Can a Dance Class Free Men’s Bodies in a Place Meant to Contain Them?
An arts program in a California state facility disproves the idea that “nobody dances in prison,” encouraging inmates to channel their lives and emotions into movement.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/07/arts/dance/dance-class-california-prisons.html
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For this article, Brian Seibert attended classes at the California Institution for Men in Chino, Calif., and California State Prison, Los Angeles County, in Lancaster, Calif. He interviewed more than 20 participants and instructors over nearly three years.
June 7, 2023
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A Dance Critic Visits an Extraordinary Stage
Performing rudimentary moves, inmates in the California state prison system were uncommonly open with their stories.
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Brian Seibert is a dance critic for The New York Times.
June 23, 2023
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A Montpellier, Manuela Dalle filme la danse libérer les corps des détenus
Jeudi 22 juin 2023
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Rencontre avec la cinéaste et sociologue Manuela Dalle. Diplômée de sciences politiques et de sciences sociales, son cinéma prolonge ses recherches et s'intéresse aux processus de création. Avec "Dancing in A-Yard" elle montre la puissance subversive de la danse en milieu carcéral.
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On My Mind
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Still from “Dancing in A-Yard,” a documentary by Manuela Dalle that follows 10 men in the California prison system participating in a dance class to find hope and a form of expression.
BY STEVEN VARGAS,
LOS ANGELES TIMES
JAN. 24, 2024 11 AM PT
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On Saturday, I attended a screening of Manuela Dalle’s “Dancing in A-Yard” at MOCA Grand. The feature documentary follows 10 men in the California prison system participating in a dance program in partnership with CalArts. At the core of the film is the theme of humanity. Layer by layer, the documentary peels back where the men grew up, their familial backgrounds and the circumstances that led them to prison. We see how dance allows them to open up, find joy and break down the mask of masculinity they had adopted to survive. “Dancing in A-Yard” is a beautiful reminder of the power of dance. As the men break out of their shells and create a piece with the help of choreographer Dimitri Chamblas, they reflect on how they have a voice and deserve more than what life handed them.
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