Created by video artist Burt Barr, 'Aeros' is an impressionistic behind-the-scenes look at the Trisha Brown Dance Company as they rehearse, stage, and perform her choreographed work in a variety of settings, including Moscow, New York, France, and Florida. Here we see members of the Tricia Brown Dance Company during a rehearsal for the performance piece.

Based on a performance by Beth Galston, Ellen Sebring, and Sarah Skaggs. 'Aviary' is a melancholic mood piece that deals with themes of constraint and freedom. In this short sequence, images of a bird flying are superimposed over the figure of a lone female floating in a swimming pool.

'Changing Steps' consists of solos, duets, trios, and quartets that can be performed in any order. The completed video work shows Cunningham's company of the 1980's staging the piece in the interior and exterior of a dance studio and in a more formal stage setting. The exterior of the studio blends into the natural environment, where a babbling stream passes by.

'A celebration of busy movement performed by male dancers jumping, stretching, bumping, and sliding across Venezuela's beaches.' In this duet, two men perform spirited partnering phrases against an oceanside background. Repeatedly, the two are seen lying together in a thin bed, lending an air of eroticism to the work. Black-and-white sequences and still photographs are juxtaposed against the vibrant colors of most of the piece. The score by Charles Nieland features rhythmic electronic music, which incorporates a sound like the crashing of a wave, emphasizing the ocean setting. The performers sport colorful summer clothing with primary colors of red and yellow. Directed by Jeff McMahin, the work is just over 12 minutes in length.

Edin Velez's study of Butoh includes archival footage of early Butoh pioneer Tatsumi Hijikata, who is credited as the form's originator. Kazuo Ohno, another early Butoh performer, is shown performing his famous 'Admiring La Argentina,' and other works. Other companies whose works are shown include Akaji Mori's Dai Rakuda Kan, Isamu Ohsuga's Byakko Sha, and Yoko Ashikawa's Hakutoboh. These examples reveal the depth and diversity of Butoh as it has evolved. Many of these dancers worked directly with Hijikata at some point and all speak to his influence, as they are interviewed about the art form. One performer, Akiko Motofuji, explains, 'Ballet and modern dance spring from the earth...Hijikata created a dance, which crawls on the earth.'

'District 1,' 1978, which was one of the first dance works created for the New Television Workshop. Choreographer Rudy Perez and visual consultant Stephen Price worked with Fred Barzyk to create this work, which features a large group of dancers working in downtown Boston at City Hall. The choreography is comprised of simple movements that interact with the architecture of the site. Still photographs are incorporated. At several points, marching bands enter the picture, creating a built-in sound score. Produced and directed by Fred Barzyk. Perez made several visits to WGBH to prepare for the creation of 'District 1.' One trip was devoted to scouting locations. On a second trip, Perex brought visual consultant Stephen Price and a group of dancers with him. Using still photography, portapak equipment and a small crew, Perez was able to create a series of studies for the work, which were used to carefully plan shots during the production of the actual work. 'District 1' was originally broadcast as a segment on 'Dance for Camera' and later excerpted in Summer Dances and 'Dance in Open Spaces.' 'Dance for Camera' was the earliest series created by the Dance Workshop, which was coordinated at the time by Nancy Mason. The series was broadcast in 1976. Carmen De Lavallade, a former dancer with Lester Horton, John Butler and others, recorded introductions for the shows. The series appears to have been broadcast nationally. Some of the works were rebroadcast as part of the 'Frames of Reference' series.

At the opening of 'Freefall,' Gaby Agis is seen getting dressed in Western-influenced clothing. She runs through alleyways and streets. Meanwhile, on neighboring rooftops, women are dancing together across vast spaces. Agis eventually makes her way to one of these rooftops. In the second section, Agis and another woman are partnering together against a wall of aluminum siding. They bounce off one another and the wall. Following this, Agis makes her way into an area filled with lush vegetation. Hiding in the foliage, she smears her face with mud. In the distance, a woman executes Irish-influenced dance steps. When she hears Agis in the bushes, she runs away. In the final section, Agis and another dancer are seated in a large waiting room, on opposite benches. Building to a frenzied pace, they run back and forth between the benches, stripping away layers of clothing. Eventually they make their way into a large marble hallway, where other dancers join them. They weave in and out of the space, playing with the concept of entrances and exits.

'From an Island Summer' was created by choreographer Karole Armitage and video artist Charles Atlas. In 'From an Island Summer' Armitage and two other dancers perform her upbeat movements in two distinct sections. The first, dated August 27, 1983, takes place at Coney Island, at the beach and in front of refreshment stands advertising shish kebab and pizza. The reactions of passersby are incorporated, including those of a young man and a woman who are in fact intentional performers in the video. The dancers are seen on a circular ride at the amusement park. In the second part of the work, dated August 25, 1983, the performers are seen working in a rehearsal studio. The dancers take to the streets and are seen performing in front of a movie theater and at Times Square in New York City. The same man and woman who appeared in the Coney Island segment are amid the crowd. In both segments, the wandering eye of the camera rests on street texts in the form of advertisements and newspaper headlines. Armitage's movement style incorporates punkish elements and classic ballet-like legwork. Produced and directed by Charles Atlas.Music for the Coney Island section is 'Ven Y Baila Mi Son' by Henry Fiol. The second section is accompanied by experimental classical-style music entitled 'We'll Be There' by Rabbie Burnsmith and his Ticket Toots. Producer Susan Dowling incorporated the Coney Island section of 'From an Island Summer' as a segment in the 'Alive From Off Center' show 'Summer Dances.' Dowling later included a longer segment of this same section in 'Solos, Duets, and Pizza,' a work that was also broadcast as an episode of the PBS series 'Alive from Off Center,' and on Channel 4 in the U.K. Copyright: Karole Armitage and Charles Atlas.

Essay on the 20th century composer, John Cage

'Meaning of the Interval' is a reflection on openings or intervals that the Japanese call 'ma,' and how they apply to any number of activities in Japan. 'Ma' can be architectural space, the vast stretches of empty space employed in Japanese scroll paintings, or the time between one utterance and another on the Noh stage.

Images from Japanese public life, ceremonies, and performances are juxtaposed and layered. Sometimes a split-screen approach is used. Scenes include a Butoh dance performance, theater performance, acts of painting and drawing, street performers, and religious processions.

The work is approximately 20 minutes long and was broadcast as a segment of episode 303 (1987), and episode 104 (1991), of 'New Television.' Produced by Edin Velez and Ethel Velez.

A series of still images of dancers performing a solo, duet, trio, and quartet are edited together to create the suggestion of movement. John Budde provided the concept and the photography and Elizabeth Keene provided the choreography. An ambient score by composer Julie Weber accompanies the piece. This work was broadcast as an episode of "'Dance for Camera' with 'District 1.''Dance for Camera' was the earliest series created by the Dance Workshop, which was coordinated at the time by Nancy Mason. The series was broadcast in 1976. Carmen De Lavallade, a former dancer with Lester Horton, John Butler and others, recorded introductions for the shows. The series appears to have been broadcast nationally. Some of the works were rebroadcast as part of the 'Frames of Reference' series.

'Rotary Action,' 1984, is a work created by Geoff Dunlap and produced by the London-based Illuminations Inc. for WGBH. 'Rotary Action' features the choreography of Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, who perform various segments of a spirited duet in Whitehall Chapel in London. Directed by Geoff Dunlap. The work broadcast as a segment of 'Alive From Off Center: Solos, Duets and Pizza. "Alive From Off Center' was established in 1985 as a production of KTCA (St. Paul Minneapolis). The show featured independent works by artists in a variety of media. Its showcase format was similar to the Workshop's 'New Television' series. At some point the series changed its name to 'ALIVE TV.' Many works created by or for the Workshop were also shown on 'Alive From Off Center.' Additionally, some Workshop produced pieces were co-produced and/or commissioned by KTCA specifically for the series. Susan Dowling served as Executive Producer for these programs.

"Secret of the Waterfall," 1983, was created by video artist Charles Atlas and choreographer Douglas Dunn. The work features Douglas Dunn and dancers in various indoor and outdoor locations on Martha's Vineyard, performing Dunn's quirky, spirited choreography. A pair of poets, Reed Bye and Anne Waldman, enter the scenes, reading their work from clipboards, providing a score for the dancers and occasionally interacting with them physically. Movement is seen in a beach-house-style dwelling, in a country field, at a beach club, and a church or municipal building. Directed by Charles Atlas. This work was created independently of any series and was probably broadcast as a special. The 'Television Workshop' created several shows that were broadcast on WGBH without being a part of a series sponsored specifically by the Workshop. Additionally, they were commissioned to create shows showcasing video art for national broadcast and created several shows in collaboration with existing series at other stations, such as WNET''s 'American Playhouse.'

'Sydney an der Wupper' is a film featuring the Australian dancer Meryl Tankard. Tankard goes through a day in the city, riding the subway, taking a singing lesson, and bathing at a public house. As the work progresses, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Tankard's character imagines herself dancing with a man across train platforms and through streets. In one scene the two of them are dancing on a hockey rink, sliding across the icy surface. Tankard climbs ladders and catwalks at dizzying heights above the train platforms. Finally, she arrives at an abandoned booth-shaped bar. At this point she is dressed in a reddish evening gown with jewels. She pours herself a drink and smokes in the bar, and we see her vamping it up. Dialogue from 'A Place in the Sun' plays and adds to the melodrama, as Tankard continues to vamp it up. She struts about the booth and on a platform outside. As the work draws to a close, we find her singing and dancing in the booth bar, shimmying and belting out a tune in English. The film has a bluish hue to it, and the red of Tankard's wardrobe stands out prominently. The work is almost 50 minutes long. Musical direction was by Christina Bollman. A Puccini aria plays at different intervals throughout the work. Directed by Bettina Woernle.

'Two solo performances by two choreographers. Against an incessant beat and a glowing red backdrop, Susan Rose's energetic dancing is captured by dramatic camera angles. Through a series of landscapes, Louise Burns' delicate balletic movements float across the screen.' Susan Rose remains seated throughout her solo, performing intensely focused gestures with her arms and legs. Louise Burns takes to the out-of-doors, executing her precise movements at the beach, along a ridge trail, and overlooking a city landscape. Music for Susan Rose's solo, which features a driving drum beat and vibrant vocals, is by Megan Roberts. The complete work is ten minutes in length.

Burt Barr looks at the performance of 'Carmen' by Trisha Brown at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Italy Scenes include details of the ornate theater, both empty and with the audience stirring in their seats before the performance. Backstage, Trisha Brown speaks directly to the camera and prepares for the show with a makeup artist. In rehearsal clothes, a duet is shown over and over again. A woman treads her way across the space to her male partner, who slowly lowers her to the ground. This same movement sequence is shown in performance, with full costumes. While the item that was broadcast featured music from the opera 'Carmen' by Georges Bizet, it is mute throughout this short clip.