Series: New Television
Program: New Television
Episode: 510
Date: 1987-01-01
Subject: Modern dance
People: Fleming, Donald; McMahon, Jeff; Zambrano, David
Copyright Holder: Jeff McMahon

Clip Description
"A celebration of busy movement performed by male dancers jumping, stretching, bumping, and sliding across Venezuela's beaches." -- WGBH press release

In this duet, two men perform spirited partnering phrases against an oceanside background. Repeatedly, the two are seen lying together in a thin bed, lending an air of eroticism to the work.Black-and-white sequences and still photographs are juxtaposed against the vibrant colors of most of the piece. The score by Charles Nieland features rhythmic electronic music, which incorporates a sound like the crashing of a wave, emphasizing the ocean setting. The performers sport colorful summer clothing with primary colors of red and yellow. Directed by Jeff McMahin, the work is just over 12 minutes in length.

Program Description
This episode of "New Television," dedicated to modern dance, features "Cross Body Ride" by Jeff McMahon, "To Dancers" by Bridget Murnane, and "Hazardous Hootenanny" by Charles Moulton.

In Jeff McMahon's "Cross Body Ride" two male dancers perform spirited partnering phrases set against the ocean in Venezuela. Copyright: Jeff McMahon.

"To Dancers," by Bridget Murnane, features solo performances by dancers Susan Rose and Louise Burns, set against an incessant beat and glowing red backdrop. Copyright: Bridget Murnane.

Charles Moulton's "Hazardous Hootenanny" is a fast-paced work featuring members of the Concert Dance Company. Charles Moulton.

Series Description
The New Television Workshop originated at WGBH, a public broadcasting station in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1974 to support the creation and development of experimental video art. This experimental programming included dance, drama, music, performance and visual arts on video and film. As early as 1968, WGBH was committed to the development of video art through residency programs, with artists such as Nam June Paik, and the "Rockefeller Artists-in-Television" project. Many of these early works (pre-1974) were broadcast both locally and nationally.

As an umbrella for arts related programming, the Workshop included "Artist's Showcase, " "Frames of Reference, " "Dance for Camera, " "Poetry Breaks," and "New Television," as well as acquired arts programming. Individual works were created for "Visions," a series produced by WNET (New York), and "Alive From Off Center," a series produced by KTCA (St. Paul - Minneapolis). The Contemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund was co-founded by the Workshop and Boston's Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) in the 1980's, to commission works by video artists. In 1993 the Workshop ceased production at WGBH.

See also: http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/NTW/FA/TITLES/Cross124.HTML