How ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ got the Shakers moving

The film, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Mona Fastvold, depicts the religious sect’s evolution through song and dance

- Story by Ashley Lee

THE TESTAMENT OF ANN Lee” stars Amanda Seyfried as the founder of the Shakers, a religious sect formed in the 18th century and known for both its pursuit of full social equality and its chants and dances designed to rid the body of sin. Using songs based on real Shaker hymns, the movie's most technically ambitious and narratively gratifying scenes depict these vigorous motions as communal expressions of hunger, obedience, grief, devotion and ecstasy.

“You can’t tell the story of Ann Lee without showing their worship, and we put a lot of thought into interpreting and creating that onscreen,” said director Mona Fastvold. “We had lots of challenges — dancing in the woods with roots and holes, in a tiny room with hundreds of candles, on a ship with a real storm — and we only really had a half-day to shoot each one. But it was exciting to see how the constraints informed the movement.”

The film’s Shaker dances are rooted in historical materials like Baroque and religious artwork, written descriptions from early believers and statements from various detractors. “Their critics described their ‘wild’ worship in detail — how they'd dance for days at a time and make all these crazy sounds — and we definitely used that,” said Fastvold. “The most important thing was that all of the movements have meaning. It couldn't just be cool moves; it’s prayer.”

↑ Actor Amanda Seyfried stars in "The Testament of Ann Lee," above. Seyfried with director Mona Fastvold, opposite.