• Docurama Films Releases
    Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
    On DVD/Digital
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012

    Feature-Length Documentary About America’s Cultural Treasure
    Narrated by Mandy Patinkin
    Bonus Features Include Full Dress Rehearsal of “The Green Table”

    NEW YORK, NY – May 11, 2012 – Docurama Films is pleased to announce that Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, a feature-length documentary, directed by Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man), will debut on DVD and standard digital platforms on June 12, 2012, following a festival premiere and nationwide theatrical release.

    The 2012 film chronicles the legendary Joffrey Ballet from its humble beginnings touring the country in a borrowed station wagon to becoming one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies.  Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin, the documentary takes a look at this groundbreaking cultural treasure, known as the first truly American dance company.  Included on the single DVD is the 82-minute documentary film; a 12-page collectible booklet; full dress rehearsal of The Green Table ballet; “making of” featurette; deleted scenes (including one on the making of Robert Altman’s film The Company); French, Spanish and German subtitles.  Retail price is $29.95 (UPC: 7-67685-27078-3; ISBN: 1-4229-1886-6).  For more information, please visit www.newvideo.com/docurama/joffrey-american-dance and www.joffreymovie.com.

    Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, is the first film to tell the story of how the Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet at a time when it was not routinely accepted. The Company broke other barriers too by accepting and cultivating a diverse group of talented dancers regardless of race and body type, by resurrecting nearly lost early 20th Century masterpieces, and by commissioning daring new works by cutting edge choreographers.

    This insightful documentary, executive produced by Harold Ramis and Jay Alix and produced by Una Jackman and Erica Mann Ramis, examines the dynamic trajectory of the groundbreaking company by weaving a wealth of archival footage, behind-the-scene photos and interviews with former and current Joffrey star dancers. It documents the struggles and achievements of the Joffrey from its newfound beginnings in 1956 to the Company’s present international success. The film features rare excerpts from many seminal Joffrey works including Astarte, Trinity and Billboards, as well as its breakthrough collaborations with choreographers Twyla Tharp, Leonid Massine, Laura Dean, and Kurt Jooss.  Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and a host of ballet notables, including Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more are featured in the film. The film is a rich chronicle of a ballet company that continues to reinvent itself, raise the bar and invigorate audiences worldwide.  See list of full credits at www.imdb.com/title/tt1829041/fullcredits.

     “A compelling film– a thrilling, touching and turbulent account – must be seen.” -Tony Frankel, Stage and Cinema

    The film had its world premiere in NYC in late January 2012 at the Dance on Camera festival held at Lincoln Center. It is currently touring the US with stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, and many other cities (see updates at www.joffreymovie.com/screenings).

    Multimedia – The Expanded Joffrey Story –
    Hybrid Cinema is also releasing multimedia companion projects with exclusive content for fans wishing to further explore the Joffrey legend beyond the film.  There is a series of digital photobooks called Joffrey Maverick Moments.  Each new edition will be available for free from the film’s website and Facebook page.  The digital photobooks are based on themes and time frames found in the film such as Joffrey’s Nutcracker, the psychedelic rock ballet Astarte, Arpino’s most well regarded ballets (The Clowns, Trinity, Olympics, Round of Angels, Light Rain), and more with rare photos accompanied by quotes from Robert Joffrey, his friends and associates, as well as alumni interviews that provide further insight and background into the Company.  Hybrid Cinema also has started releasing a series of audio podcasts with exclusive new interviews of Joffrey alumni.  These podcasts are available on the film’s website.  The multimedia companion projects will be released leading up to the DVD release in June.  Regular content, including film clips, bonus outtakes, and blog articles, is also available on the film’s website and YouTube channel.

    Director Bob Hercules –
    Bob Hercules is an award-winning veteran producer/director (Forgiving Dr. Mengele, Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, Senator Obama Goes to Africa).  The co-founder of Media Process Group, his work has been seen widely on PBS, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and the Independent Film Channel (IFC). He has also directed commercials for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Alzheimer’s Association, McDonald’s Corporation, Gap Clothing Stores and the Obama For President Campaign.  His documentary, A Good Man, co-directed by Gordon Quinn, chronicles the intense creative journey of Bill T. Jones – a 2010 Kennedy Center Honors recipient and two-time Tony® Award winner for Best Choreography.  It premiered on November 11, 2011 on PBS’ celebrated series American Masters.

    The Joffrey Ballet –
    For more than a half-century, The Joffrey Ballet’s commitment to taking world-class, artistically vibrant work to a broad and varied audience has created a solid foundation that continues to support the Company’s unprecedented capacity for achieving important “firsts.” Today, the Joffrey, which has been hugely successful in its former residences in New York and Los Angeles, lives permanently in a brilliant new facility, Joffrey Tower, in the heart of America – Chicago, Illinois. The Company’s commitment to accessibility is met through the most extensive touring schedule of any dance company in history, an innovative and highly effective education program including the much lauded Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, and collaborations with myriad other visual and performing arts organizations.

    Co-founded in 1956 by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey and dancer Gerald Arpino, who would become the organization’s principal choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet began as a DIY dance company of six dancers touring the United States in a borrowed station wagon. What started as a childhood dream quickly grew into one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies. Together, Joffrey and Arpino transformed the face of dance by merging classical ballet technique with bold new perspectives for edgy new ballets that challenged conventions. Aggressive touring took the Company from school auditoriums across America’s Heartland, to the White House at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation, on to Russia for a month-long tour during the height of the Cold War, and beyond.  They also garnered extensive media attention for their daring originality, which included appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, the cover of TIME magazine, and in major motion pictures such as Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman’s The Company (which is based on the Joffrey).

    Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly reflecting the diversity of America with its Company, audiences and repertoire, which includes major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces, and contemporary works. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under internationally renowned Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater and Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway. The Joffrey Ballet has become one of the most revered and recognizable arts organizations in America and one of the top dance companies in the world. To learn more, please visit joffrey.org.

    Hybrid Cinema –
    Hybrid Cinema was created by filmmaker and author Jon Reiss (Think Outside the Box Office, Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul) to help filmmakers navigate the ever-changing world of film distribution and marketing. Hybrid Cinema consults with filmmakers to help them with the new digital era of distribution and marketing by utilizing modern strategies of audience engagement, special theatrical events, as well as innovative merchandising and release patterns. Hybrid Cinema also supervises film releases. Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance is Hybrid’s second full release of a film following the graffiti documentary Bomb It. Indicative of the innovative release and audience engagement strategies used by Hybrid, the Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance release marks the first time that a film has simulcast its film festival world premiere throughout cinemas in the U.S. as the launch of its theatrical release.  Hybrid Cinema orchestrated this pioneering release strategy by, among other things, bringing the participating organizations together for these milestone premiere events.  For more information on Hybrid Cinema, please visit www.hybridcinema.com.

    About Docurama Films –
    In 1999, New Video launched Docurama Films® with the first feature documentary ever available on DVD: D.A. Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan: Don’t Look Back. Twelve years and 300 award-winning, highly-acclaimed titles later, Docurama continues to discover and release the greatest non-fiction films of our time while spreading the word about filmmakers who are taking the form to new heights.  Docurama’s catalog features topics including the performing and visual arts, history, politics, the environment, ethnic and gender interests, and all-time favorites including The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, Andy Goldsworthy: Rivers and Tides and King Corn. Recent titles include Oscar®-nominated films GasLand and Hell and Back Again. www.docuramafilms.com

    Key Links –
    – Official Movie Site – www.joffreymovie.com
    – DVD – www.newvideo.com/docurama/joffrey-american-dance
    – Amazon DVD Preorders – www.amazon.com/Joffrey-Mavericks-American-Sasha-Anawalt/dp/B0071BY1HE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334860883&sr=8-1
    – YouTube Channel – www.youtube.com/user/JoffreyMovie
    – Facebook – www.facebook.com/JoffreyBalletMovie
    – Twitter – twitter.com/#!/JoffreyMovie
    – Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/joffreymovie
    – Joffrey Ballet Site – joffrey.org

    # # #

    For more information, or to request screeners, images, and interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

    Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance

    US Retail Price: $29.95
    DVD Release date: 6/12/2012
    Distributor: Docurama Films
    Configuration: DVD Single
    Run Time: 82 min + extras
    UPC: 7-67685-27078-3
    ISBN: 1-4229-1886-6
    DVD Catalog #: NNVG270780
    Closed caption: Yes
    Subtitles: French, Spanish & German
    Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
    Country: USA
    Language: English
    Color: Color
    Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

    Director: Bob Hercules
    Narrator: Mandy Patinkin

    Cast: Kevin McKenzie, Helgi Tomasson, Lar Lubovitch, Ashley C. Wheater, Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Anna Kisselgoff, Adam Sklute, Christian Holder, Dermot Burke, Paul Sutherland, Francoise Martinet, Bruinilda Ruiz, Jonathan Watts, Dianne Consoer, Charthel Arthur, Maia Wilkins, Fabrice Calmels, Sasha Anawalt, Hedy Weiss

    Crew: Mark Bandy (music composer), Melissa Sterne (editor), Michael Swanson (director of photography), Keith Walker (director of photography), Jay Alix (executive producer), Harold Ramis (executive producer), Una Jackman (producer), Erica Mann Ramis (producer), Bob Hercules (writer)

    New Video: www.newvideo.com/docurama/joffrey-american-dance
    Amazon Preorders: www.amazon.com/Joffrey-Mavericks-American-Sasha-Anawalt/dp/B0071BY1HE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334860883&sr=8-1

    click for view trailer

    Center Photo Caption & Credit:
    Gerald Arpino’s “Light Rain” – Photo credit: Herbert Migdoll
    Center Graphic Caption & Credit:
    DVD Cover Art – Credit: Rafael Picco

    Posted on May 11th, 2012 lynn-hasty No comments

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