Share:    Viewing problems? View Cinemail online   Exhibitions   Programs & Events   Cinema   Members   Shop   Blog     Get Down! Dance on Film Since the 1970s celebrates the depiction of dance onscreen across three strands; Let’s Dance, Dance Cultures and Dance Makers. Featuring over 40 films, from lavish musicals to cult classics — including John Travolta's iconic musical Grease and the cinematic tribute to visionary choreographer Pina Bausch in Pina — this film program highlights the importance of dance as a physical expression of identity, culture, art.     FILM SCREENINGS: 8–18 NOVEMBER 2012       Grease 1978 PG   DIRECTOR:  Randal Kleiser PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Fri 9 Nov 6.00pm (110 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Grease follows the teenage romance of Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) and Danny (John Travolta), from their vacation tryst to Sandy's surprise enrolment at Danny's high school. What was an idyllic summer romance becomes a clash of realities as they are forced to negotiate peer cliques and jealousy. Read more   Saturday Night Fever 1977 MA15+   DIRECTOR:  John Badham PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Fri 9 Nov 8.30pm (112 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'Depicting the disco as a place where John Travolta's Tony Manero is able to escape the constriction and limitations of his Bay Ridge existence, Saturday Night Fever focuses equally on what Tony escapes to and what he escapes from, on the liberation he experiences on the dance floor and the desperation of his daily life.' Anthology Film Archive. Read more   Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance 2000 + Tempus Fugit 2005 All ages   DIRECTOR:  Charles Atlas / Anaïs and Olivier Spiro PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Dance Makers WHEN:  Sat 10 Nov 1.00pm (116mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'Merce Cunningham has performed and choreographed modern dance for over 50 years. Both daring and innovative, his explorations into the avant-garde have captivated audiences, fascinated critics and inspired peers.' American Masters. Read more   Paris is Burning 1990 M   DIRECTOR:  Jennie Livingston PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Dance Cultures WHEN:  Sat 10 Nov 3.15pm (76mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   This celebrated documentary explores the late 1980s ball culture within the gay African–American and Latino community of New York City. Ball culture attracted people on society's fringes, giving them the opportunity to become someone else — college girl, supermodel and, the most prized of all, filthy rich. Read more     Dirty Dancing 1987 M   DIRECTOR:  Emile Ardolino PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sat 10 Nov 8.00pm and Fri 16 Nov 6.00pm (100 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'A naive Jewish teenager learns about life, love and dancing while summering with her family in the Catskills circa 1963 in this pop landmark starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. A mismatched romance ensues over the objections of the girl's father, culminating in a breathtaking dance finale.' American Jewish Film Festival. Read more   Girls Just Want to Have Fun 1985 PG   DIRECTOR:  Alan Metter PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sat 10 Nov 6.00pm (90 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Janey (Sarah Jessica Parker) has a passion for dance and when the opportunity of a lifetime is announced — auditions for her favourite show, Dance TV — she is determined to triumph. In on the plan is her dance partner, Jeff (Lee Montgomery), and her best friend, oddball Lynne (Helen Hunt). Janey, Jeff and Lynne find freedom in dance, escaping from their strict parents and conservative Catholic school. Read more   Life in Movement 2011 + Queens for a Day 1996 M   DIRECTOR:  Sophie Hyde, Bryan Mason / Pascal Magnin PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Dance Makers WHEN:  Sun 11 Nov 11.00am (105 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Life in Movement captures the artistic output and extraordinary spirit of Tanja Liedtke, who, at 29 years old, was a bold choice to be appointed Artistic Director of the Sydney Dance Company. Tragically, Liedtke died before she could take up the position. The film follows Sydney Dance Company performers 18 months after her death as they embark on a world tour, moving through their grief with performance and slowly coming to terms with their loss. Read more     Strictly Ballroom 1992 PG   DIRECTOR:  Baz Luhrmann PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sun 11 Nov 1.00pm (94 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'Set among the backroom bickering of the ballroom dancing world, talented young dancer Scott (Paul Mercurio) has to contend with the domineering influence of his mother, a former dancer. Rebelling against her and his teacher, Scott vows to make his own path to the coveted national championships, a move which throws the dance bureaucracy into complete chaos.' Melbourne International Film Festival. Read more   Black Swan 2010 MA15+   DIRECTOR:  Darren Aronofsky PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sun 11 Nov 3.00pm (108 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'Black Swan is a melodrama, told with passionate intensity, gloriously and darkly absurd. It centres on a performance by Natalie Portman that is nothing short of heroic, and mirrors the conflict of good and evil in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake.' Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times. Read more     Flashdance 1983 M   DIRECTOR:  Adrian Lyne PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sun 11 Nov 5.00pm (95 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'Alex (Jennifer Beals) welds by day and dances at a bar in the evening. With dreams of being accepted to a prestigious dance academy, Alex has to face the entrenched snobbery of the system and her lack of formal training. Trying to navigate a burgeoning relationship, and her own wavering confidence, Alex pulls out all stops in one of the great Eighties finales.' Mercury Cinema. Read more   Hairspray 1988 PG   DIRECTOR:  John Waters PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Wed 14 Nov 6.00pm (91 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   '“Pleasantly plump” teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber von Tussle. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.' Sonoma Film Festival. Read more   The Wiz 1978 G   DIRECTOR:  Sidney Lumet PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Wed 14 Nov 8.00pm and Sun 18 Nov 2.45pm (134 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'This dynamic adaptation of The Wizard of Oz features an all-star cast and toe-tapping soundtrack. Set in 1970s New York, the film stars Diana Ross as the timid Dorothy who gets swept away to the land of Oz for a journey of self-discovery. Starring Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow and Richard Pryor as “The Wiz”.' Film Society Lincoln Center. Read more     Fame 1980 M   DIRECTOR:  Alan Parker PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Fri 16 Nov 8.00pm (134 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'Fame burst into the world in 1980 with its energetic celebration of growing up, honing talent, confronting realities, finding love, and living life. Following crisscrossing stories of the musicians, actors, dancers, and dreamers who strive to get in and graduate from New York City's High School for the Performing Arts.' Tribeca Film Festival. Read more   StreetDance 2010 M   DIRECTOR:  Max Giwa, Dania Pasquini PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sat 17 Nov 1.00pm (98 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Full of dynamic dance routines, Charlotte Rampling brings a studied refinement to Helena, the strict but visionary schoolmarm who lets her dance class work together with B-boy dancers, much to the chagrin of the school's headmaster. Read more   Step Up 2: The Streets 2008 PG   DIRECTOR:  John Chu PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sat 17 Nov 3.00pm (98 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Step Up 2: The Streets revisits the well-loved dance-film trope of rigid, traditionally trained ballerinas who clash on the dance floor with freestyle street dancers. John Chu sourced his dancers from both professional and non-professional backgrounds, drawing on their unique personal styles to lend a fresh feel to the choreography. Read more   Never Stand Still 2011 + Boy 1995 All ages   DIRECTOR:  Ron Honsa / Peter Anderson PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Dance Makers WHEN:  Sat 17 Nov 6.00pm (82 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Never Stand Still, a documentary about Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, is much more than a historical text or hagiographic celebration. It wittily and visually demonstrates the wild muscularity of contemporary dance. Focusing on dancers and choreographers, the film includes interviews with Judith Jamison, Mark Morris, Suzanne Farrell and Merce Cunningham. Read more     Planet B-Boy 2007 M   DIRECTOR:  Benson Lee PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Dance Cultures WHEN:  Sat 17 Nov 8.00pm (101 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   'Planet B-Boy is set in the international world of B-boying — the urban dance more commonly known as “breakdancing”. Weaving between the vivid backdrops of Osaka, Paris, Seoul and Las Vegas, unforgettable images frame the intimate stories of dancers who struggle for their dreams despite being misunderstood by larger society and even their families.' Elephant Eye Films. Read more   Blush 2005 + The Cost of Living 2004 Ages 15+   DIRECTOR:  Wim Vandekeybus / Lloyd Newson PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Dance Makers WHEN:  Sun 18 Nov 11.00am (87 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Contemporary choreographer Wim Vandekeybus deftly blends roles as dancer, choreographer and director in Blush. A visually rich exploration of primal desires, love and human bonds, Blush embeds the dancers within the landscape, using their surrounds as a visual counterpoint to their bodies. Read more   Moonwalker 1988 PG   DIRECTOR:  Jerry Kramer, Jim Blashfield, Will Vinton, Colin Chilvers PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sun 18 Nov 1.00pm (93 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Arguably at the height of his creative strength, Michael Jackson stars in Moonwalker, a film that mixes long-form music video, live performance and a fantasy narrative. The film title is taken from the 'moonwalk' dance technique, a street move that Jackson famously introduced to mainstream audiences. Read more   Xanadu 1980 G   DIRECTOR:  Robert Greenwald PROGRAM:  Get Down! — Let's Dance WHEN:  Sun 18 Nov 5.00pm (95 mins) WHERE:  Cinema A, GOMA   Xanadu boasts glitzy costume and dance numbers complete with Farrah Fawcett hair flicks, sequinned jumpsuits and gold lamé knee-high boots. Sonny (Michael Beck), an artist out of inspiration, falls for the ethereal Kira (Olivia Newton-John), and together with Danny (Gene Kelly in his last musical role), they hatch a plan to open a music club. 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