Five things that curating a dance film festival has taught me in the last 6 years

Written By Nicole Spring

Originally Published on Sep 20th, 2023 at www.nicolespring.art

I feel deeply, I always have. Something about the combination of movement and music on screen makes my heart leap out of my chest with excitement. When I discovered screendance in my early 20s I was elated… I can combine all of my passions into one medium and film festivals are dedicated to it?!

I ended up starting my own film festival in 2017. Like most things I do, it was on an impulse, a whim, an instinct that I had… fast forward… I’ve been a curator of dance films for over 6 years. I think that I’ve watched close to 1,000 films! Sharing the art of others gives me a sense of purpose and joy that I find extremely fulfilling. With my background in both film and dance, my approach to curating always comes from a place of compassion as I know how much heart, work, and most of all funds go into these short dance films.

Here are 5 things that curating a dance film festival has taught me.

There is no such thing as a perfect film.
If your film just touches one person, your job is done.
Art is subjective.
You can learn a lot about the state of humanity by paying attention to underlying themes.
You can find beauty in almost anything.