The Spirit Moves: 3 DVD Set

A History of Black Social Dance on Film, 1900-1986

Buy both DVDs for a discount package price!

Includes the following:
Part 1: Jazz Dance from the Turn of the Century to 1950
Part 2: Savoy Ballroom of Harlem, 1950's
Part 3: Postwar Era, 1950s-1980s

Buy both DVDs as a package or select an individual title.

For more information and video previews of each title, follow the links above.

Reviews

THE SPIRIT MOVES
"A seminal appreciation of the evolution of African-American dance in urban America, The Spirit Moves Parts,1,2, & 3 is a must-have for any serious American dance history DVD collection."
The Midwest Book Review

THE SPIRIT MOVES: A History Of Black Social Dance On Film 1900-1986
... Mura Dehn - the dancer - freely admitted, "it was so tremendously effortful to swallow the rhythmic pill." However, she knew instantly that this remarkable scene had to be documented: "So, I sacrificed my career to promote the tidal wave of black jazz, to film the greatest dancers of the Savoy… My contribution is to have assembled and preserved these dances as presented by their greatest exponents." And for that, we have to give thanks!
… such a buzz! Overall we get an incredible document that delivers both the dance styles and a living record of the men and women who forged those styles into an improvisational art form. 
...these DVDs are not cheap but they are essential viewing. This is our history. If you’ve danced to jazz or funk or house you have participated in that cultural continuum. Over 20 years have elapsed since Mura Dehn passed away and fortunately The Spirit Moves has been rescued from obscurity and cult status. I’ll leave the final word to the critic of the Village Voice who reviewed the film when it was premiered at the Public Theatre in NYC: “Jazz dance, like jazz music, is one of America's major contributions to world culture, and if you haven't seen the film, then you have been cheated of your own dance history.”
Paul Bradshaw/mondomix.com/

THE SPIRIT MOVES
"The dancing is often spectacular...a remarkable record of vernacular dance."
Ballet Review