American Masters

Bill T. Jones: A Good Man

Bill T. Jones, the recipient of a prestigious MacArthur "genius" grant and winner of two Tony Awards, has been named "an irreplaceable treasure" by the The Dance Heritage Coalition. Above all, he is a socially conscious choreographer who never shies away from controversy -- tackling thorny subjects such as race and politics with elegance and intelligence, artistry and originality.

Problems with Columns

1m 6s

In an outtake from Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, the crew experiences an unexpected problem when the columns, required to move about the stage during the piece, are unable to move smoothly across the stage. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

Previews + Extras

  • Bill T. Jones: A Good Man: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Bill T. Jones: A Good Man

    S25 E6 - 2m 55s

    The 90-minute film chronicles the intense creative journey of Bill T. Jones as he tackles the most ambitious work of his career and leads the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in the creation of Fondly Do We Hope... Fervently Do We Pray, an original dance-theater piece in honor of Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial commissioned by Ravinia Festival.

  • Interview with Bill T. Jones: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Interview with Bill T. Jones

    S25 E6 - 1m 30s

    Bill T. Jones discusses his creative process, the origins of the documentary Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, and how President Abraham Lincoln and related subject matter has inspired his work for Fondly Do We Hope... Fervently Do We Pray. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

  • Bill T. Jones: The Cutting Room Floor: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Bill T. Jones: The Cutting Room Floor

    S25 E6 - 5m 54s

    In this mini documentary, originally produced for ITVS, see how the directors chose which scenes and storylines to cut from the final edit of the film and see footage from one of the cuts that was made. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

  • Jamyl's Jump: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Jamyl's Jump

    S25 E6 - 2m 29s

    Jamyl Dobson, the actor in the production, describes how he adapted to Jones's physically-demanding staging, as well as how his experience with voice helped the dancers approach their speaking roles. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

  • Blowing in the Wind: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Blowing in the Wind

    S25 E6 - 55s

    In this outtake from Bill T. Jones: A Good Man,the crew discovers that the curtains used for projections in Fondly Do We Hope... Fervently Do We Pray are subject to large movements from wind gusts in the open-air venue and finds a solution. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

  • Bill T. Jones: Interview with the Filmmakers: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Bill T. Jones: Interview with the Filmmakers

    S25 E6 - 10m 42s

    Co-directors Bob Hercules of Media Process Group and Gordon Quinn of Kartemquin Films discuss their verite approach, how they learned to shoot dance-theater, and their favorite moments from the documentary. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

  • Creating the Costumes: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Creating the Costumes

    S25 E6 - 2m 4s

    In this outtake from Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, see the dancers in their initial costume fitting with designer Liz Prince and the following critique by Bill T. Jones. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

  • Collaborations in the Dance Company: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Collaborations in the Dance Company

    S25 E6 - 3m 20s

    Creative Director Bjorn Amelan explains the process of collaboration between the production designers, technical crew, and artists when creating new work for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

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