Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company Presents Framing Ménerbes as Part of Finger Lakes New Works Festival

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company announces a screening of Framing Ménerbes set for Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 7PM at the Finger Lakes New Works Festival at Ithaca College (953 Danby Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850). Tickets start at $12.51 and can be purchased here.

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company and The Finger Lakes New Works Festival are most excited to present a special evening at the intimate Park Auditorium for a film screening, conversation, and reception celebrating the beauty of Ménerbes and the beauty of dance. Immerse yourself in the picturesque landscapes and charming architecture of this French village.

The Framing Menerbes Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1058018111

Framing Ménerbes frames a stunning village in Provence, its natural beauty of far-reaching vistas, mountains, vineyards, and the light for which it is known, taken in through the prism of choreographer and dancer Daniel Gwirtzman, a Rochester native, celebrating thirty years as a New York City artist in 2025. Daniel shot each frame of the film, capturing the dancer who has been with him the longest, himself! A dozen participants from the region joined as performers in this film, which illuminates the inspiration to produce art. The film had its European (France) and US (NYC) premieres in June 2025 and has since screened at The Schorr Family Firehouse Stage (Johnson City, NY); The University of Michigan’s Department of Dance; (Ann Arbor, MI); Cinemapolis (Ithaca, NY); Congregation Kol Ami (Vancouver, WA); and Nazareth University (Rochester, NY) each followed by conversations with guest film scholars and film artists.

The event promises an unforgettable experience filled with cinematic delights. Don't miss out on this unique, one-night-only opportunity to discover Ménerbes through the lens of dance film. Escape to France without needing to go to the airport!

SCHEDULE:

6:30pm: Doors open.

7:00pm: Screening Begins, followed by a conversation with the filmmaker and Finger Lakes New Works Festival Director Courtney Young Socher.

8:00pm-8:30pm: Community Mixer and Reception

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Direction, Choreography, Filming, Editing: Daniel Gwirtzman

Cast: Daniel Gwirtzman

Supporting Cast: Cast: Philippe Anthoine, Franck Benel, Ophélie Brisset, Mireille Cartet, Virginie Cornet-Butcher, Isabelle Ducimetière, Myris Mouisson, Paulina Nourissier-Muhlstein, Nancie Piskor, Sven Slazenger, Susanne Turner

Original Score: Jeff Story

ABOUT DANIEL GWIRTZMAN DANCE COMPANY

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, known for its optimistic ethos, was formed in 1998. Since its inception, it has demonstrated a commitment to education, operating with the philosophy and programming that everyone can join the dance. Incorporating dance and story into the film medium has been a consistent practice, along with creating original programming for the stage. The repertory has earned praise for its humor, musicality, stylistic diversity, and accessibility. The Company’s acclaimed creation, Dance With Us, a free online educational resource, received leadership support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and is designed to demystify choreography and increase comfort viewing and speaking about dance. The digital resource showcases the Company’s decade-long practice working in the dance for camera genre. Lincoln Center and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts presented the Company in 2023 during its 25th Anniversary season in a stand-alone program called Everybody Can Dance. In the summer of 2024, DGDC was in residence at the American Dance Festival, where it developed its newest evening-length dance, Flashpoint. In 2025, the Company’s AI-themed theater/dance work e-Motion, a collaboration with playwright Saviana Stanescu, made its NYC premiere at La MaMa during the La MaMa Moves! Festival, which Culturebot reviewed as “profoundly chilling,” noting Daniel’s performance as “masterful.” Also in 2025, Framing Ménerbes, a film created by the Company in Provence, premiered in France, followed by its US premiere at the Dolby Screening Room in Manhattan. Since then, the film has screened in theaters in Upstate New York—Binghamton, Ithaca, and Rochester—and in Ann Arbor, MI, and Vancouver, WA. The film will screen again in Ithaca this June 17. Other highlights include performances at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The Kennedy Center, Battery Dance Festival, Fire Island Dance Festival, Bryant Park, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

#