Segments in this Video

Healing Through Movement (05:03)

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Ordinary people with life-threatening illnesses provide insights into their pain, fear, and feelings about death. Jones translates their expressive movements into choreographed dance moves performed by professionals. He "evokes the spirit of survival."

Healing Power of Dance (04:25)

The American premier of Jones' most ambitious dance project in 1994 is a landmark of 20th-century dance. Jones travels the country, giving workshops for people with cancer or other terminal illnesses. Their interviews and actions become Bill T. Jones’ “Still/ Here."

Workshops for Healing (05:14)

In his workshops, Jones teaches participants to trust him and each other. His workshops are "about moving and talking about death." Using individual gestures, participants express how they view themselves and their illnesses.

Movement and Healing (05:39)

Jones demonstrates a series of gestures that express his ecstatic moments early in his life of dance. His belief that movement is liberating spurs Jones to liberate terminally ill patients from their despair and hopelessness.

Expression of Life's Journey (07:22)

Workshop participants draw impressionist maps of their lives and then walk the journey of their lives up until their deaths. Participants appear to be dancing through their lives, and they freely talk about the discovery of their illness and the details of the ends of their lives.

Life of Bill T. Jones in Movement and Gesture (07:17)

Jones demonstrates what it looks like to walk through his life story, using movements and gestures to mark significant events and feelings, such as his discovery of his homosexuality, the death of his partner, and his own HIV diagnosis.

Dance Rehearsal (04:43)

Jones rehearses his professional troupe to perform the stories and movements of his workshop participants. Jones is faithful to the expressions and movements of people who are terminally ill. Jones makes "the poems" of life's meanings.

Giving and Receiving Trust (04:14)

Survival workshop participants experience trusting others and receiving trust from others as they experience attention and loneliness in a group setting. Jones talks about what he learns about his own life and death from his workshop participants.

Life Choices (04:51)

Jones wants the force and impact of his dance performances to change people's lives. The diagnosis of a terminal illness affords one the opportunity to make crucial choices in life, especially about living in each moment without distractions.

Spirit of Survival (04:25)

A terminally ill woman dances a "joy dance" that emanates from her soul. In this segment, images from survival workshops are artfully juxtaposed with images of Jones's "Still/Here" stage performances.

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Bill T. Jones: Still/Here


DVD Price: $99.95
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3-Year Streaming Price: $99.95

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Description

What is it like to live with a life-threatening illness? Can fear, anger, and joy be translated into movement? In this program, journalist Bill Moyers and filmmaker David Grubin give viewers a rare glimpse into dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones’s highly acclaimed dance, "Still/Here." At workshops around the country, people facing life-threatening illnesses are asked to remember the highs and lows of their lives, and even imagine their own deaths. They then transform their feelings into expressive movement, which Jones incorporates into the dance performed later in the program. Jones demonstrates for Moyers the movements of his own life story—his first encounter with white people, confusion over his sexuality, his partner Arnie Zane’s untimely death from AIDS, and Jones’s own HIV status. "My job," Jones tells Moyers, "is to evoke the spirit of survival." (57 minutes)

Length: 57 minutes

Item#: BVL6802

ISBN: 978-1-4213-5252-7

Copyright date: ©1997

Closed Captioned

Reviews & Awards

"Innovative testament to the healing power of art. This behind-the-scenes look at artistic inspiration should interest dance students and aficionados."—Booklist

Performance Rights

Prices include public performance rights.

Not available to Home Video customers.

Only available in USA and Canada.


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