Motion State Arts

Motion State Arts celebrates contemporary dance and movement-based art by incubating innovative ideas and presenting forward-thinking performances.

Motion State Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to these two activities:

The ScreenDance RoadShow (formerly the Motion State Dance Film Series) is the only year-long, traveling short film festival in New England devoted to showcasing the diversity of contemporary creative voices exploring the medium of choreography for the camera. By taking the festival “on the road” and into non-traditional film venues, such as art galleries, music halls, performing arts theaters, and university classrooms, the Motion State Dance Film Series seeks to expose the films and filmmakers to new audiences. Every screening is followed by a public Q & A with the curators. All festival artists are invited and encouraged to take part in the conversation. Past venues have included Jamestown Arts Center (RI), Dean College (Franklin, MA), Newport Art Museum (RI), Zeiterion Theatre (New Bedford, MA), and Columbus Theatre (Providence, RI).

Motion State Arts’ annual Motion State Dance Festival is an immersion into innovative dance performances, dance films, artist talks and classes. This celebration of contemporary performance brings local and national artists together to share their boundary-pushing creative explorations with a growing Rhode Island --and New England-- dance audience.