Message from the Dance Camera West Board of Directors
Our plans and aspirations are altered as we grieve with the city we represent. We know that it is a very difficult for any of us to focus on something like a celebratory festival of art. We also know that in times like this people need some access to community spirit, and artistic inspiration, if only as a brief moment of respite from the pressures of living through something so historically catastrophic. This year’s festival is all about the artists IN and OF Los Angeles: the programs designed to represent, focus and celebrate the vibrant work of LA artists. Now that work seems possibly even more relevant. We will present their work with the respectful dignity it, and the audience deserves, and be a space where artists can continue to meet and create relationships that inspire new work as the city regrows. We love LA and we want to be at the forefront of representing it as it was, is and will be.
Celebrating its 25th year, Dance Camera West (DCW) is considered one of the best dance film festivals worldwide. Co-founded in 2001, DCW is led by Executive/Artistic Director Kelly Hargraves, who is a dancer, choreographer and noted dance filmmaker in her own right. Running Wednesday, January 29 through Sunday, February 2 at LA’s Barnsdall Gallery Theater, DCW will feature 50+ dance films and documentaries. Tickets are on sale now HERE. To watch the Dance Camera West trailer, please click HERE.
To find out more details, Kelly Hargraves and I met on Zoom.
After reviewing the categories, I asked Hargraves to explain what Experimental films meant. “Because there’s no established genre of dance film,” she began. “when we use a regular traditional film site like Film Freeway or Eventive, we have to choose something so, we choose experimental because dance films are essentially experimental films. But in the larger world, it is implied, like contemporary dance is experimental.”
Over the years, Hargraves has not focused the festivals on many different themes but just programed the festival sections. During the years of the COVID pandemic when DCW film festival took place online. They still did in person presentations and had started online before COVID.
This year one of the big shifts occurred by presenting even more films produced in the Visibility Program, which was started before COVID and Black Lives Matter. “This year one of the big shifts is presenting even more films produced in the DCW Visibility Program, which was started before COVID and Black Lives Matter. “But we got more money to fund it,” Hargraves explained. “So, I’m super excited that we were just a little bit ahead of the curve and ready.”
The Visibility Program is focused on LA based dance filmmakers and choreographers, and Hargraves expressed that she was adamant about not only showing the most highly produced professional international dance company produced films, but she was more interested in growing this community in this field because there are many places, especially in the United States, without generous funding and training. DCW choses films by having the preview committee fill out a form of 15 questions on a scale from one to ten. Each film is then given an average score. There are 30 or 40 people on the selection committee, so it is not just one person who selects the films who end up in the festival. “There’s always this little beautiful group of films that don’t get selected for one reason or another. We chose the LA artists from those films that meet VISIBILITY requirements as underrepresented artists. We offer them a stipend and a mentor, and act as a producer to work further on their film.”
The Visibility Program grew to where the filmmakers get more money and time to work with a mentor. At first, DCW just wanted these filmmakers to take the film that they made and do a quick re-edit, but now the program has grown to include original productions as DCW received NEA funding so that filmmakers can make a completely new film. DCW’s situation improved even more when it was granted a very large grant from the California Arts Council to produce films in low income California areas.

DCW – VISIBILITY SELF REFLECTIONS – “1,001 Won’t Be So Bad” by Elle Wagoner – Still courtesy of DCW.
“I paired our filmmakers, like Irishia Hubbard Romaine, Lane Stanley, Jon Jota Leanos and Vanessa Sanchez, who have shown in the festival before, and Madison Olandt and Joy Isabella Brown, to work with community members who weren’t dancers, but had really interesting stories and we created what is called Visibility Self Reflections, using the art of dance to create an experimental documentary about those people that was not based on scripted words but was based on movement,” Hargraves explained.
The participants worked with movement coaches to create choreography, and from that four films were created. “I really feel these films,” Hargraves added. “And that’s a very big part that I try to tell people about dance film. I don’t just watch it. I want to move with it and I want to feel it just like a performance. I do not want to be an observer, you need to kinesthetically and psychologically draw me into your film.”
The four films mentioned are F3VER (Experimental short) – Director Irishia Hubbard Romaine – Choreographer Vasquez Euresti (English – USA), earthworm – Director Lane Michael, Stanley (he/they) – Choreography Eric Pennella (English – USA); Rock Bottom – Director Madison Olandt and Joy Isabella Brown (English- USA); and Convivencia (Experimental short) – Director John Jota Leanos, Vanessa Sanchez – Spanish USA.
They will appear on VISIBILITY Friday, January 31, 2025 at 7:00pm in the Barnsdall Gallery Theater.

DCW – VISIBILITY SELF REFLECTIONS – “Covivencia” by John Jota Leaños and Vanessa Sanchez – Still courtesy of DCW.
Three other filmmakers who were chosen in 2024 were given funds and the opportunity to work with mentor and filmmaker Javier de Frutos. One had to drop out due to scheduling but the other two’s films, Yue Zhu and Celeste Lanuza, will be shown on DCW’s 2025 film festival. Hargraves is thrilled that DCW managed to produce so many dance films last year. “I just really happy to be helping young people learn this art,” Hargraves said.
This is one example of how DCW has flipped the festival this year from the usual. “We’re known for presenting the most beautiful films from around world,” Hargraves said. “We need to have beautiful films from here.
Another new series of films on the festival schedule is LA Pops Up, “Curated by Hysterica’s Kitty McNamee and featuring films by some of LA’s most innovative choreographers including Ryan Heffington, Mike Tyus, Nina McNeeley, Tony Testa, Sara Silkin, Wade Robson, and more.” DCW website.
McNamee has presented this series in Europe where she has another show scheduled in February. Her goal is to showcase LA Pops Up around the world.
With VISIBILITY, LA Pops Up and the evening of Benjamin Millepied’s Paris Dance Project, film Dance Map there are three nights that feature films from Los Angeles based dance filmmakers. Plus the closing night with honors LA Dance Icon David Roussève.

DCW – LA Pops Up – “Where Once There Was Water” by Mike Tyus and Luca Renzi – Still courtesy of DCW.
Featured on this year’s festival is the retrospective of renowned dancer, choreographer and filmmaker David Roussève. “When I saw his film Bittersweet a long time ago, I was blown away by it,” Hargraves stated. After first seeing Bittersweet, she remembers thinking, “This is such beautiful, strong, deeper level work.” Roussève’s films Bittersweet, Urban Stories and Two Seconds After Laughter will be shown at this retrospective.
Also during the 25th anniversary of the DCW dance film festival is a 5 Day Dance Film Creation Lab that Hargraves described as a co-collaboration between filmmakers. “Here is your cast, here’s your crew, make a film,” she said. This creation lab was a result of workshops throughout the year, where the thing that participants said that they most needed was a place to work together.
The David Roussève Retrospective occurs on Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 7:00 pm immediately following Doc Day Afternoons which begins at 1:00 pm.
Doc Day Afternoon is a series of dance documentary films directed by Pablo Destito and Augustina Videla (Tango, a rematch with Life); Kitty McNamee (ELEGY), Kate Weare, and Jack Flame Sorokin (Risa); Vladyslav Detiuchenko (Rhythms of Resilience – Dance with Daily Risk); Marie Lavorel, Tamar Tembeck, and Paul Tom (Dancing with Time); and Keith Glassman (Lives Beyond Motion).
The other events that were not mentioned above include Dance Map from Paris Dance Project, narrated by Benjamin Millepied. Dance Map is a one-hour film that traces the impact of dance on Paris as it follows four Parisians moving through their daily lives and interacting with La Ville Dansée along the way. on Wednesday, January 29th at 7:00 pm.
International shorts A, B & C.
Program A is on Wednesday, January 29th at 7:00 pm;
Program B is on Thursday, January 30th at 7:00 pm; and
Program C on Saturday, February 1st at 4:00 pm.
Dance As a Cultural Language is on Friday, January 21st at 7:00 pm,
Not showing at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater is Pina, a “remarkable visual experience & vivid representation of modern-dance pioneer Pina Bausch’s work” is Saturday, February 1st at 7:00 pm at The Philosophical Research Society.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Dance Camera West website. The Barnsdall Gallery Theatre is located in the Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027.
To watch the trailer for VISIBILITY SELF REFLECTIONS, please click HERE.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: DCW – F3VER directed by Irishia Hubbard Romaine – Still courtesy of DCW.