Donnie Jr. Duncan is one of those dancers whose performance you can analyze by microseconds and still not find one thing wrong. He is smooth, incredibly so. He has muscles in places where most people don’t even have places. He leaps and twirls and slides as if gravity does not affect him. And then there are the shots where he leans into the camera and you get his perfectly handsome face in focus, with those eyes. And those lips. And those cheekbones. Oof. That’s all I can say.
Duncan’s dance clips on Artgrid are expertly filmed by Amsterdam-based Hans Peter Schepp. Unfortunately, the clips are so strangely tagged (“black man”, “dancer”, “training”…is that it?) that it’s a wonder anyone can find those clips of him. The particular series of clips of him that I’ve used in many of my music videos, is called “Live in Motion”.
LIVE IN MOTION - The freedom to express oneself, the story of a dancer in search for his spark, the hard work and pain dancers go through and the short career window pushes dancers globally to the max. @doni_q | for Artgrid Originals | Team: Director/DP @hanspeterschepp AC @supermario2210 Producer: @matteofiorentini_ Onsite Producer: @julianadunn Light/BCam @sergiuszsytniejewski mua: @lauramiauw #agfilmmakers @artgrid.io
Duncan goes by Doni-q on Instagram, and there is a pic of him as one of Madonna’s back-up dancers. That’s him on the right. So you’re looking at a pro here. Somebody commented that he’s like butter in his movements. Yep. I agree. He’s represented by the Esselle Agency, based in Berlin. His profile on the site reveals that (gulp!) he’s only 28 years old.
The Esselle Agency represents dancers who are 80% professional. Duncan is currently a member of Nederlands Dans Theater (Netherlands Dance Theatre), having joined in 2019, and he writes on his profile on their website:
“My compelling desire for movement is intertwined with my desire to connect with other human beings. Performing has always been a way for me to have a positive or constructive influence on the viewer, while also being a moment for me to release energy, ask questions and dare I say, get lost in my own processing.
My wish for audience members is that they leave the theatre having felt something new within themselves in response to being a witness. That this witnessing may lead them to welcome new things into their lives, ultimately enriching their experience. I hope to continue contributing to the beauty of live performance and its endless possibilities. – Donnie”
Duncan is one dancer who, unlike many others, is clearly identifiable and has just one public persona. For us mere mortals, who have no dance skills, licensed clips like these give us the chance to borrow the magic of this dancer and many others. They add borrowed glamour to our projects and allow us to present our music in new ways.
Next post: @michael-vestergaard-jensen a.k.a. Michael Jacket