What were the dancers' reactions?

One of the most interesting things was watching them observe each other. I did four filming cycles, so we often had a group of different dancers there at the same time. It was a meeting of worlds.

Some of the dancers needed time to get used to having their technique exposed. Many wanted to repeat their sequences until they were happy with the result. In some cases that meant as many as 25 takes.

How did you decide which five-second sequences to use for each dancer?

As preparation I asked each dancer to prepare three sequences, each with a clear beginning, middle, and end. I wanted to start still, show a development and finish in a somehow iconic pose.

I usually filmed all three sequences for each dancer and then we’d choose one and get to work on it: the dancer shaping the body and the space, me shaping the two-dimensional composition in the camera.