CHELSEA X ADF DANCE FILM SERIES, Chelsea Theater
CHELSEA X ADF DANCE FILM SERIES
The Chelsea Theater and the American Dance Festival (ADF) are thrilled to announce a new collaboration, Chelsea x ADF Dance Film Series, celebrating movement arts in the cinema. The series will include classic musicals and feature films, documentaries, shorts, and the North Carolina premiere of an ADF-commissioned film by one of this generation's most exciting choreographers, Micaela Taylor. Whether you are experiencing a film for the first time or re-engaging with some of the most enduring and beloved dance films of our time, here is your chance to see it on the big screen at the Chelsea Theater. Mark your calendars and get ready to dance with us.
Chelsea x ADF Dance Film Series is made possible with support from the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation.
Gold Diggers of 1933
Gold Diggers of 1933
(Mervyn LeRoy/Busby Berkeley, 1933, 97 min)
Sat Apr 29, 4:30pm
Tue May 2, 4:30pm
The standout Great Depression musical, an insanely overproduced extravaganza that gave Busby Berkeley his first chance to really cut loose with his classic, surreal musical numbers. A zillion chorus girls playing electric violins decorate “The Shadow Waltz”; “Pettin’ in the Park” is an unbridled voyeuristic fantasy; Ginger Rogers sings “We’re in the Money” in pig Latin, and—to give the enterprise a noble touch—the plight of the unemployed veteran is explored in “Remember the Forgotten Man.”
(Mervyn LeRoy/Busby Berkeley, 1933, 97 min)
Sat Apr 29, 4:30pm
Tue May 2, 4:30pm
The standout Great Depression musical, an insanely overproduced extravaganza that gave Busby Berkeley his first chance to really cut loose with his classic, surreal musical numbers. A zillion chorus girls playing electric violins decorate “The Shadow Waltz”; “Pettin’ in the Park” is an unbridled voyeuristic fantasy; Ginger Rogers sings “We’re in the Money” in pig Latin, and—to give the enterprise a noble touch—the plight of the unemployed veteran is explored in “Remember the Forgotten Man.”
Gold Diggers of 1933
Gold Diggers of 1933
(Mervyn LeRoy/Busby Berkeley, 1933, 97 min)
Sat Apr 29, 4:30pm
Tue May 2, 4:30pm
The standout Great Depression musical, an insanely overproduced extravaganza that gave Busby Berkeley his first chance to really cut loose with his classic, surreal musical numbers. A zillion chorus girls playing electric violins decorate “The Shadow Waltz”; “Pettin’ in the Park” is an unbridled voyeuristic fantasy; Ginger Rogers sings “We’re in the Money” in pig Latin, and—to give the enterprise a noble touch—the plight of the unemployed veteran is explored in “Remember the Forgotten Man.”
MORE / TRAILER(Mervyn LeRoy/Busby Berkeley, 1933, 97 min)
Sat Apr 29, 4:30pm
Tue May 2, 4:30pm
The standout Great Depression musical, an insanely overproduced extravaganza that gave Busby Berkeley his first chance to really cut loose with his classic, surreal musical numbers. A zillion chorus girls playing electric violins decorate “The Shadow Waltz”; “Pettin’ in the Park” is an unbridled voyeuristic fantasy; Ginger Rogers sings “We’re in the Money” in pig Latin, and—to give the enterprise a noble touch—the plight of the unemployed veteran is explored in “Remember the Forgotten Man.”
Flashdance
Flashdance
(Adrian Lyne, 1983, 95 min)
Sun Apr 30, 4:30pm
Wed May 3, 4:30pm
Pittsburgh is at its steamiest in this special 40th anniversary screening. Flashdance was a word-of-mouth sleeper hit, unleashing a smash soundtrack (including Irene Cara’s anthemic Oscar-winning title song), advancing fashion and dance trends, and inciting debate over its female-empowerment stance with Jennifer Beals (in her breakout role) strenuously gigging as welder and go-go performer while aspiring to ballet.
(Adrian Lyne, 1983, 95 min)
Sun Apr 30, 4:30pm
Wed May 3, 4:30pm
Pittsburgh is at its steamiest in this special 40th anniversary screening. Flashdance was a word-of-mouth sleeper hit, unleashing a smash soundtrack (including Irene Cara’s anthemic Oscar-winning title song), advancing fashion and dance trends, and inciting debate over its female-empowerment stance with Jennifer Beals (in her breakout role) strenuously gigging as welder and go-go performer while aspiring to ballet.
Flashdance
Flashdance
(Adrian Lyne, 1983, 95 min)
Sun Apr 30, 4:30pm
Wed May 3, 4:30pm
Pittsburgh is at its steamiest in this special 40th anniversary screening. Flashdance was a word-of-mouth sleeper hit, unleashing a smash soundtrack (including Irene Cara’s anthemic Oscar-winning title song), advancing fashion and dance trends, and inciting debate over its female-empowerment stance with Jennifer Beals (in her breakout role) strenuously gigging as welder and go-go performer while aspiring to ballet.
MORE / TRAILER(Adrian Lyne, 1983, 95 min)
Sun Apr 30, 4:30pm
Wed May 3, 4:30pm
Pittsburgh is at its steamiest in this special 40th anniversary screening. Flashdance was a word-of-mouth sleeper hit, unleashing a smash soundtrack (including Irene Cara’s anthemic Oscar-winning title song), advancing fashion and dance trends, and inciting debate over its female-empowerment stance with Jennifer Beals (in her breakout role) strenuously gigging as welder and go-go performer while aspiring to ballet.
Bella
Bella (Bridget Murnane, 2022, 98 min)
Mon May 1, 7:00pm
Thu May 4, 4:30pm
Both showings feature introductions from director, Bridget Murnane.
A masterfully made documentary, Bella is about the life, influence, and impact of California-based artist and activist Bella Lewitzky. Described by Walter Terry as “one of the greatest American dancers of our age,” Lewitzky was a talented, strong, outspoken individual who dedicated much of her creative life to fighting censorship in dance and the arts.
Mon May 1, 7:00pm
Thu May 4, 4:30pm
Both showings feature introductions from director, Bridget Murnane.
A masterfully made documentary, Bella is about the life, influence, and impact of California-based artist and activist Bella Lewitzky. Described by Walter Terry as “one of the greatest American dancers of our age,” Lewitzky was a talented, strong, outspoken individual who dedicated much of her creative life to fighting censorship in dance and the arts.
Bella
Bella (Bridget Murnane, 2022, 98 min)
Mon May 1, 7:00pm
Thu May 4, 4:30pm
Both showings feature introductions from director, Bridget Murnane.
A masterfully made documentary, Bella is about the life, influence, and impact of California-based artist and activist Bella Lewitzky. Described by Walter Terry as “one of the greatest American dancers of our age,” Lewitzky was a talented, strong, outspoken individual who dedicated much of her creative life to fighting censorship in dance and the arts.
MORE / TRAILERMon May 1, 7:00pm
Thu May 4, 4:30pm
Both showings feature introductions from director, Bridget Murnane.
A masterfully made documentary, Bella is about the life, influence, and impact of California-based artist and activist Bella Lewitzky. Described by Walter Terry as “one of the greatest American dancers of our age,” Lewitzky was a talented, strong, outspoken individual who dedicated much of her creative life to fighting censorship in dance and the arts.
The Band Wagon
The Band Wagon
(Vincente Minnelli, 1953, 112 min)
Sat May 6, 4:30pm
Tue May 9, 4:30pm
“For many, this 1953 feature represents the height of the American musical. Fred Astaire is a washed-up Hollywood star, Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant are a husband-and-wife writing team, and Jack Buchanan is an artsy Broadway director. The musical becomes a frenetic meditation on pop art versus high art, coming down hard on the side of the former. Rife with great numbers, including the ineluctable ‘Triplets’.” –Dave Kehr
(Vincente Minnelli, 1953, 112 min)
Sat May 6, 4:30pm
Tue May 9, 4:30pm
“For many, this 1953 feature represents the height of the American musical. Fred Astaire is a washed-up Hollywood star, Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant are a husband-and-wife writing team, and Jack Buchanan is an artsy Broadway director. The musical becomes a frenetic meditation on pop art versus high art, coming down hard on the side of the former. Rife with great numbers, including the ineluctable ‘Triplets’.” –Dave Kehr
The Band Wagon
The Band Wagon
(Vincente Minnelli, 1953, 112 min)
Sat May 6, 4:30pm
Tue May 9, 4:30pm
“For many, this 1953 feature represents the height of the American musical. Fred Astaire is a washed-up Hollywood star, Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant are a husband-and-wife writing team, and Jack Buchanan is an artsy Broadway director. The musical becomes a frenetic meditation on pop art versus high art, coming down hard on the side of the former. Rife with great numbers, including the ineluctable ‘Triplets’.” –Dave Kehr
MORE / TRAILER(Vincente Minnelli, 1953, 112 min)
Sat May 6, 4:30pm
Tue May 9, 4:30pm
“For many, this 1953 feature represents the height of the American musical. Fred Astaire is a washed-up Hollywood star, Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant are a husband-and-wife writing team, and Jack Buchanan is an artsy Broadway director. The musical becomes a frenetic meditation on pop art versus high art, coming down hard on the side of the former. Rife with great numbers, including the ineluctable ‘Triplets’.” –Dave Kehr
Forbidden City, U.S.A.
Forbidden City, U.S.A.
(Arthur Dong, 1989, 56 min)
Sun May 7, 4:30pm
Wed May 10, 4:30pm
Digitally remastered by UCLA Film & TV Archive from original film negatives, this classic film by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong takes you inside the glamorous world of San Francisco’s Chinatown nightclubs during World War II. Meet the “Chinese Fred Astaire,” the “Chinese Sophie Tucker,” and the “Chinese Sally Rand”—just some of the performers who take you back to the Big Band era, when Chinese-American headliners flew below the radar.
(Arthur Dong, 1989, 56 min)
Sun May 7, 4:30pm
Wed May 10, 4:30pm
Digitally remastered by UCLA Film & TV Archive from original film negatives, this classic film by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong takes you inside the glamorous world of San Francisco’s Chinatown nightclubs during World War II. Meet the “Chinese Fred Astaire,” the “Chinese Sophie Tucker,” and the “Chinese Sally Rand”—just some of the performers who take you back to the Big Band era, when Chinese-American headliners flew below the radar.
Forbidden City, U.S.A.
Forbidden City, U.S.A.
(Arthur Dong, 1989, 56 min)
Sun May 7, 4:30pm
Wed May 10, 4:30pm
Digitally remastered by UCLA Film & TV Archive from original film negatives, this classic film by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong takes you inside the glamorous world of San Francisco’s Chinatown nightclubs during World War II. Meet the “Chinese Fred Astaire,” the “Chinese Sophie Tucker,” and the “Chinese Sally Rand”—just some of the performers who take you back to the Big Band era, when Chinese-American headliners flew below the radar.
MORE / TRAILER(Arthur Dong, 1989, 56 min)
Sun May 7, 4:30pm
Wed May 10, 4:30pm
Digitally remastered by UCLA Film & TV Archive from original film negatives, this classic film by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong takes you inside the glamorous world of San Francisco’s Chinatown nightclubs during World War II. Meet the “Chinese Fred Astaire,” the “Chinese Sophie Tucker,” and the “Chinese Sally Rand”—just some of the performers who take you back to the Big Band era, when Chinese-American headliners flew below the radar.
ADF Movies by Movers Shorts Program # 1
ADF Movies by Movers Shorts Program # 1
Mon May 8, 7:00pm
Thu May 11, 4:30pm
A curated selection of new dance shorts from around the world.
Full Lineup:
On Mending (Shawn Fitzgerald Ahern & Emilie Louise Leriche, 2021, Italy, 15 min)
in memoriam (S. Asher Gelman, 2021, USA, 30 min)
The Swan at the Mouth of the River (Daphna Mero, 2021, Israel, 20 min)
Reminiscences (Virginie Brunelle, 2022, Canada, 11 min)
Herbarium (Iwona Pasińska, 2021, Poland, 13 min)
Mon May 8, 7:00pm
Thu May 11, 4:30pm
A curated selection of new dance shorts from around the world.
Full Lineup:
On Mending (Shawn Fitzgerald Ahern & Emilie Louise Leriche, 2021, Italy, 15 min)
in memoriam (S. Asher Gelman, 2021, USA, 30 min)
The Swan at the Mouth of the River (Daphna Mero, 2021, Israel, 20 min)
Reminiscences (Virginie Brunelle, 2022, Canada, 11 min)
Herbarium (Iwona Pasińska, 2021, Poland, 13 min)
ADF Movies by Movers Shorts Program # 1
ADF Movies by Movers Shorts Program # 1
Mon May 8, 7:00pm
Thu May 11, 4:30pm
A curated selection of new dance shorts from around the world.
Full Lineup:
On Mending (Shawn Fitzgerald Ahern & Emilie Louise Leriche, 2021, Italy, 15 min)
in memoriam (S. Asher Gelman, 2021, USA, 30 min)
The Swan at the Mouth of the River (Daphna Mero, 2021, Israel, 20 min)
Reminiscences (Virginie Brunelle, 2022, Canada, 11 min)
Herbarium (Iwona Pasińska, 2021, Poland, 13 min)
MORE / TRAILERMon May 8, 7:00pm
Thu May 11, 4:30pm
A curated selection of new dance shorts from around the world.
Full Lineup:
On Mending (Shawn Fitzgerald Ahern & Emilie Louise Leriche, 2021, Italy, 15 min)
in memoriam (S. Asher Gelman, 2021, USA, 30 min)
The Swan at the Mouth of the River (Daphna Mero, 2021, Israel, 20 min)
Reminiscences (Virginie Brunelle, 2022, Canada, 11 min)
Herbarium (Iwona Pasińska, 2021, Poland, 13 min)
Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather
(Andrew L. Stone, 1943, 78 min)
Sat May 13, 4:30pm
Tue May 16, 4:30pm
“Hollywood made big-budget films with black stars for the war effort only. Stormy Weather, an all-black entertainment spectacular presided over by legendary tap-dancer Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson is the only film really to showcase his talent. Other black stars in the film include the Nicholas Brothers (who claimed they’d later toned down their act in The Pirate, so Gene Kelly could keep up—they still outshone him), Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Lena Horne, and Katherine Dunham’s pioneering black company, which combined Afro-American dance with ballet and modern dance: sheer delight from beginning to end.” –Peter Wollen, Sight and Sound
(Andrew L. Stone, 1943, 78 min)
Sat May 13, 4:30pm
Tue May 16, 4:30pm
“Hollywood made big-budget films with black stars for the war effort only. Stormy Weather, an all-black entertainment spectacular presided over by legendary tap-dancer Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson is the only film really to showcase his talent. Other black stars in the film include the Nicholas Brothers (who claimed they’d later toned down their act in The Pirate, so Gene Kelly could keep up—they still outshone him), Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Lena Horne, and Katherine Dunham’s pioneering black company, which combined Afro-American dance with ballet and modern dance: sheer delight from beginning to end.” –Peter Wollen, Sight and Sound
Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather
(Andrew L. Stone, 1943, 78 min)
Sat May 13, 4:30pm
Tue May 16, 4:30pm
“Hollywood made big-budget films with black stars for the war effort only. Stormy Weather, an all-black entertainment spectacular presided over by legendary tap-dancer Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson is the only film really to showcase his talent. Other black stars in the film include the Nicholas Brothers (who claimed they’d later toned down their act in The Pirate, so Gene Kelly could keep up—they still outshone him), Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Lena Horne, and Katherine Dunham’s pioneering black company, which combined Afro-American dance with ballet and modern dance: sheer delight from beginning to end.” –Peter Wollen, Sight and Sound
MORE / TRAILER(Andrew L. Stone, 1943, 78 min)
Sat May 13, 4:30pm
Tue May 16, 4:30pm
“Hollywood made big-budget films with black stars for the war effort only. Stormy Weather, an all-black entertainment spectacular presided over by legendary tap-dancer Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson is the only film really to showcase his talent. Other black stars in the film include the Nicholas Brothers (who claimed they’d later toned down their act in The Pirate, so Gene Kelly could keep up—they still outshone him), Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Lena Horne, and Katherine Dunham’s pioneering black company, which combined Afro-American dance with ballet and modern dance: sheer delight from beginning to end.” –Peter Wollen, Sight and Sound
School Daze
School Daze (Spike Lee, 1988, 121 min)
Sun May 14, 4:30pm
Wed May 17, 4:30pm
This early “deep cut” from Spike Lee depicts political and emotional turmoil between radically conscious frat and sorority members of a fictional HBCU. Politically conscious Dap (Laurence Fishburne) reluctantly helps his dorky cousin (Spike Lee) rush the boorish Gamma frat. Meanwhile, factions of the female student body go head-to-head over identity, style, and hair, as they also do battle with the misogyny and toxic masculinity of the Greek System. A high-energy, highly-stylized film that filters the politics of the post-civil rights generation through MGM musicals, Broadway, Motown, step culture, and more.
“While it lacks the controlled energy and the sense of closure found in She’s Gotta Have It, Spike Lee’s second feature-length ‘film joint’ is much more innovative, ambitious, and exciting: a full-scale tackling of class warfare within the black community, set in a mainly black college in Atlanta, that explodes in every direction.” –Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Sun May 14, 4:30pm
Wed May 17, 4:30pm
This early “deep cut” from Spike Lee depicts political and emotional turmoil between radically conscious frat and sorority members of a fictional HBCU. Politically conscious Dap (Laurence Fishburne) reluctantly helps his dorky cousin (Spike Lee) rush the boorish Gamma frat. Meanwhile, factions of the female student body go head-to-head over identity, style, and hair, as they also do battle with the misogyny and toxic masculinity of the Greek System. A high-energy, highly-stylized film that filters the politics of the post-civil rights generation through MGM musicals, Broadway, Motown, step culture, and more.
“While it lacks the controlled energy and the sense of closure found in She’s Gotta Have It, Spike Lee’s second feature-length ‘film joint’ is much more innovative, ambitious, and exciting: a full-scale tackling of class warfare within the black community, set in a mainly black college in Atlanta, that explodes in every direction.” –Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
School Daze
School Daze (Spike Lee, 1988, 121 min)
Sun May 14, 4:30pm
Wed May 17, 4:30pm
This early “deep cut” from Spike Lee depicts political and emotional turmoil between radically conscious frat and sorority members of a fictional HBCU. Politically conscious Dap (Laurence Fishburne) reluctantly helps his dorky cousin (Spike Lee) rush the boorish Gamma frat. Meanwhile, factions of the female student body go head-to-head over identity, style, and hair, as they also do battle with the misogyny and toxic masculinity of the Greek System. A high-energy, highly-stylized film that filters the politics of the post-civil rights generation through MGM musicals, Broadway, Motown, step culture, and more.
“While it lacks the controlled energy and the sense of closure found in She’s Gotta Have It, Spike Lee’s second feature-length ‘film joint’ is much more innovative, ambitious, and exciting: a full-scale tackling of class warfare within the black community, set in a mainly black college in Atlanta, that explodes in every direction.” –Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
MORE / TRAILERSun May 14, 4:30pm
Wed May 17, 4:30pm
This early “deep cut” from Spike Lee depicts political and emotional turmoil between radically conscious frat and sorority members of a fictional HBCU. Politically conscious Dap (Laurence Fishburne) reluctantly helps his dorky cousin (Spike Lee) rush the boorish Gamma frat. Meanwhile, factions of the female student body go head-to-head over identity, style, and hair, as they also do battle with the misogyny and toxic masculinity of the Greek System. A high-energy, highly-stylized film that filters the politics of the post-civil rights generation through MGM musicals, Broadway, Motown, step culture, and more.
“While it lacks the controlled energy and the sense of closure found in She’s Gotta Have It, Spike Lee’s second feature-length ‘film joint’ is much more innovative, ambitious, and exciting: a full-scale tackling of class warfare within the black community, set in a mainly black college in Atlanta, that explodes in every direction.” –Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
ADF Movies by Movers Shorts Program # 2
ADF Movies by Movers Shorts Program # 2
Mon May 15, 7:00pm
Thu May 18, 4:30pm
A curated selection of new dance shorts from around the world.
Full lineup:
Handstitched (Virginia Broyles & Chris Lee, 2022, USA, 10 min)
Shift (Claire Marshall, 2019, Australia, 32 min)
Kolonial (Stefanie Batten Bland & Jean-Claude Dhien, 2020, USA, 21 min)
At Lake (Mistaya Hemingway, Canada, 2022, 13 min)
Misfit (Micaela Taylor, 2023, USA, 15 min) - ADF Commissioned NC Premiere
Mon May 15, 7:00pm
Thu May 18, 4:30pm
A curated selection of new dance shorts from around the world.
Full lineup:
Handstitched (Virginia Broyles & Chris Lee, 2022, USA, 10 min)
Shift (Claire Marshall, 2019, Australia, 32 min)
Kolonial (Stefanie Batten Bland & Jean-Claude Dhien, 2020, USA, 21 min)
At Lake (Mistaya Hemingway, Canada, 2022, 13 min)
Misfit (Micaela Taylor, 2023, USA, 15 min) - ADF Commissioned NC Premiere
ADF Movies by Movers Shorts Program # 2
ADF Movies by Movers Shorts Program # 2
Mon May 15, 7:00pm
Thu May 18, 4:30pm
A curated selection of new dance shorts from around the world.
Full lineup:
Handstitched (Virginia Broyles & Chris Lee, 2022, USA, 10 min)
Shift (Claire Marshall, 2019, Australia, 32 min)
Kolonial (Stefanie Batten Bland & Jean-Claude Dhien, 2020, USA, 21 min)
At Lake (Mistaya Hemingway, Canada, 2022, 13 min)
Misfit (Micaela Taylor, 2023, USA, 15 min) - ADF Commissioned NC Premiere
MORE / TRAILERMon May 15, 7:00pm
Thu May 18, 4:30pm
A curated selection of new dance shorts from around the world.
Full lineup:
Handstitched (Virginia Broyles & Chris Lee, 2022, USA, 10 min)
Shift (Claire Marshall, 2019, Australia, 32 min)
Kolonial (Stefanie Batten Bland & Jean-Claude Dhien, 2020, USA, 21 min)
At Lake (Mistaya Hemingway, Canada, 2022, 13 min)
Misfit (Micaela Taylor, 2023, USA, 15 min) - ADF Commissioned NC Premiere