WATCH: Sparks fly when two dancers hook up during a trip to Fire Island

An alternate title for this modern dance film? Bodies, Bodies, BODIES.

Mark

Apr 6, 2023 - 20:00

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WATCH: Sparks fly when two dancers hook up during a trip to Fire Island

Two muscled men lay shirtless on a beach, staring into one another's eyes, with the ocean in front of them. — Image Credit: ‘Daytripper,’ ALL ARTS

Dance is one of our most beautiful, intimate art forms—it’s also a medium that demands peak physical performance, and dancers often have to stay in tip-top shape.

What we’re trying to say is: We like to watch!

So color us intrigued by Daytripper, the new “modern silent film” from ballet legend James Whiteside. It’s a love story set on the sandy beaches of Fire Island, where two men (played by Jake Tribus and Lloyd Knight) meet on a beautiful summer day and quickly fall for one other.

But, like any romance at the Pines, is it just a weekend fling—catalyzed by the sun and sand and glistening bodies—or are they finding more than just a vacation in one another.

If you don’t know Whiteside, he’s a proper legend of the dance world. At New York’s American Ballet Theatre, he currently serves as the company’s lead performer and choreographer, having danced in classics like Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James B Whiteside (@jamesbwhiteside)

Meanwhile, Whiteside is also an author, a pop artist by the name of JbDubs, podcast host, choreographer to the stars (Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift among them), and a bearded drag queen you may know as Ühu Betch.

Now, he adds filmmaker to his long list of credits, co-directing Daytripper alongside Kylie Juggert. Combining scenic moments of courtship filmed across the pines with stark, striking modern dance interludes, their film captures the overwhelming rush of new love.

Daytripper was created as part of ALL ARTS’ 2023 “Artist In Residence” program, which supports emerging and established artists “as they expand their practice and experiment with new mediums.”

The film will premiere, nationwide, April 23 on the ALL ARTS app and website. You can watch the first teaser below:

And, just for the heck of it, we’ll leave you with a few choice photos from dancers Jake Tribus and Lloyd Knight’s Instagrams—enjoy!