NY Export: Opus Jazz
Jazz on Film
•
1h 0m
Directed by Jody Lee Lipes & Henry Joost • Documentary • 2010 • 60 minutes
In 1958, Jerome Robbins’ “ballet in sneakers,” NY Export: Opus Jazz, became a smash hit when it was broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show and toured around the world. Set to an evocative jazz score by Robert Prince, the dance told the story of disaffected urban youth through movement that blended ballet, jazz and ballroom dancing. Now, the work comes full circle in this vibrant scripted film adaptation, the first film to return Jerome Robbins' choreography to the city that inspired it since the movie version of West Side Story. Shot on location in New York City and featuring an ensemble cast of New York City Ballet dancers, NY Export: Opus Jazz re-imagines the original ballet for a whole new generation. Along with the dance film is a documentary where dance luminaries speak to the extraordinary history of the piece, while stylized screen tests of the cast of young New York City Ballet dancers reveal the enduring significance and appeal of the ballet. NY Export: Opus Jazz aired nationally on PBS' Great Performances series and was nominated for the Rose d'Or Award.
"This film is just about the purest, sexiest thing going on in ballet.” —New York Magazine
Up Next in Jazz on Film
-
Oscar
Directed by Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre • Animation • 2016 • 12 minutes
Brilliantly mixing animated sequences and archival footage, Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre paints a touching portrait of virtuoso pianist Oscar Peterson. As with her previous films (McLaren's Negative and Jutra), Saint-Pierre pursues...
-
Ronnie's
Directed by Oliver Murray • Documentary • With Ronnie Scott, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimi Hendrix, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Van Morrison, Chet Baker, Quincy Jones • 2020 • 102 minutes
Ronnie’s chronicles the life of saxophonist Ronnie Scott, a poor, Jewish kid growing up in 1940s East End, London ...
-
No Ordinary Man
Directed by Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt • Documentary • With Susan Stryker, Stephan Pennington, Billy Tipton Jr. • 2020 • 80 minutes
American jazz musician Billy Tipton developed a reputable touring and recording career in the mid-twentieth century, along with his band The Billy Tipton Trio. A...
