Masters Series Masterclass with Dr. Jennifer Burton: A Short Film Screening and Discussion of “Tapping Into Our Past, Tapping Into Our Future, Ayodele Casel: Embodying History through Music and Movement”
Week 6 | Th | Hall of Christ | Ages 14+
Dr. Jennifer Burton
Burton is a filmmaker and helms the independent film company Five Sisters Productions. She also serves as a professor of the practice of theatre, dance and performance studies at Tufts University. Burton's films include “Origin of the Species” (a feature documentary exploring how robots are already disrupting our ethical, cultural, and social lives, directed by Abigail Child); “Kings, Queens, & In-Betweens” (a feature documentary on gender, identity, and drag), “The Happiest Day of His Life” (MTV/Logo) and “Manna From Heaven” (MGM/SONY).
Class Times
Named one of the top breakout stars of the year by the New York Times just before the pandemic, choreographer Ayodele Casel creates work inspired by the history of tap dancers who came before her. In this Masterclass, filmmaker Jennifer Burton, a Professor of the Practice at Tufts University, will screen the film she and her sisters created with Casel, the latest short film in the “Half the History” film series on women in U.S. history. Engagement with lesser-known archival images allows for expanded ideas about not only the music and movement of tap, but also how we think about history itself.
