To say that Jen Ray is a Renaissance woman is an understatement. As the founder of Dancinema Productions Ltd., she wears many hats: on any given day, she could be hosting Dancinema workshops and festivals, working as an advisory panel member for Youth Protection Advocates in Dance, leading classes in choreography and Dancinema at a Washington, D.C., middle school, teaching at studios in the D.C. Metro area, or developing programs for young dancers with The JaM Youth Project and the guiDANCE experience.
A filmmaker herself, over the past two years Ray has shifted her focus from creating dance films to curation, education and events presentation. “I love celebrating the work being made all over the world and know my abilities to celebrate, teach and curate are what I am more interested in cultivating than my own skills producing films. With only so much time, energy and money to go around, I have found the most rewards to be when I bring ‘dancinephiles’ together to watch, discuss and connect.” The Dancinema festivals have included, most notably, Capitol Dance & Cinema Festival in the District, which is scheduled for October 2020, and Cascadia Dance & Cinema Festival in Vancouver, BC, Ray’s hometown.
Despite her busy schedule, Ray still managed to find time to discuss her dance and film background, the ways in which Dancinema and her work schedule have been affected by the current COVID-19 crisis, the switch to virtual dance education, and the importance of diversifying and remaining flexible as an artist and business entrepreneur.
Dancinema’s founder Jen Ray
Can you talk a little bit about your dance and film background and how that led to you founding Dancinema?
From a dance perspective, I was always interested in more than just performing. I liked directing, I liked costumes, I liked lighting, so I always had diverse interests related to dance.
At university, I joined the dance team but decided to take time to explore other disciplines. In that exploring, I discovered film studies, and I realized, “Oh my god, this is dance” -- and not just dance, but also the past of dance and the future of dance. With film, people want to understand camera movement and how you express your movement and express ideas through rhythmic editing; they want to show music through visuals, and that’s exactly what dance does.
I think any dancer who crosses into film is already going to have this inherent sense of timing and movement that a strictly film person might not have. Dancinema is that middle space where dance and film intersect.
We’re obviously going through a crazy, unprecedented time right now. How has COVID-19 affected you as an artist? What has been the impact on your work schedule and any current projects?
It’s funny, because I think a lot of people are immediately like, “Wow, I’ll have all this extra time,” but for me, I’m just as busy as ever -- it’s just more online than in person now. I’m grateful to still be working, but I have a lot of the same demands on me as before, and I think that’s because I was diversified to begin with.
That’s a big lesson that younger dancers, or anyone really, should take out of this. If someone’s entire focus is on training for the purposes of performing, that’s not actually a good plan for longevity, pandemic aside. There could be an injury or something else that prevents you from performing. The future will always favor people who are willing to have diverse skill sets. So I’m grateful that I have different things going on -- if something’s not going as well, I can count on the other.
Many of us have been heavily relying on video during this time as a means of communication and connection. Given that Dancinema primarily showcases dance on film, are you able to keep creating and producing work during this time?
I’m not hosting Cascadia Dance and Cinema Festival (Vancouver) this year because our regular theater is under construction. It’s my first year [since its inception in 2016] that I’m not doing it. I feel like we’re going to have fewer submissions to Capitol Dance and Cinema Festival than ever before because so many people worldwide are affected. There are projects that would be in progress right now that I know are not getting made because people aren’t able to be around each other, so that kind of collaboration has been put to a halt.
Jen Ray of Dancinema with students from her Step and Repeat dance film education program at the 2018 Dance & Cinema Festival in Vancouver, BC
I feel like we’re going to get a lot more entry-fee waiver requests this year as well, which is tough, because I want to be able to consider people’s films. But the reality of being a one-person business [rather than a bigger organization with financial support such as grants] is that every waiver that comes in is me giving away my time for free. I think it’s going to be a slower year all around for [films] being made and [films] coming in.
Do you think in the aftermath of COVID-19, more dancers will leverage video technology or incorporate film into their work? Do you think that this quarantine will actually open up any creative possibilities for the dance industry in the future?
I do think that it’s a push for everyone. We all knew that the push to virtual education has been happening, but I thought it was going to be consumer-driven and choice-driven and gradual. And what happened here is none of that [laughs]. This was completely unexpected. But I think that it’s making everyone immediately adapt while also thinking about the long term: How do we make this so it’s not just a three-week adaptation, but a program that we can build out going forward? I think there’s a clear world before this and after this.
How have the studios that you teach at adapted to the pandemic? If there’s been a switch to online programming, can you talk about what the experience of teaching virtual dance classes has been like?
Some studios are offering live streamed classes -- mostly with Zoom -- while others are developing platforms that are more like a full online program with pre-recorded materials. Everyone has different demands now. Something that’s definitely changed is what you teach. You can’t teach grand allegro; you can’t do triple pirouettes. So realistically, they’re not training to be the same athletes they were before, and you have to modify what you’re doing, space-wise and for safety. And interacting with kids on a video conference call is not like being in the studio with them at all. I don’t need to sit down at another restaurant ever again if I can get that experience back [laughs].
One thing I’m concerned about is bullying. On Zoom, we can see a little part of each other’s [private] worlds. I can’t even imagine a kid who has to clear out a space in their house that maybe they share with their brother or something. It just opens up so much more of people’s personal lives in a way, and I’m super sensitive about that for kids.
Any tips for how to stay stimulated and creative (and sane!) while we’re isolating at home?
I think the biggest thing, which is also a challenge for me, is getting away from screens and apps for a set amount of time a day. Making time and space for quiet is really important. Go outside and enjoy fresh air. And definitely find the joy in cooking; I love cooking.
If you’re someone who suddenly has more time, there are so many amazing online programs, so many books to read, so many movies to watch. Treat this like a sabbatical -- you don’t have to apply and get chosen to go to some cabin in the woods for a summer to have your retreat. This is your opportunity. And there’s a global consensus that it’s a weird and different time right now, so I think there’s an opportunity to make the most of it.
From the English National Ballet’s video “Curing Albrecht.”
What dance films do you recommend to watch online while we’re under the stay-at-home orders?
Yes! I'll suggest more uplifting, inspiring and happy ones, rather than others I also love but find more challenging. We need a boost right now! Here are some of my all-time favorites (in no particular order) and the links to watch:
Confrontation - Shannon Janet Smith & Steven Butler
Letter - Željko Božic
Ingrid Silva: The Journey - Ben Briand
Lil Buck with Icons of Modern Art - Andrew Margetson
Colorwise - The Seaweed Sisters
Curing Albrecht - Morgann Runacre-Temple & Jessica Wright, English National Ballet