Celia Rowlson-Hall's Visionary Choreography for The Testament of Ann Lee
Choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall has shared a startling revelation about her work on the film The Testament of Ann Lee, starring Amanda Seyfried. "I'll tell you something I've not told anyone," she begins, describing a vivid pre-filming experience where the ghost of Ann Lee, the 18th-century Shaker leader, appeared to her with angels, urging her to "go forth." Rowlson-Hall laughs at the memory but insists, "It was so intense that I will never forget it." This mystical encounter set the tone for the feverish, physical worship scenes in Mona Fastvold's film, which delves into the ecstatic rituals of the Shakers, a Christian sect known for days-long dancing.
The Artistic and Spiritual Fusion of Ann Lee
In the film, Lee, portrayed by Seyfried, is a blacksmith's daughter from Manchester whose religious visions spark her evangelism. Rowlson-Hall argues that Lee was undoubtedly an artist, stating that artistry requires "a concoction of faith and drive, a little delusion and a lot of energy. Like gunpowder." Lee's leadership, which included preaching piety, pacifism, celibacy, and confession, inspired both devotion and ire, mirroring the creative fervor Rowlson-Hall brings to her choreography. The Shakers' worship involved chanting and dancing, depicted in the film through sweat-soaked scenes where hands raise to the sky and slap chests in rhythmic fervor, creating a strange, powerful musical-like atmosphere.
Rowlson-Hall's Diverse Dance Background
Rowlson-Hall grew up in small-town Virginia, starting dance at age five and drawing inspiration from Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Pina Bausch's dance theatre. Discovering British dance company DV8's films solidified her career path. She began dancing for New York choreographers Faye Driscoll and Monica Bill Barnes before transitioning to choreographing music videos, TV shows, and commercials, appreciating film's broad reach. Her portfolio includes work on Lena Dunham's Girls, Charlotte Wells's Aftersun (where she also acted), music videos for MGMT, Coldplay, and Alicia Keys, and her own avant-garde films like Ma. Recently, she returned to theatre with Sissy, featuring Marisa Tomei, showcasing a style that blends pop, commercial, weird, satirical, contemporary, tap, social dance, and ballet.
The Darker Themes and Physical Expression
The Testament of Ann Lee takes a darker turn in sequences where Lee endures the deaths of her four children, a experience Rowlson-Hall found emotionally resonant as she filmed with her one-year-old son present. This tragedy reinforced Lee's belief that sexual relations were evil, with physical worship serving as a healing mechanism. Rowlson-Hall reflects, "Everything that happens to us we take in. So where does it live on the body? And if you take in pain and loss, how are you going to get it out?" The film blurs the lines between dances of God and sin, with prayer and sex sharing rhythmic similarities. She describes the mass worship scenes as "very feral," noting, "The body looks like it's about to explode." Fastvold compares these gatherings to a rave, akin to Manchester's Haçienda, highlighting how people seek escape, community, and transcendence through bodily movement.
Dance as a Universal Answer
Rowlson-Hall asserts, "I personally think dance is probably the answer to nearly everything," emphasizing that the body holds intuition and deep truth. Growing up, she used dance to express unspeakable fears, saying, "I wanted to say things that I could not say in words, because that was too scary." Coming out at age 30 shifted her relationship with dance; she nearly stopped as she felt a lifelong pressure had lifted. Now, a decade later, she is still redefining that connection, trusting that "the body will have the answers." The Testament of Ann Lee premieres in UK cinemas from 27 February, offering a visceral exploration of faith, pain, and the power of movement.
