‘First Love’ released for online viewers

digital balletSelf-described neoclassical coach and choreographer Preston Miller, the force behind the dance film Enemy Within produced three years ago, has released a new short dance film, or “digital ballet,” created specifically to be seen online.

 

Featuring choreography by himself and Jonathan Alsberry, the project is titled First Love. It focuses on two dancers – Jacqueline Green of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) and Barton Cowperthwaite of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company.

 

Other all-star dancers include Kassandra Cruz of Ballet Hispanico, Chanel DaSilva of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Ghrai DeVore of AAADT, Courtney Lopes of Ballet Heginbotham, Ashley Mayeux of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Fana Tesfagiorgis of AAADT, Chris Bloom of Ballet Hispanico, Sean Carmon of AAADT, Patrick Coker of the former Cedar Lake, Da’Von Doane of Dance Theatre of Harlem and freelance dancers Solomon Dumas and Ade Chike Torbert.

 

Set to “In Passing” by Steve Gibbs and Cyrus Reynolds, this stunning and poignant four-minute “digital ballet” showcases raw cinematography by Kevin Duggin in a rehearsal studio. David Anderson led production, and Associate Producers Torya Beard and Anji Crain assisted. [Watch the video here.]

 

Miller told Newsweek, ““We want to be able to show a mainstream audience the nuance and attention to detail that goes into a piece, without it looking like it’s coming from some unicorn fairy land that only people who speak this language can see.”

 

First Love introduces a series of short dance films that Muses of Motion will release in the coming months. The next few videos include a solo by New York City Ballet Principal Tiler Peck (who was featured in Miller’s Enemy Within in 2013); a solo by Alvin Ailey’s Ghrai DeVore; and a sportier group piece set to drums from Kanye West music.