Sneak Peek: Watch a Dance Scene From the New Film "Aviva"
Modern dance star Bobbi Jene Smith has been making her way into the film world over the past few years—from choreographing for Natalie Portman in Annihilation to starring in Mari—and we have been consistently drooling over the results. Her latest project, Aviva, an independent film from director Boaz Yakin (best known for 2000’s Remember the Titans), is getting its release this Friday, and we’ve got a sneak peek at one of the many fabulous dance scenes she choreographed.
The film tells a love story between two people, each of whom are played by two different actors: one male and one female for each lover, to show the feminine and masculine sides within them. While the plot can be a bit confusing to follow and the acting a bit spotty, the dancing itself is divine.
That’s partly because the character Aviva is played by former Batsheva dancers Zina Zinchenko and Or Schraiber (Smith’s husband), while Aviva’s love interest Eden is played by Sleep No More performer Tyler Phillips and Smith herself. The full cast includes 30 professional dancers, who are put to excellent use by Smith in beautiful duets and moving ensemble scenes.
Fair warning: The film includes quite a bit of nudity and sex.
Although Aviva was initially scheduled to premiere at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, it’s having a virtual release this Friday, June 12. You can buy a ticket to watch the movie through one of the distributor’s partner theaters.
