This bold exploration of the role of dance in evolution premiered on CBC’s THE NATURE OF THINGS on February 25, 2022. More broadcasts in French Canada on ARTV, Ice Explora and throughout Europe coming soon! Check back here for dates and more info.
Dance is a big part of human culture. But why do we do it? And is it exclusively human? Or do non-human species do it too? Why We Dance explores the theory that dance is an emergent phenomenon in evolution. It investigates the provocative claim that dancing helped humans become human. Filmed in France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, the one-hour documentary is currently available throughout Canada on the free CBC Gem streaming service.
Guided by scientists, dancers and philosophers who have dedicated their lives to movement, Why We Dance explores the nexus of movement and our deeper selves, revealing the evolutionary implications of dance through the observation of kinetic animal species, experiments into human development and social behaviour, and through a creative challenge for five professional dancers who attempt to use their artistry to connect with the natural world.
Why We Dance is produced by award-winning filmmaker Robert Lang (Nature’s Cleanup Crew, Canadian Screen Award-winning series Museum Secrets). Nathalie Bibeau (winner of the Hot Docs 2020 Audience Award for her feature film, The Walrus and the Whistleblower) is director. Allen Booth (Nature’s Cleanup Crew, Canadian Screen Award-winning Museum Secrets) is writer, Bruce Lapointe, Editor, Christian Bielz is Director of Photography, with music composed by Suad Bushnaq.
CREDITS
Producer
ROBERT LANG
Director
NATHALIE BIBEAU
Editor
BRUCE LAPOINTE
Writer
ALLEN BOOTH
Director of Photography
CHRISTIAN BIELZ
Music composed by
SUAD BUSHNAQ
Researchers
NATHALIE BIBEAU
ALLEN BOOTH
ROBERT LANG
CHARLOTTE ODELE
JODIE VENEMA
Archive Producer
MICHELLE DEMEYERE
Consultant
BRONWYN TARR
Sound Recordists
ALEXANDRE GOUGEON
ALEXIS BARBIER-BOUVET
JASSIM JAFFER
PETER SAWADE
TOD VAN DYK
Camera Assistants
KHALDUN BLAIR
SEBASTIAN FURTADO
JOE HOFMANN
MICHAEL MADDEAUX
OWAIN PARRI
Additional Direction
ALEXIS BARBIER-BOUVET (France)
WAYNE DERRICK (U.K.)
Additional Camera
CAROLINE BOGHOSSIAN
JENNIFER BURTON
MRINAL DESAI
TOM HAYWARD
ED MIDDLETON
MARCO REBUTTINI
Sound Editor
GARY VAUGHAN
Sound Mixer
RICHARD SPENCE-THOMAS
Music Score Mixer
HENRY MITTON
Additional Music
KAMEL BUSHNAQ
HENRY MITTON
Musicians
DREW JURECKA, violin
JOSH PLOTNER, oboe
Production Manager
NICOLE MCKECHNIE
Production & Post Coordinator
JODIE VENEMA
Production Accountant
MAHNAZ MOHAMMADI
Legal services
DANNY WEBBER – HALL WEBBER
Publicity
MARGARET SIROTICH
Production Assistants
MADELEINE MORRIS
MARIE-EVE TOURIGNY
Graphics Artist
JUNIOR LOPEZ
Colourist
IGOR PETROV, CREATIVE POST
Assistant Editors
MITCHELL ALLEN
KATHRYN LYONS
Conform Editor
VIKAS NAYAK
Transcribers
TRANSCRIPT HEROES
HEATHER WHITE
KELLY ZEMNICKIS
“Clan”
Created & Produced by Red Sky Performance
Concept & Choreography Sandra Laronde
Performers: Joey Arrigo, Kristin DeAmorim, Falciony Patino-Cruz, Katie Couchie, Ascension Harjo, Moira Humana-Blaise and Theland Kicknosway
MUSIC CREDITS
“Hands on You” – Ashley Monroe
(Low Country Sound and Warner/Chappell Music)
“Smooth Criminal” – Michael Jackson
(Sony Music Publishing)
“Superstition” – Stevie Wonder
(Republic Records and Universal Music Group)
“Baby Shark” – Pinkfong
(Sony Music Publishing)
“We Came to Dance” – ScottDW
(Scott Winn Music ASCAP)
“Big Water” – Red Sky Performance
Rick Sacks with Julian Cote, Marie Gaudet, Pura Fe, Marc Merilainen and Pierre Mongen
(Red Sky Media)
“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” – Backstreet Boys
(BMG)
“I Like to Move it” – Reel 2 Real, The Mad Stuntman, Evik Morillo
(Mega Platinum Music)
“Another One Bites the Dust” – Queen
(Sony Music Publishing)
“Sexual Healing” – Marvin Gaye
(Sony Music Publishing)
ARCHIVE MATERIAL
ABC Dancing With The Stars, November 19, 2018
Africa Travel Centre
John Anderson / NatureFootage
BBC1 The Greatest Dancer, February 16, 2019
Getty Images
Bill Wallauer, Jane Goodall Institute
Pond5
Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Government of Canada
ScottDW
Yuko Hattori and Masaki Tomonga, Kyoto University, PNAS January 14, 2020
Charles Maxwell / NatureFootage
NBC Universal World of Dance, Season3, May 6, 2019
Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands
Irena Schulz, Birdloversonly.org
World Science Festival
Alain Wong
SPECIAL THANKS
Variations Dance – Montreal
Long Trail School – Vermont
City Dance Corps – Estelle Nicol – Toronto
Rockefeller University – NYC, USA
MIT.nano Immersion Lab – Cambridge, Mass.
Studio Lab – New Hampshire
Parc ornithologique de Pont de Gau – France
Daniel von Diergardt
FUNDERS & CORPORATE CREDITS
Produced with the participation of:
Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit
Produced by Kensington Communications Inc.
Executive Producer
ROBERT LANG
In association with CBC
Executive in Charge of Production
SUE DANDO
Ici Explora, ARTV
WHY WE DANCE
Copyright 2791930 Ontario Inc.