The Light Fantastic (1960)
• December 18th, 1960 • 0h 23min
Documentary
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
Marius Petipa, le maître français du ballet russe
Released on: 2018-12-23
Documentary
When he arrives in Saint Petersburg, at the age of 29, Marius Petipa is just an obscure dancer who f...
In The Eyes Of A Beast
Released on: 2011-01-01
Documentary
How do humans and animals see each other? Dominique Loreau captures astonishing exchanges of “views”...
Appalachian Spring
Released on: 1958-01-01
Music, Documentary
A filmed version of Aaron Copland's most famous ballet, with its original star, who also choreograph...
N/um Tchai: The Ceremonial Dance of the !Kung Bushmen
Released on: 1969-01-01
Documentary
Tchai is the word used by Ju/'hoansi to describe getting together to dance and sing; n/um can be tra...
Tireless
Released on: 2019-02-28
Documentary
Facundo Arteaga is a malambo dancer, who has already passed the barrier of thirties. His life is div...
Merlin Nightclub: The Last Dance
Released on: 2023-02-26
Documentary
Merlin nightclub opened in 1992 in Barcelona and its medieval appearance did not leave anyone indiff...
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 ...
Son of Torum
Released on: 1989-02-05
Documentary
In the same vein as Meri's other documentations, this one takes advantage of the glasnost policy to ...
BACKSTAGE: TXT x EN-
Released on: 2022-02-15
Documentary, Music
A look behind the scenes with ‘TOMORROW x TOGETHER’ & ‘ENHYPEN’, two HYBE artists, as they prepare f...
Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan
Released on: 2017-01-11
Documentary
Documentary on the great American Ballerina Wendy Whelan
House of Trés
Released on: 1989-01-01
Documentary, Music
A quickfire portrait of the New York City ballroom scene in the ‘80s.
Cracovienne
Released on: 1893-01-01
Documentary
Actors from Warsaw's garden theatres dance a traditional Polish dance, cracovienne.
Fram – Forward
Released on: 2020-09-24
Documentary
Why do we do incredibly difficult things that have no practical application? Is there a parallel bet...
Flamenco at 5:15
Released on: 1983-01-01
Documentary, Music
In this Oscar Winning documentary short film, students in their final year at the National Ballet Sc...
Kreativ: A Study in Creativity by Alexander Ekman
Released on: 2017-01-01
Documentary
Award-winning choreographer Alexander Ekman dives into the subject of creativity by meeting scientis...