Dance Dance Revolution
Socially speaking, spring in New York brings decadent ballet galas and openings for smaller, modern companies. Tuesday night, many frequenters of such events enjoyed a different kind of dance experience when the Cinema Society hosted a screening of Relativity Studios’ film “Desert Dancer” at the Museum of Modern Art. Set in 2009 Iran against the backdrop of it heated presidential election and cultural repression, the movie follows the Iranian dancer Afshin (Reece Ritchie), who along with a group of friends (one of them played by Freida Pinto) forms an underground dance company. In creating online videos of their performances of self-taught techniques (some inspired by Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev), they risk their lives for the sake of artistic passion. After the invigorating narrative, attendees like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Katie Couric and Elettra Wiedemann (all co-hosts of the evening) headed to an after-party at the new and buzzing Baccarat Hotel.
Richard Raymond, Freida Pinto, and Reece Ritchie. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Katie Couric. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Zoe Buckman and David Schwimmer. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Francisco Costa. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Loan Chabanol. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Minnie Mortimer. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Elettra Wiedemann. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
June Ambrose. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Max Snow and Vanessa Traina. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Iman. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Pat Cleveland. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Ellen Burstyn. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Charlotte Ronson and Shoshanna Gruss. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
Fabiola Beracasa. Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene.
