Documentary backdrop image for If the Dancer Dances (2019)

Documentary backdrop image for If the Dancer Dances (2019)

201990 minGdocumentary

If the Dancer Dances

201990 minGdocumentary

Filmmaker Maia Wechsler follows choreographer Stephen Petronio as he prepares dancers to restage the 1968 production of "RainForest."

Genres

Director

Synopsis

Filmmaker Maia Wechsler follows choreographer Stephen Petronio as he prepares dancers to restage the 1968 production of "RainForest."

People

Maia Wechslerdirector

Maia Wechslerwriter

David Vaughancast

Barrington Hindscast

Synopsis

Filmmaker Maia Wechsler follows choreographer Stephen Petronio as he prepares dancers to restage the 1968 production of "RainForest."

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

An American Ballet Story The Harkness Ballet of New York (2024)

An American Ballet Story The Harkness Ballet of New York

In 1964, the Joffrey Ballet company splits over artistic control, leading to the formation of the Harkness Ballet and significant changes in dance education.

An American Ballet Story The Harkness Ballet of New York

Maguy Marin, Time to Act |💃Dance (2023)

Maguy Marin, Time to Act |💃Dance

Maguy Marin, a prominent figure in the 1970s French new wave dance scene, is celebrated for her politically charged choreography and innovative performances, including the influential "May B."

Maguy Marin, Time to Act |💃Dance

Documentary Explores the Hidden Cost of Ballet Dreams (2024)

Documentary Explores the Hidden Cost of Ballet Dreams

Twenty-five years after attending ballet school, dancers Elizabeth Burke, Alisia Pobega, Sarah Moore, Sarah Gibson, and Caroline Sicard reflect on the personal costs of pursuing their dreams.

Documentary Explores the Hidden Cost of Ballet Dreams

Gallant Indies | 💃 Dance (2025)

Gallant Indies | 💃 Dance

Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera-ballet is reimagined by director Clément Cogitore and choreographer Bintou Dembélé, featuring 30 dancers from hip-hop, krump, break, and voguing styles at the.

Gallant Indies | 💃 Dance

Road to Nutcracker (2023)

Road to Nutcracker

Young dancers navigate the audition process for the holiday classic The Nutcracker, showcasing the challenges and dedication required to bring the performance to life.

Road to Nutcracker

Maiko: Dancing Child |💃Dance (2024)

Maiko: Dancing Child |💃Dance

In Norway, prima ballerina Maiko faces the challenges of balancing a demanding career with the desire to start a family after age 30.

Maiko: Dancing Child |💃Dance

Explore If the Dancer Dances

People FAQ Stream

Where else to watch

Dancing Pina (2023)

Dancing Pina

2023•1h52m•★8.2TMDB

Intense rehearsals unfold in Germany and Senegal as a younger generation of dancers brings two of Pina Bausch's celebrated works to life.

Dancing Beethoven (2017)

Dancing Beethoven

2017•1h20m•★8.9TMDB

Eighty minutes of rigorous preparation reveal the collaboration between the Béjart Ballet, the Tokyo Ballet, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Israel.

Dancing Beethoven

Dancing Dreams (2010)

Dancing Dreams

2010•1h32m•★6.6TMDB

More than 100 teenagers from over eleven schools in Wuppertal rehearse every Saturday for nearly a year to perform Pina Bausch's 'Kontakthof'.

Ricardo (2020)

Ricardo

2020•22m•★5.5TMDB

One day, Ricardo forgets his signature dance move, raising the question of whether he can get it back.

Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan (2017)

Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan

2017•1h33m•★6.6TMDB

Wendy Whelan, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, reflects on her career and the challenges of transitioning from ballet to contemporary dance.

Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan

Browse more like this

Maguy Marin, Time to Act |💃Dance (2023)

Maguy Marin, Time to Act |💃Dance

Maguy Marin, a prominent figure in the 1970s French new wave dance scene, is celebrated for her politically charged choreography and innovative performances, including the influential "May B."

Maguy Marin, Time to Act |💃Dance

No digital watch option in your country

Gallant Indies | 💃 Dance (2025)

Gallant Indies | 💃 Dance

Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera-ballet is reimagined by director Clément Cogitore and choreographer Bintou Dembélé, featuring 30 dancers from hip-hop, krump, break, and voguing styles at the.

Gallant Indies | 💃 Dance

No digital watch option in your country

Maiko: Dancing Child |💃Dance (2024)

Maiko: Dancing Child |💃Dance

In Norway, prima ballerina Maiko faces the challenges of balancing a demanding career with the desire to start a family after age 30.

Maiko: Dancing Child |💃Dance

No digital watch option in your country

Dancing Chaplin (2011)

Dancing Chaplin

2011•2h11m•★10.0TMDB

Roland Petit adapts his ballet "Chaplin Dances" into film, collaborating with Japanese director Masayuki Suo to blend dance and cinema.

Dancing Chaplin

Dancemaker (1998)

Dancemaker

1998•1h38m•★5.0TMDB

A 98-minute documentary captures choreographer Paul Taylor's creative process as he prepares for the premiere of his piece 'Piazzolla Caldera' in 1997.

He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin' (1983)

He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin'

1983•48m•★6.1TMDB

Over 1,000 New York City schoolchildren audition for a modern dance program led by Jacques d'Amboise at the National Dance Institute.

He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin'

Beach Birds for Camera (1992)

Beach Birds for Camera

1992•28m•★8.0TMDB

Eleven dancers perform in fluid rhythms, dressed in identical white leotards and black gloves, as light changes mimic a beach's dawn to dusk.

Beach Birds for Camera

Finding Heaven Under Our Feet: Making Modern Dance (2017)

Finding Heaven Under Our Feet: Making Modern Dance

2017•1h48m•★7.0TMDB

Choreographer Dr. Jody Weber and her dance company in Somerville, Massachusetts, explore the evolution of modern dance and its connections to social issues.

Finding Heaven Under Our Feet: Making Modern Dance

Browse more by Maia Wechsler

View all films →

Melvin & Jean: An American Story (2012)

Melvin & Jean: An American Story

2012

Sisters in Resistance (2001)

Sisters in Resistance

2001

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →