Charles Atlas

Charles Atlas (born 1949) is an American video artist and film director who also does lighting and set design. He is a pioneer in developing media-dance, also called dance for camera. Media dance is work that is created directly for the camera. While Atlas' primary artistic medium is video, he also began to experiment with live electronic performance in 2003. Atlas worked collaboratively with Merce Cunningham from 1975 to 1981. Before his time as the Cunningham company's filmmaker-in-residence (1978–1983), when he made 10 dance films, Atlas was an assistant stage manager for the company, and was already filming Cunningham in little experimental movement studies during breaks from rehearsal. Following his work with Cunningham, he worked independently in film while collaborating with other professionals in the field.

Atlas' work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His work is being exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Massachusetts until March 16, 2025.