Hardly anyone uses videos any more, but we’ve included items that can be found on video and DVD. In addition to this list, try searching for the dance name or type on Youtube.
INSTRUCTION
Sanna Longden’s series of DVDs and videos, with accompanying CDs. There are (currently) seven instructional DVD/videos and five CDs, mainly for teaching in schools and communities, but also useful for recreational leaders: Folk Dances for Kids & Teachers, More Folk Dances for Kids & Teachers, Living Ethnic Dances, Maypole & Mexican Dances, Historic & Contemporary Dances, and her latest products, Dances of the Seven Continents, Volumes 1 and 2. www.FolkStyle.com
The Folk Dance Federation of Southern California has an extensive collection of folk dance videos on-line. These are of dances taught a California workshops and festivals from the mid-1990s to the present.
For Israeli dance, start with www.israelidances.com Besides maintaining a huge database of Israeli dances and information about each dance, it has links to a large number of old as well as current Israeli dances being done by the choreographer. Also try: projects.csail.mit.edu/ifd/(MIT), rikudim.net, and www.bekalut.com/ifdvideos.html
Rokdim is a web-based Israeli music and video store.
An on-line site that has a limited number of videos that can be downloaded: www.dancilla.com/search
Try YouTube! Use the search engine — you’ll be surprised what you’ll find!
ENTERTAINMENT
Bend It Like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding both show some wonderful Punjabi Indian dancing.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding show some Greek dancing at the wedding
Carmen and Bodas De Sangre [two films from the 1980s by Antonio Gades] show some great Flamenco
Shall We Dance? [Japanese or English version, but most prefer the Japanese version] touches on both the cultural attitudes toward dancing and competition as it relates to ballroom dancing.
Strictly Ballroom [Australian] focuses on the crazy, competitive side to ballroom dancing, but has some wonderful dance sequences. Ditto for Mad, Hot Ballroom although some are uncomfortable with seeing 11-year-olds starting their dance lives with competitive, sexualized dances.
Whose is this song? is more about a particular song and its source than it is about dance, but is a must-see for fans of Eastern European music and dance. Also see http://www.der.org/films/whose-is-this-song.html
Take The Lead is based on the story of ballroom dancer Pierre Dulane, a former professional dancer turned teacher who volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system. While his background first clashes with his students’ tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance.
DANCE-RELATED STUFF
These are video clips available on various sites on the Internet. They won’t be active links forever, so watch them now while you can!
Dancing on a Treadmill? Those British boys really push the envelope.
A Commercial for a Turkish Bank! Cross a Busby Berkeley routine a marching band at half-time and what do you get? All you need is 300 dancers and a lot of time and patience!
An amateur video: Well done, and quickly shows what folk dancing is, and so valuable in that regard.
The Evolution of Dance Comedian Judson Laipply captures every popular U.S. dance style from Elvis and The Twist to… I don’t know what!
If you have videos that you have found useful and interesting, that you would like to share with others, email the webmanager
