Short Stories By Scott Holleran presents Mike Voutsinos’ and Scott Holleran’s movie, inspired by “Strapped,” a short story by Scott Holleran, on George Washington’s Birthday
We’ve been so inundated with negativity and so conditioned to expect the worst in the media that the video starts off with a very ominous feeling, what is this guy gonna do? When he starts dancing there’s a sense of unexpected joy and relief. Very well made.
Great positive video. Really makes you think about life and how we can be afraid to express ourselves through our talents. The guy dancing is expressing himself while others watch in the shadows and are afraid to just dance or share some of the talents because of what others might think. It teaches us we all can dance and we all have hidden talents that should be shared with the world and not be afraid to express ourselves.
What an amazing and inspiring story. I absolutely love that body language told the story and it was not filled with unnecessary dialogue. It was beautiful to see the main character felt free to express himself no matter where he was and share his talent with strangers. This is a life lesson all should learn.
You fully captured the beauty of the human body in motion. As one of the spectators, I was swept along by your energy and amazed by your fluid spins, movement and courage. After reading of your history and love of dance, I’m so happy that you shared this! It is wonderful!
Marney, yours is an exquisite review of “Henry Dances” as a film, performance and dance. That you integrate your knowledge of my writings about dance with clarity and concision makes it doubly rewarding. Thank you. 🕺
I really enjoyed this video. There's not a lot of dialogue, but the dialogue is powerful.
This video shows one man's self-expression, Henry, through dancing .... not for an audience, although he does have one ... but for the joy of expressing himself.
Toward end of the video, the powerful exchange of words takes place. One girl was mesmerized by Henry’s dancing, and she approaches him saying his dancing was incredible, but she couldn’t express why it touched her so much. Henry’s simple reply, was, “You felt…that’s enough.” His next comment was, I thought, so poignant. “You don’t have to know why right now…sometimes the body remembers what the heart forgets.”
Short films are a fading form, easy to overlook and hard to pull off. I’ve added “Henry Dances” to the small stack I keep coming back to.
My tastes run wide. Back in school, a few stuck. “Why Man Creates” — all Saul Bass angles and urgency — asks why we bother creating at all. “The Overpass” shows a town solving a problem, only to drift right back into old habits. And then the oddballs: “Bambi Meets Godzilla,” “Hardware Wars,” “Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown.” They’re cheap, funny, and still alive decades later.
A serious favorite is “Portrait of a Railroad,” a straight-faced look at how the then-new Burlington Northern ties people and industry together. No flash, just purpose.
Now this one.
“Henry Dances” puts author, essayist, and choreographer Scott Holleran out in a public park with no safety net. It spins off his story “Strapped,” but strips things down to one idea: step out, take the hit, keep moving. He dances like no one signed off on it. That’s the point.
At first, you wait for the cringe. It never lands. The crowd reads him, and the mood turns. Heads swivel. Smiles show up. A few people drift closer. What could have gone sideways instead lifts the entire space a notch.
I like the nerve of it. No wink to the camera, no hedge. Just a guy betting that most people aren’t out to cut you down — and winning that bet.
I’m not sure I’d do it. Not today. But I watch it, and the idea sticks.
We’ve been so inundated with negativity and so conditioned to expect the worst in the media that the video starts off with a very ominous feeling, what is this guy gonna do? When he starts dancing there’s a sense of unexpected joy and relief. Very well made.
Thank you, Don. That’s an excellent review; you are an astute audience. Cheers,
Great positive video. Really makes you think about life and how we can be afraid to express ourselves through our talents. The guy dancing is expressing himself while others watch in the shadows and are afraid to just dance or share some of the talents because of what others might think. It teaches us we all can dance and we all have hidden talents that should be shared with the world and not be afraid to express ourselves.
Yours is an insightful and intelligent review. Thank you. I appreciate your comment.
This literally brought tears of joy to my eyes... the emotion is so powerful. Your ability to evoke feelings is awesome!! Thank you so much...
Thomas, your review means the world to me. How wonderful. Thank you.
What an amazing and inspiring story. I absolutely love that body language told the story and it was not filled with unnecessary dialogue. It was beautiful to see the main character felt free to express himself no matter where he was and share his talent with strangers. This is a life lesson all should learn.
Yours is a beautifully written review, Kathy. My lesson learned is gratitude. Thank you.
You fully captured the beauty of the human body in motion. As one of the spectators, I was swept along by your energy and amazed by your fluid spins, movement and courage. After reading of your history and love of dance, I’m so happy that you shared this! It is wonderful!
Marney, yours is an exquisite review of “Henry Dances” as a film, performance and dance. That you integrate your knowledge of my writings about dance with clarity and concision makes it doubly rewarding. Thank you. 🕺
I really enjoyed this video. There's not a lot of dialogue, but the dialogue is powerful.
This video shows one man's self-expression, Henry, through dancing .... not for an audience, although he does have one ... but for the joy of expressing himself.
Toward end of the video, the powerful exchange of words takes place. One girl was mesmerized by Henry’s dancing, and she approaches him saying his dancing was incredible, but she couldn’t express why it touched her so much. Henry’s simple reply, was, “You felt…that’s enough.” His next comment was, I thought, so poignant. “You don’t have to know why right now…sometimes the body remembers what the heart forgets.”
He then asks her, “You dance?”
She replies, “No.”
His response is, “If you feel it, you can dance.”
The end shows both dancing with joy.
Very well done and very powerful.
Thank you, Debbie!
The Risk That Pays Off in “Henry Dances”
Short films are a fading form, easy to overlook and hard to pull off. I’ve added “Henry Dances” to the small stack I keep coming back to.
My tastes run wide. Back in school, a few stuck. “Why Man Creates” — all Saul Bass angles and urgency — asks why we bother creating at all. “The Overpass” shows a town solving a problem, only to drift right back into old habits. And then the oddballs: “Bambi Meets Godzilla,” “Hardware Wars,” “Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown.” They’re cheap, funny, and still alive decades later.
A serious favorite is “Portrait of a Railroad,” a straight-faced look at how the then-new Burlington Northern ties people and industry together. No flash, just purpose.
Now this one.
“Henry Dances” puts author, essayist, and choreographer Scott Holleran out in a public park with no safety net. It spins off his story “Strapped,” but strips things down to one idea: step out, take the hit, keep moving. He dances like no one signed off on it. That’s the point.
At first, you wait for the cringe. It never lands. The crowd reads him, and the mood turns. Heads swivel. Smiles show up. A few people drift closer. What could have gone sideways instead lifts the entire space a notch.
I like the nerve of it. No wink to the camera, no hedge. Just a guy betting that most people aren’t out to cut you down — and winning that bet.
I’m not sure I’d do it. Not today. But I watch it, and the idea sticks.
Great movie review, Leigh. You’ve contextualized your viewpoint and reviewed “Henry Dances” with your uniquely clipped style. Thank you.