Dance Swine Dance

Dance Swine Dance
FREE
Friday, 30 September, 2016 to Saturday, 29 October, 2016

Matt Stokes

'Dance Swine Dance' continues artist Matt Stokes’ investigation of the social and visual codes of specific subcultures, in this instance revealing a series of recognisable dance styles freed from the constraints of music.

The film depicts an anonymous cartoon character modelled on a hybrid of fashions associated with distinctive modern music and dance cultures, dating from the early 1900s to the present day. The animated character energetically flits through a succession of moves that epitomise the represented dance genres, subtly highlighting threads between each. The film is silent, and it is the dancer’s shifts in movement and expression that evidence the escapism and enjoyment of his actions.

Commissioned by Gateshead Council (UK) and produced by Animate Projects (UK).