Bill T. Jones Movies
The extraordinarily diverse and accomplished Bill T. Jones held sway, over the course of his lengthy career, as one of the foremost choreographers, dancers, and dance company artistic directors to emerge from the U.S. A graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, Jones began his career by forming a globally touring, two-man dance/choreographer team with his partner, the late Arnie Zane; the two then co-founded the Bill T. Jones-Arnie Zane Dance Company in 1982, six years before Zane's death. Over the years, Jones choreographed in excess of 100 works for his own company, and also choreographed dances for such institutions as the Boston Ballet, the Lyon Opera Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Diversions Dance Company. His honors include a 1994 MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant; the Choreographic Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1980, 1981, and 1982; the 2005 Wexner Prize; the 2006 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreography for The Seven; and many other awards and laurels. Filmically, the majority of Jones's on-camera appearances consist of dance-themed releases that he choreographed and/or participated in. These include: Black is. . . Black Ain't (1994), Bill T. Jones: Still/Here (1997), and Oliver Button is a Star (2002). In 2007, Jones participated as an interviewee in the documentary The Universe of Keith Haring. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 2008
Directed by filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and produced by journalist Elvis Mitchell, this collaborative documentary offers an informative collection of portraits of twenty influential African Americans ranging from powerful CEOs to prolific artists, well-known politicians, and dedicated activists. Artist Bill T. Jones discusses the reaction of his contemporaries after he described himself as an artist first and a black man second, Chris Rock describes how equality in sports didn't come about until there were bad black athletes in the major leagues, and Vernon Jordan ponders the reason why there is a clear definition of black America while white America remains a vague, undefined standard. Other conversations find Academy Award-winning actor Lou Gossett Jr. discussing institutionalized racism and its effect on his onscreen career, museum curator Thelma Golden reflecting on the times when people mistakenly assumed she was her own assistant, and, by contrast, the manner in which author Toni Morrison was encouraged as a young girl to believe that women can be just as strong as men. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Mitchell
- 2001
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In the wake of the devastating national tragedy of September 11, 2001, a stunned America was forever changed. Realizing the importance of a national dialogue in understanding the cause for the terrorist attacks and planting the seeds that would begin the long and painful healing process, award-winning journalist Bill Moyers sat down with a diverse group of key experts to discuss the sensitive issue a mere 36 hours after the fall of the World Trade Center. Through conversation with such guests as authors Robert Jay Lifton and Tamim Ansary, Moyers captures a nations grief and hope while simultaneously creating an unforgettable snapshot of a key moment in world history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
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A legend in American modern dance, Bill T. Jones hosts this behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of his epic masterpiece "Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/The Promised Land." Focusing on the rehearsals and performance of the famed dance piece and featuring personal interviews with Jones, this documentary gives viewers insight into the creative process of Jones and his dance company. Viewers should be warned that part of the dance performance includes nudity. Bill T. Jones: Dancing to the Promised Land has won multiple awards, including the Gold Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. ~ Dana Rowader, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill T. Jones, Arnie Zane Dance Company, (more)
- 1994
This documentary by filmmaker Marlon Riggs explores issues of black cultural identity in America, intermixing footage of performers like poet Essex Hemphill and choreographer Bill T. Jones with insight and analysis by prominent voices in culture, race relations, and media such as Angela Davis, Bell Hooks, and Cornel West. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this documentary, nine "postmodern" American choreographers examine modern dance and find that its movement vocabulary is inadequate to express their inner vision. Each gives some autobiographical exposition of their evolution as dancers and choreographers. No pontificating experts or dance historians mar the simple premise of this surprisingly revealing film, and reviewers were unusually positive in their comments about it, despite the obscure subject matter. Among the artists appearing are Bill T. Jones, Jim Self, Molissa Fenley, Diane Martel, Stephen Petronio, Wendy Perron, Blondell Cummings, Johanna Boyce and Arnie Zane. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Martel
