DANCING DREAMS

Germany, 2010 (Next Gen)

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The awkwardness of adolescence is put on show – literally – as a teen dance troupe prepares to stage a confrontingly physical production.

Raging hormones add an electric charge to a classic dance piece in Dancing Dreams – a documentary following a group of German teenage dancers as they grapple with a re-staging of one of Pina Bausch’s seminal works, Kontakthof (‘contact zone’), directed by Jo Ann Endicott.

Themed around the joy and confusion that springs from interaction between the sexes, Kontakthof contains confronting material for the teen dancers. The documentary follows their gradual journey from inhibition to acceptance, as they learn to master the difficult dance moves and put aside their insecurities.

Dancing Dreams is not only a revelatory study of the transformative power of the creative process but also a tribute to choreographer and German national treasure Pina Bausch, who here makes her last appearance on film before her death in 2009.

MIFF Recommends: Age 14+
Some adult themes