ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Set to Frédéric Chopin’s 24 Preludes for solo piano and filmed on-site at the historic Scottish Rite Theater, Stephen Mills’ Lone Star EMMY®-winning dance film, PRELUDES/BEGINNINGS, is both a reflection of the history of the theater and an acknowledgment of the challenging year experienced by all.
Whispers of the past and present come together in the dark of the Scottish Rite Theater, where it has been said that the spirits of the convalescents housed there during the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic still roam the corridors to this day. The film is centered around the tradition of a “ghost light” being placed on stage at night while the theater is empty to keep the ghosts from haunting. However, in PRELUDES/BEGINNINGS, the ghosts come out to dance through the night, returning to the rafters before dawn. Directed and edited by award-winning filmmaker, Paul Michael Bloodgood, PRELUDES/BEGINNINGS honors what has been lost while keeping hope that new beginnings are on the horizon.
Dedicated to our frontline workers, both past and present.
CONCEPT & CHOREOGRAPHY: Stephen Mills
STORY: Stephen Mills & Paul Michael Bloodgood
MUSIC: Frédéric Chopin, performed by Martha Argerich
DIRECTOR & EDITOR: Paul Michael Bloodgood
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jordan Moser
Film Stills by Paul Michael Bloodgood & Jordan Moser
All rights reserved | No unauthorized use
HIGHLIGHTS
- Choreography: Stephen Mills
- Music: Frédéric Chopin, performed by Martha Argerich
- Story: Stephen Mills & Paul Michael Bloodgood
- Executive Producers: Stephen Mills & Cookie Ruiz, C.F.R.E.
- Producers: Paul Michael Bloodgood & Jordan Moser
- Directory of Photography & Colorist: Jordan Moser
- Sound Design: Paul Michael Bloodgood
- Run-time: 48 minutes
- Dancers: 16 (7 women & 9 men)
- Awards: Lone Star EMMY®-winner in the Entertaint Category
PREMIERES
AUSTIN PBS | BALLET AUSTIN
Austin, TX – 2021 (World Premiere)
PRESS
“Wow!…M. Night Shyamalan meets Misty Copeland. Beautiful.”
Austin PBS
“Set to Chopin’s 24 Preludes, [PRELUDES/BEGINNINGS] reflects on the ghostly nature of an empty stage and considers historical parallels between the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic and the present-day coronavirus.”
Pointe Magazine
“‘PRELUDES/BEGINNINGS’ is also centered around the theatrical tradition of a ‘ghost light’ that’s placed on stage at night while the theater is empty to keep the ghosts from haunting. Shuttered Broadway venues in New York have reportedly kept ghost lights on since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In Mills’ ballet, the ghosts come out to dance returning to the rafters before dawn.”
Sightlines Magazine