G.O.D.S Black History Month Project Film Screening - Syvilla & The Spirit Moves

Syvilla: They Dance to Her Drum
Dir. Ayoka Chenzira, USA 1979, 30m.

Syvilla: They Dance To Her Drum is a documentary film portraying the life of first-generation African-American concert dancer, Syvilla Fort, whose enormous contributions to the performing arts, and her significance as a teacher, left an indelible print on successive generations of Black dance-artists. She combined African, Caribbean and American rhythms to create her own style of choreography that has had a great influence on modern dance companies today. Including footage of her studio work and explorations of racial tension in her communities, the film conveys what a vital force Syvilla Fort was to the dance movement, and to the history of women who, like her, were written into obscurity.

The Spirit Moves
Dir. Mura Dehn, USA 1987, 45m.

The Spirit Moves: A History of Black Social Dance on Film, 1900–1986 is a documentary film chronicling the evolution of African-American social dance throughout most of the 20th Century. This remarkable archival film consists of studio demonstrations of authentic jazz dance forms by artists from the Savoy Ballroom of Harlem. The documentary includes rare archival footage shot over the course of thirty years. The film focuses on Ragtime dances such as the Strut and Cakewalk, as well as Jazztime styles like the Charleston and the Jazz steps of the 1930s (e.g. Susie Q, Black Bottom, Shimmy). It then moves into Blues, featuring examples of the Rent Party, Shake Blues, and Gutbucket styles, ending with practice sessions inside the Savoy: Trunky Doo, Big Apple, and Aerial Lindy are some of the styles demonstrated.

For the month of October, Glasgow Open Dance School (G.O.D.S) is hosting an exciting programme of events for Black History Month: an annual celebration of people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Through a series of one off dance workshops and film screenings, we will explore a selection of the inspirational origins and developments of black dance styles. From Vodou to 'Thriller', we invite you to MOVE through history with us!