Films.Dance, International Film Series Featuring Artists from More Than 25 Countries, Premieres EDGING NORMAL, Free

Two of Los Angeles’ foremost cultural organizations—the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts—have teamed up with Chicago’s Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater to present Films.Dance, a groundbreaking new global free film series produced by and under the creative direction of LA-based Jacob Jonas The Company. Films.Dance is being made available to the public at no charge. One of the most ambitious international dance film projects ever undertaken, Films.Dance engages more than 150 artists from 52 cities in 25 countries, culminating in 15 short films that have been shot during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next film in the series, EDGING NORMAL, premieres on February 22, 2021, 9 AM (PT), and will subsequently be available on demand. Desmond Richardson, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, dances a new work choreographed by Jacob Jonas. Edging Normal is a metaphorical tale of a man’s struggle to shed his past in order to feel completely free. Directed by Andre Bato, Edging Normal features music co-composed by visionary Steve Hackman and jazz icon Dave Koz, a nine-time Grammy Award-nominated saxophonist. Director: Andre Bato Choreographer: Jacob Jonas Featuring: Desmond Richardson Composer: Dave Koz & Steve Hackman Cinematographer: Arseni Khachaturan Stylist: Tracey Nicholson Produced by: Jacob Jonas The Company Through non-traditional collaborations across cultures and continents, and led by the vision of Jacob Jonas, the worldwide series connects the perspectives of diverse artists from a range of disciplines, dance genres, abilities, and experiences. Filmed in locations ranging from Amsterdam, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, and London, to Los Angeles, New York, Nigeria, and Spain—Films.Dance exists at the intersection of dance, music, fashion, and film. Each Monday through May 3, 2021, one film will premiere for free at 9 a.m. (PT) on the Web at https://www.films.dance, on https://www.instagram.com/films.dance, and the Films.Dance Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/globalfilmseries.