Hybrid Cinema Screens JOFFREY Documentary Beginning Today

Hybrid Cinema's New York premiere of the feature length documentary Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance will scren at New York's Cinema Village tonight, Friday, April 27, 2012 for a one week engagement with regular show times. The premiere weekend will include several engaging Q & As with the filmmakers and others immediately following the screenings. 

The film had its world premiere in NYC in late January, at the Lincoln Center Dance on Camera Festival and is currently touring the US with stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, and other cities.  It will premiere on VOD/DVD/digital release in June of 2012 through New Video.

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, directed by Bob Hercules, is the first film to chronicle how the legendary Joffrey Balletrevolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet at a time when it was not routinely accepted. This insightful documentary, executive produced by Harold Ramis and Jay Alix and produced by Una Jackman and Erica Mann Ramis, examines the dynamic trajectory of the groundbreaking company by weaving a wealth of archival footage, behind-the-scene photos and interviews with former and current Joffrey star dancers.

Director Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man) documents the struggles and achievements of the Joffrey from its newfound beginnings in 1956 to the Company's present international success. The film features rare excerpts from many seminal Joffrey works including Astarte, Trinity and Billboards, as well as its breakthrough collaborations with choreographers Twyla Tharp, Leonid Massine, Laura Dean, andKurt Jooss. Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and a host of ballet notables, including Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more are featured in the film. Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin, the film is a rich chronicle of a ballet company that continues to reinvent itself, raise the bar and invigorate audiences worldwide.