“Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker,” produced by Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland, shines the spotlight on the next generation of Black and brown dancers at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, where Allen first met Rhimes as a dance parent before partnering on “Grey’s Anatomy.” “When we put this footage together and shared with Shonda, she called and said, ‘Debbie, I have to have this,’ and that was it,” Allen tells Variety. “I can’t say enough about Shonda, who took director Oliver Bokelberg’s work, shaped it at Netflix and has been so supportive in promoting it, loving it and giving it to the world. It’s been like a Christmas present.” Allen reflects on her dance journey throughout the film, and Variety asked the legendary entertainer to share her three favorite dance docs.
1 “Queen of Swing” (2006)
“Norma Miller — who at 15 years old was the queen of the Savoy Ballroom — came to Dada for years,...
1 “Queen of Swing” (2006)
“Norma Miller — who at 15 years old was the queen of the Savoy Ballroom — came to Dada for years,...
- 12/16/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to clue us in on who is the Queen of Jazz. It’s Ella Fitzgerald, my dear Watson, Lady Ella. William Basie began to boogie-woogie piano keys at a Harlem club catering to “uptown celebrities.” After a quick stomp through Kansas City, he came back as Count Basie. There are few true royalties among jazz, ask anyone waiting for residual checks, but as Duke Ellington made clear, these two had that thing which made them swing. Eagle Rock Entertainment is dropping two documentaries celebrating these American jazz icons: Ella Fitzgerald: Just One Of Those Things and Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes exclusively on digital formats on Sept. 11.
“Recently enjoying a hugely successful Virtual Cinema release, Ella Fitzgerald: Just One Of Those Things presents a deep, insightful look into the life of The ‘First Lady Of Song,’” according to the press statement. “Ella Fitzgerald’s journey is thoroughly explored,...
“Recently enjoying a hugely successful Virtual Cinema release, Ella Fitzgerald: Just One Of Those Things presents a deep, insightful look into the life of The ‘First Lady Of Song,’” according to the press statement. “Ella Fitzgerald’s journey is thoroughly explored,...
- 8/26/2020
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Tony Sokol Feb 13, 2020
Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things documentary paints an intimate portrait of the First Lady Of Jazz.
Ella Fitzgerald debuted at an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater in 1934. She sang Hoagy Carmichael's "Judy" and "The Object of My Affection" and won $25. She went on win 13 Grammys, sell more than 40 million albums and be proclaimed "The First Lady of Jazz." Eagle Rock Entertainment will present Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things this spring. Directed by Leslie Woodhead along with producer Reggie Nadelson, the film will be screened in select cinemas beginning April 3.
A pillar of American music history, Ella is an international icon. Her tone, delivery, and scat improvisations laid the groundwork for generations of vocalists. Just One Of Those Things presents the artist through an intimate lens, "through all of her moments of triumph and joy, delivering a clear picture of the...
Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things documentary paints an intimate portrait of the First Lady Of Jazz.
Ella Fitzgerald debuted at an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater in 1934. She sang Hoagy Carmichael's "Judy" and "The Object of My Affection" and won $25. She went on win 13 Grammys, sell more than 40 million albums and be proclaimed "The First Lady of Jazz." Eagle Rock Entertainment will present Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things this spring. Directed by Leslie Woodhead along with producer Reggie Nadelson, the film will be screened in select cinemas beginning April 3.
A pillar of American music history, Ella is an international icon. Her tone, delivery, and scat improvisations laid the groundwork for generations of vocalists. Just One Of Those Things presents the artist through an intimate lens, "through all of her moments of triumph and joy, delivering a clear picture of the...
- 2/13/2020
- Den of Geek
Alive & Kicking Magnolia Pictures Director: Susan Glatzer Cast: Mary Murphy, Norma Miller, Chester A. Whitmore, Chandrae Roettig, Evita Arce, Frankie Manning, Hilary Alexander, Stephen Sayer Screened at: Critics’ DVD, NYC, 12/15/17 Opens: April 4, 2017 This year it’s possible to watch people bumping and grinding, gyrating and flying, in full frontal and back body […]
The post Alive and Kicking Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Alive and Kicking Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/18/2017
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
"To dance with people is the way to make the world a better place." Magnolia Pictures has debuted a trailer for a documentary titled Alive and Kicking about swing dancing, from director Susan Glatzer. The film provides viewers with an intimate, insider's view into the culture of the current swing dance world while shedding light on issues facing modern society. It features performances by famous dancer Norma Miller and many other people, some of which are introduced in this trailer. From the looks of it, this seems to be an energetic and inspiring documentary that shows how powerful dance can be, encouraging us all to come together and try to improve society by moving our bodies to the music. Who doesn't enjoy dance? Jump in. Here's the trailer (+ poster) for Susan Glatzer's documentary Alive & Kicking, in high def from Apple: Alive & Kicking gives the audience an intimate, insider’s...
- 2/17/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The second best thing about this week's Nyff screening of The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music that Changed America might have been the audience -- a fire-hazard crowd of friends, family and jazz enthusiasts ready to laugh, hoot, and more than once, sing along to the music. But the first best thing was 92-year-old Norma Miller, a delightful presence both on film and live on-stage, where she joined director Jeff Kaufman for a lively but all-too brief Q&A. Nattily dressed in a black cap and sequined, sparkling jacket, the Queen of Swing spoke passionately about the power of jazz, the thrill of her days as a dancer at Harlem's legendary Savoy Ballroom and of course her love for the bandleader and drummer Chick Webb, who succumbed at age 30 from complications from tuberculosis. He died far too early for his fans but not too early to have built...
- 10/5/2012
- by Sheerly Avni
- Thompson on Hollywood
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