Silent Films: Defining Organics in Dance
When I was looking for a video I was specifically looking for something that dealt with observation of science, like a sample trial. After going through loc.gov for about 10 or 15 minutes I saw a particular set of frames from a video that had me stop to marvel it. Im glad I chose this short silent film.
Crissie Sheridan (1897)
The organic intensity is what kept me enthralled in this film. The way the dancer Crissie Sheridan twirls the sides of her dress provides a 3D amorphous sense of movement on a 2D plane.
Literally you are looking at a women doing various dance routines while maintaining a field between the camera lens. When you actually read the film you are captured by the beautiful organic motion of a dancer. The lighting forces the focus of the woman and her white dress against the black background which out the dancer in the center eye.
The brilliant movement, the active hand motion, and the wave-nature of the dress push the boundaries of the world of visual arts towards the organic value of life.
