Retracing Steps: American Dance Since Postmodernism

1988 / 89 min. / color
Directed by Michael Blackwood

Stephen Petronio, Molissa Fenley, Diane Martel, Wendy Perron, Blondell Cummings, Jim Self, Johanna Boyce, and Bill T. Jones and Arne Zane. Curated by Sally Banes. Narrated by the choreographers.

Retracing Steps: American Dance Since Postmodernism takes a closer look at the new wave of dance burgeoning in the late 1980’s. While many of the choreographers followed in the film avoid being characterized by a specific movement, the artists share a love for freedom of expression and the avant garde. Rejecting prior notions of dance and structure, daring choreographers such as Blondell Cummings, Bill T. Jones and Diane Martel create a unique performance art, working with sequences that merge sound, image, dialogue and movement. The nine choreographers featured in Retracing Steps eloquently illustrate the eclecticism found in American dance. Made in 1988, Retracing Steps mirrors the best of the New York dance scene.