DANZ QUARTERLY No 5 September 2006

Seismos – art, dance and ritual

By Catherine Pattison

DANIEL Belton's latest film Seismos combines elements of art, dance and ritual, showcased by three dancers aged 15 years apart.

Acclaimed dancer Kilda Northcott (51), Belton's wife Donnine Harrison (36) and New Zealand School of Dance student Sophie Ryan (21) were filmed over 10 days recently by Dunedin digital artist and cameraman Jac Grenfell. Harrison, who has danced professionally in London, said the age range added depth to the footage, "I found it fascinating to see what our bodies could do."

Seismos is Greek for tremor and Belton played on this sense of movement to celebrate feminine qualities, touching on birth, "the idea of shelter and the concept of creation through the movement of tremors," he said. "It's an art film and a dance film, which has some quite ritualistic elements."

Northcott last danced with Belton in a Douglas Wright production in the 1990s. He described her as a "national treasure", who is "spellbinding" to watch. "She's always had a powerful presence and apart from being an amazing performer, she is a very gifted dancer."

A third year modern dance major, Ryan has been a student of Belton's during his annual teaching stints at the New Zealand School of Dance. He and Harrison are both graduates of the school and being able to employ the students under their Good Company Arts banner was a fulfilling reciprocation. "It's really rewarding as a teacher, as you see these young people grow and develop as dancers," Belton said.

The film is about 25 minutes long and was mostly shot in a studio, except for the final scene, which was filmed at the Moeraki Boulders (40 minutes north of Dunedin), to "lock it into the local scenography."

Grenfell, a regular Good Company Arts recruit, will add in animation during the post-production work. Belton enjoys engaging the city's talent, utilising Dunedin designer Juliet Fay's costumes for the fifth time in his projects.

Supported by the Screen Innovation Production Fund, Community Trust of Otago and the Dunedin City Council, Seismos also involves sculptural works, and visual and audio design by local artists. It will screen with some of Belton's other productions, including a film version of Soma Songs in the Otago Festival of the Arts in October, Auckland's Tempo Festival, the Body Festival in Christchurch and Dance Your Socks Off in Wellington.

A pacy three and a half minute version of Belton's earlier film Game has been selected to screen at the Ultima Film - Dance for Camera event in Norway. Meanwhile its sequel Reset has been selected for the Kawasaki Digital Short Film Festival in Japan.

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