The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic (1960)

December 18th, 19600h 23min

Documentary
30%

Overview

While most of Ken Russell's documentaries for the BBC's Monitor arts strand focused on a single creative figure, he would also occasionally make more wide-ranging surveys of the state of a particular art. The Light Fantastic (BBC, tx. 18/12/1960) was written and presented by Ron Hitchins, a Cockney barrow boy who has long been interested in a great many dance forms, and who has recently taken up Spanish dancing. Hitchins participates in some of the dance sequences, but his main contribution is an enthusiastic commentary that helps personalise what could have been simply a disparate collection of dance footage. He's not shy about expressing likes and dislikes, being none too keen on ballroom dancing (too choreographed), rock'n'roll (too monotonous) and Morris dancing (just doesn't like it), though anything genuinely spontaneous gets a thumbs up, even if it's a room full of people dressed in black swaying to the sound of a gong.


Make sure to check your pop-up blocker!!

Trailer

Similar Movies

Los posibles

Los posibles


Released on: 2013-04-01
Documentary

Santiago Mitre co-directs his first movement following The Student together with choreographer Onofr...

Madonna: Truth or Dare

Madonna: Truth or Dare


Released on: 1991-05-10
Music, Documentary

From the rains of Japan, through threats of arrest for 'public indecency' in Canada, and a birthday ...

A Chair Fit for an Angel

A Chair Fit for an Angel


Released on: 2014-03-01
Documentary, Music

For two hundred years, the Shakers have been America's most successful utopian society. While seekin...

Bobbi Jene

Bobbi Jene


Released on: 2017-09-22
Documentary

A love story, portraying the dilemmas and inevitable consequences of ambition. It is a film about a ...

United in Grief

United in Grief


Released on: 2023-09-22
Horror, Documentary, Drama

Suffering debilitating grief from the passing of his best friend who introduced him to the world of ...

Dance for All

Dance for All


Released on: 2007-09-22
Documentary

Walter Hus, a Musical Journey

Walter Hus, a Musical Journey


Released on: 2021-12-30
Documentary

During his thirty-year career, Walter Hus, a Belgian composer and pianist, has taken a thousand musi...

Dance on Film: BBC Introducing Arts

Dance on Film: BBC Introducing Arts


Released on: 2020-05-27
Drama, Music, Documentary

Acclaimed dancer Carlos Acosta introduces a new generation of film makers who use b-boying, ballet a...

Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed

Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed


Released on: 1994-05-13
Documentary, TV Movie

Released on DVD as part of The Criterion Collection's "Martha Graham: Dance on Film" collection.

What a Glorious Feeling: The Making of 'Singin' in the Rain'

What a Glorious Feeling: The Making of 'Singin' in the Rain'


Released on: 2002-09-24
Documentary

Movie and stage icon Debbie Reynolds hosts the making of "Singin' in the Rain". The short documentar...

No Maps on My Taps

No Maps on My Taps


Released on: 1979-10-31
Documentary

The remarkable spirit of tap dancers and their history provides a joyous backdrop for intimate portr...

Carmencita

Carmencita


Released on: 1894-03-14
Documentary

The first woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the first woman t...

Moses Pendleton Presents Moses Pendleton

Moses Pendleton Presents Moses Pendleton


Released on: 1982-06-12
Documentary

A profile on Moses Pendleton, the founder of the Pilobolus Dance Theater and MOMIX.

Out of State

Out of State


Released on: 2017-11-04
Documentary

Out of State is the unlikely story of native Hawaiians men discovering their native culture as priso...

Busby Berkeley: A Journey with a Star

Busby Berkeley: A Journey with a Star


Released on: 2007-02-20
Documentary

Profile of famed dance director Busby Berkeley's career, in particular "The Gang's All Here"

Antonio Gades, la ética de la danza

Antonio Gades, la ética de la danza


Released on: 2007-03-18
Documentary

Documentary that reconstructs the professional life of the dancer through the thread of his own voic...

Flamenco

Flamenco


Released on: 1995-06-16
Documentary, Music

The film presents thirteen rhythms of flamenco, each with song, guitar, and dance: the up-tempo bula...

The Decimation of Sanity

The Decimation of Sanity


Released on: 2021-10-25
Documentary, Comedy

A small skit-documentary hybrid, written, shot and edited all in the space of a couple of hours on t...

Discovering Dance On Film

Discovering Dance On Film


Released on: 2020-12-12
Documentary, Music

A celebration of extraordinary choreographed moments in a countdown of TOP 25 of the most memorable ...

No Voice

No Voice


Released on: 2021-05-28
Documentary

She now lives many miles away from her mother, who is waiting to hear from her. It is a bittersweet,...