand words and tells you the whole story just through movement. It is a universal language that goes beyond words and language. Contemporary dance is something that is open to interpretation,” says Mehra.