Mission
DFA is dedicated to furthering the art of dance film. Connecting artists and organizations, fostering new works for new audiences, and sharing essential resources, DFA seeks to be a catalyst for innovation in and preservation of dance on camera.
DFA is a not-for-profit membership corporation which accomplishes this mission by:
• Promoting and facilitating the production, distribution, and use of dance films;
• Educating the public about the history and development of dance films and videos;
• Supporting the efforts of educators, institutions and community groups to present dance films, through its Dance on Camera Touring Program;
• Producing programs which educate and expose the public to the art of dance film, including the annual Dance on Camera Festival;
• Providing an informational clearinghouse and meeting ground for producers, distributors, artists, and other users of dance films and videos.
Currently, DFA is actively seeking to broaden its audience via new media initiatives and membership drives, to support cutting edge approaches to dance documentation, and to expand partnerships with schools, arts partners, media sites, and other institutions.
History
Dance Films Association was founded by Susan Braun in 1956 as a clearinghouse for the distribution of films on dance, from experimental work to instructional films and documentaries. Modern dance pioneer Jose Limon was a charter members, as was Ted Shawn, founder of Jacob’s Pillow, and prima ballerina Alicia Markarova. A tireless advocate, Ms. Braun devoted her life to finding, showcasing and preserving dance films and videos until her death in 1995. With generous foresight, she left a Trust of $500,000 to continue DFA’s mission with Melvin Spain as Executor until the year 2015. Today, DFA seeks to carry on Susan Braun’s spirit of creativity and collaboration in a time of extraordinary transformation. Below is an interview with Susan Braun from 1989.
Initiated in 1971 to foster creativity and encourage collaborations between choreographers and film makers, DFA’s annual Dance On Camera Festival presents exciting new dance films as well as offering a retrospective lens on history. The Festival is a mecca for artists, curators and scholars as well as aficionados of dance to see new work and share ideas. The Film Society of Lincoln Center joined as Festival co-producer in 1996. Two years later, the Dance On Camera Festival began to tour nationally and, in 2000, internationally, acquiring more than 114 touring partners to date.
As of 1998, DFA started offering post-production grants and expanded its fiscal sponsorship program. As well as a library of more than 500 dance film works, it maintains a database of distributors and dance film/videos that has been updated and published seven times over the decades. In 2007, DFA initiated the Susan Braun Award: The Young Choreographers Initiative, to encourage young dance filmmakers. DFA is a founding member of MAD, the Media and Dance network which includes over forty dance Film Festivals around the world.
In 2008, DFA expanded its internet presence, affiliating with a number of partners, including dance-tech.net, Tendu.TV and MacFadden Publications which includes a dance on camera channel on its website – dancemedia.com.
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