Michael Blackwood

A day spent with Elizabeth Streb reveals the extraordinary possibilities of dance. The dancers almost continually bounce, jump, fly; rarely do they have their feet on the ground. For Streb, action is the message. "The sound of bodies on impact helps bridge the distance from the proscenium stage to the audience seated in their chairs. They come along with us on the ride and interpret what they see for themselves. My intention is to involve them and move them." Streb explains her philosophy. (michaelblackwoodproductions.com)

A documentary on abstraction, that most quintessentially modernist innovation. One more quotable style to critics, or an elitist or hermetic language to unfamiliar audiences, in the end abstraction is a creative path for contemporary artists of all generations, many embracing it as the most inclusive and fundamentally resonant of artistic languages. (Michael Blackwood)

After just completing Einstein on the Beach and Satyagraha, the film follows Philip Glass composing his third opera, Akhnaten, which was being commissioned by the Stuttgart Opera and the Houston Grand Opera simultaneously. Filmed in Germany, The United States, Egypt and India, the film offers a behind-the-scenes look into the inspiration, development, and production of an opera of this magnitude. (imdb)

Made in 1980, this film explores the contemporary dance scene through the work of seven New York-based choreographers. They discuss the nature of dance and the evolution of their own work. Filmed at rehearsals, performances, and during interviews, the film is a unique primary source. (Michael Blackwood)

The Sensual Nature of Sound portrays four New York based composers and performers in terms of their musical lives and artistic passion. Though Laurie Anderson, Tania Leon, Meredith Monk and Pauline Oliveros are all pioneers in American music, each composer pursues a distinct direction of her own. Their rehearsals and performances show a common pursuit of lyrical storytelling through which a new set of contemporary narratives has been forged. (Michael Blackwood Productions)