Film discussion: Alive and Kicking

Our film discussion tomorrow in the Loft is one I’ve been looking forward to for weeks. It’s a documentary about swing dancing called Alive and Kicking, a first film by a woman named Susan Glatzer who has a long history as a senior executive whose producing credits include Napoleon Dynamite and Breaking the Waves. Glatzer, a swing dancer herself, has wanted to make a movie about the world of jitterbug addicts for years, and she finally got her chance.

Alive and Kicking isn’t the usual kind of competition documentary that follows a handful of couple through the process and emerges with a winner at the end. It’s actually deeper than that, because it’s really about the dancing itself, and how it has the ability to cure melancholy and ameliorate depression. Swing dance is joy made flesh, and that’s what Glatzer has tried to capture.

It’s a weird world out there right now, and will probably remain weird for at least a few years. So a film about movement, exuberance, cooperation, and exultation may be just what we need.

Alive and Kicking will be showing in the Loft at 7:00, and while it may not raise major issues or probe deep truths, I think its one truth—that dancing is good, and good for you—is going to be enough.

You’ve seen the burst of energy in the trailer. Now come watch with your fellow film fans and enjoy the ride.

I hope to see you there. (And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the acclaimed movie about Emily Dickinson, A Quiet Passion, on Tuesday June 13 and the hard-hitting drama I, Daniel Blake on Tuesday, June 27.)