Dance in Film · 1945
A Study in Choreography for Camera (1945)
Maya Deren and Talley Beatty make camera and editing an equal dance partner, carrying one continuous phrase across otherwise disconnected environments; the 1945 “choreocinema” landmark gives LODance a foundational screendance work directly linked to Legend Talley Beatty.
A Study in Choreography for Camera is a 1945 dance film centred on ballroom and social dance. For dancers, it's a chance to see the style performed on screen — the phrasing, partnering, and musicality that the same dances carry onto a real floor.
Jump to the 3 indexed dance sequences ↓
Where to watch: Available through participating-library access on Kanopy and on the official Gartenberg Media DVD Maya Deren: Dance Films; availability verified 2026-08-05.
Featured clip
An excerpt — one number from the full work.
The dance sequences in A Study in Choreography for Camera
3 sequences — what is danced, by whom, and where to find it.
Extended grand jeté finale
Ballet-inflected modern danceDanced by Talley Beatty
Beatty's final leap seems to suspend him across museum and landscape before he comes to rest.
The extended grand jeté is stretched across locations by camera movement and editing, turning a ballet-derived leap into a film-only spatial passage; no exact taxonomy key covers the overall modern-dance idiom.
Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. Film-Makers' Cooperative currently offers 16mm rental and streaming inquiry. Whitney identifies a silent three-minute edition while the Cooperative labels its three-minute copy sound; no timestamp is asserted.
Forest opening
Ballet-inflected modern danceDanced by Talley Beatty
Beatty's body appears liberated from theatrical space as the solo begins among the trees.
Beatty's disciplined ballet-inflected movement and Deren's mobile framing establish the dancer and camera as partners; the supplied taxonomy has no exact general modern-dance key.
Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. Film-Makers' Cooperative currently offers 16mm rental and streaming inquiry. Whitney identifies a silent three-minute edition while the Cooperative labels its three-minute copy sound; no timestamp is asserted.
Matched movement across forest and interiors
Ballet-inflected modern danceDanced by Talley Beatty
A single continuous action seems to cross impossible distances and unrelated rooms.
Precisely matched movement carries Beatty through forest, living room, and museum gallery without breaking the phrase, making cinematic editing part of the choreography.
Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. Film-Makers' Cooperative currently offers 16mm rental and streaming inquiry. Whitney identifies a silent three-minute edition while the Cooperative labels its three-minute copy sound; no timestamp is asserted.
Poster artwork and title data from TMDB. This site uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.