Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema, SansSouciFest.org

Sans Souci at the Tobin Center 2018

Wed., Mar. 7, 2018, 5:30 PM

Wake, 2016, Canada, 6 min

Directed by Katherine Macnaughton
Produced by Emmanuel Hessler
Choreography by Ashley Werhun
Dancing by Ashley Werhun, Mark Caserta, Jeremy Coachman, Gemma Freitas, Kiera Hill
Music Composed by De La Romance
Cinematography by Derek Branscombe
Edited by Katherine Macnaughton
Wake is a reflection on the isolation that technology can create. It is an invitation to reconnect and rebuild our relationships with the people and elements around us.
Frame from Separate Sentences

Separate Sentences, 2016, United States, 15 min

Produced and Directed by Amie Dowling, Austin Forbord
Choreography by Amie Dowling
Music Composed by Albert Mathias
Music Performed by Albert Mathais
Cinematography by Heath Orchard
Edited by Austin Forbord
Incarceration is not a single or discrete event, but a dynamic process that unfolds over time and affects families for generations. This dance/theater film draws upon individual experiences and physical memories of a cast comprised of Bay Area artists– some of whom are fathers or sons who have experienced incarceration. See below for a special note from the directors.

Chimera, 2016, France, 2 min

Directed by Steven Briand
Produced by Vast Be Mess
Choreography by Cathy Ematchoua
Featuring Cathy Ematchoua
Dancing by Aliaska HILSUM, Leonore ZURFLUH, Hajiba FAHMY, Dalila Cortes.
Music by Phazz
Cinematography by Kaname Onoyama
Edited by Nadir Cassim
Inspired by Greek mythology, the Chimera features acrobatic dance performances and highly aesthetic kaleidoscopic movements.
Frame from Dear Good Son

Dear Good Son, 2017, Israel, 4 min

Directed by Or Meir Schraiebr, Omri Drumlevich
Produced by Achsheli Productions
Choreography by Or Schraiber & Mario Bermudez-Gil
Featuring Dancers from the Bat-Sheva Dance Company
Dancing by Or Schraiber, Mario Bermudez-Gil
Music Composed by Danny Sanderson, Yonatan Daskal & Nimrod Bar.
Music Performed by 'Kaveret', Yonatan Daskal and Nimrod Bar
Cinematography by Omri Drumlevich
Edited by Achsheli Productions
In a small house in an unknown forest sleeps a lonely lady, shut up in her room....
Frame from Singeries

Singeries, 2015, Canada, 7 min

Directed by Priscilla Guy and Catherine Lavoie-Marcus
Produced by Mandoline Hybride
Choreography and Dancing by Priscilla Guy and Catherine Lavoie-Marcus
Filmmaker: Priscilla Guy and Catherine Lavoie-Marcus
Special effects by Antoine Quirion Couture
An abstract duet in which ordinary and agreeable dancers turn into automatons, beasts, objects in free fall, and primates.
Frame from Above the light

Above the light, 2016, UK, 6 min

Produced and Directed by Heike Salzer & Jack Laidlaw
Choreography and Dancing by Jennifer Essex
Music by Jack Laidlaw
Cinematography by Andy Harrison
Edited by Heike Salzer
A movement exploration on a rooftop set to the backdrop of sunset and city lights.
Frame from Black Train is Coming

Black Train is Coming, 2011, USA, 3 min

Produced and Directed by John T. Williams
Choreography and Dancing by eNinja & Joyntz Scott
Music Composed by Rev. J.M Gates
Cinematography by James Tucker
Edited by John T. Williams
Blending an old time sermon with modern day Flex/Turf dance style, this film is based on the 1926 exhortation, "Death's Black Train is Coming," by the prolific black preacher, Rev. J.M. Gates, many of whose sermons were strong warnings of the hellish punishments that awaited sinners.

Kali, 2016, Netherlands, 12 min

Directed by Sabine Molenaar
Produced by Wim van Stam , DansBrabant / PLAN
Choreography and Dancing by Sabine Molenaar
Featuring Sandman
Music by Julien Lepreux and Malik Djoudi
Cinematography by Fleur Boonman
Edited by Myriam Magassouba
In the fringe, wavering between illusion and disillusion, three female figures try to find a harmony in their longing for intimacy and the return to the 'untouched.’
Frame from Dead Draw

Dead Draw, 2016, United States, 2 min

Directed by Charli Brissey, Cou
Choreography and Dancing by Charli Brissey & Courtney Harris
Featuring Maeko Productions
Music by Charli Brissey
Cinematography by John Dombroski
Edited by Charli Brissey
Two dandies flirt over a game of chess.
Frame from Targeted Advertising

Targeted Advertising, 2015, USA, 4 min

Produced and Directed by Mitchell Rose
Choreography by Susan Hadley
Dancing by Josh Hines + 80 dancers
Music Composed by William Goodrum
Cinematography by Perfect Perspectives Aerial Imaging
Edited by Mitchell Rose
A dark-comedy sci-fi drone film glimpsing a future when flying spambots chase a fleeing populace.
Frame from ALL ABOUT YOU

ALL ABOUT YOU, 2017, Canada, 3 min

Produced and Directed by ALLISON BEDA
Choreography by TARA CHEYENNE FRIEDENBERG
Featuring Tara Cheyenne Performance
Dancing by Kate Franklin, Josh Martin, Kim Stevenson, Bevin Poole-Leinweber
Music by The Royal Oui (Adrienne PIerce & Ari Rosenshine)
Cinematography by Allison Beda DOP/CAMERA & Luis Lam 2nd Camera
Edited by Allison Beda
In this strange and joyful music video to The Royal Oui’s song “All About You,” dancers wearing suits and running shoes perform a quirky and distinctive modern dance piece in and around Vancouver, rendering the pedestrian surreal.
Frame from Variations on Breathing

Variations on Breathing, 2016, United States, 3 min

Directed by JeanCarlo Ramirez
Produced by YoungArts Foundation, JeanCarlo Ramirez, Pascal le Boeuf, Kate Vrijmoet
Choreography and Dancing by Katy Short
Featuring YoungArts
Music by Pascal le Boeuf
Cinematography by JeanCarlo Ramirez
Edited by Connor Milligan
How can we embrace our true selves amid an ocean of false social constructs and unconscious biases? Borrowing from Vrijmoet’s “Non-Ordinary Reality” painting series and Le Boeuf's compositions for prepared piano, “Variations on Breathing” leads the viewer from the deep sleep of unknowing through a physical and moral struggle to free the self. Metaphors for transformation are explored through the lens of Ramirez's immersive maximalist cinematography, improvised movement, the shedding of aqueous skin, and the transition from full immersion in water to surfacing for air.

Wed., Mar. 14, 2018, 5:30 PM

Frame from Subsurface

Subsurface, 2015, Finland, 7 min

Directed by Thomas Freundlich
Choreography and Dancing by Jussi Väänänen & Katja Koukkula
Music by Kimmo Pohjonen
Filmmaker: Thomas Freundlich
Costume Design by Jenni Ahtiainen
Archaic elements of nature are metaphors for the multiple levels of a relationship.

Down for the Count, 2015, USA, 5 min

Directed by Erika Randall and Daniel Beahm
Produced by
Choreography by Teena Marie Custer
Dancing by Teena Marie
Music by Andy Hasenpflug
Cinematography by Daniel Beahm
Edited by Jonas Bendsen
Costume Design by Markas Henry
Script by Erika Randall
In this 70s flavored Hip Hop Dance Theatre piece, b-girl Teena Marie, chameleoned as four distinct characters, fights a battle of wills and skills against herself.
Frame from Martiality, Not Fighting

Martiality, Not Fighting, 2012, China, 11 min

Produced by Siu-Fai Pun & Raymond Wong
Choreography by Cheng-Chieh Yu
Featuring Guangdong Modern Dance Company
Music by Christian Fredrickson
Filmmaker: Marianne M. Kim
Combining movement idioms of postmodern dance and the martial arts culture of "Ba Gua Zhang," a young Chinese dancer forsakes violence in recognition of vital exchange and kinetic empathy.
Frame from Earth Poem

Earth Poem, 2015, USA, 3 min

Directed by Gabriel Bienczycki
Produced by The Equus Projects
Choreography by Gabriel Bienczycki, JoAnna Mendl Shaw
Featuring The Equus Projects
Dancing by Tal Adler, Jenna Pollack, Audrey Rachelle Stanley
Music by Jami Sieber
Filmmaker: Gabriel Bienczycki
Poem by Ewa Bienczycka
The Equus Projects, Artistic Director by JoAnna Mendl Shaw
A dancer in a poetic, kinetic dialogue with an equine partner (filmed in Elizabeth, Co.).

Hitch-Glitch-Snag, 2014, USA, 7 min

Produced and Directed by Ana Baer
Choreography by Ana Baer and dancers
Featuring Merge
Dancing by Taylor Wasmer, Olivia Barto
Music Composed by Richard Hall
Filmmaker: Ana Baer
Two dancers, one wall - sharing, resisting, and exploring.
Frame from Angsters

Angsters, 2014, USA, 7 min

Directed by Benjamin Epps
Produced by Heather Epps
Choreography by Amy Cain
Dancing by Amy Cain, Dawn Dippel, Matt Dippel, & Wesley Cordova
Music by Adam Crawley
Cinematography by Kobi Zaig
Edited by Benjamin Epps
Costume Design by Jane Thayer
Dancers have a grand time among the civic sculptures of Houston in this cleverly framed and edited piece.
Frame from Tap Graffiti

Tap Graffiti, 2016, USA, 3 min

Directed by Geoffrey Goldberg
Produced by Geoffrey Goldberg - New Movie Musical productions
Choreography by Geoffrey Goldberg
Dancing by Geoffrey Goldberg and Seth Judice
Cinematography by Bill Simmers / WillyMac Studios Carla McDonald / Find Memphis
Edited by Geoffrey Goldberg
An impromptu tap routine in a graffiti-covered abandoned warehouse in downtown Memphis.
Frame from THE LAST DANCE

THE LAST DANCE, 2015, SPAIN, 11 min

Produced and Directed by CONCHA VIDAL
Choreography by CONCHA VIDAL
Featuring CONCHA VIDAL
Dancing by CONCHA VIDL
Music by ANONIMOUS
Filmmaker: CRISTINA MONGE
A woman performs a dance of grief with her partner, a life-sized rag doll, representing the desire of the soul to revive what is dead.
Frame from TAKE YOUR TIME

TAKE YOUR TIME, 2017, United States, 5 min

Directed by Max Sachar, Natasha Adorlee Johnson
Choreography by Natasha Adorlee Johnson
Featuring Concept o4
Dancing by Natasha Adorlee Johnson and Dalmacio Payomo
Music by Lender
Filmmaker: Max Sachar
Obstacles can sometimes pull us apart, but they can also create a force that binds us. This is the framework for this dream-like collaboration between Bay Area based indie rock band Lender, director/choreographer Natasha Adorlee Johnson, Concept o4 dancers, and Max Sachar, a feature film animation manager at Pixar. A single 5-minute choreographed shot, played backwards, follows a duet as they navigate complex obstacles and spaces.

Globe Trot, 2013, USA & 22 other countries, 4 min

Produced and Directed by Mitchell Rose
Choreography by Bebe Miller
Dancing by people found on the street
Music Composed by William Goodrum
Cinematography by 50 filmmakers
Edited by Mitchell Rose
An international crowd-sourced dance-film project: 50 filmmakers on all 7 continents each shoot 2 seconds of a dance by choreographer Bebe Miller.

Wed., Mar. 21, 2018, 5:30 PM

Wake, 2016, Canada, 6 min

Directed by Katherine Macnaughton
Produced by Emmanuel Hessler
Choreography by Ashley Werhun
Dancing by Ashley Werhun, Mark Caserta, Jeremy Coachman, Gemma Freitas, Kiera Hill
Music Composed by De La Romance
Cinematography by Derek Branscombe
Edited by Katherine Macnaughton
Wake is a reflection on the isolation that technology can create. It is an invitation to reconnect and rebuild our relationships with the people and elements around us.
Frame from Separate Sentences

Separate Sentences, 2016, United States, 15 min

Produced and Directed by Amie Dowling, Austin Forbord
Choreography by Amie Dowling
Music Composed by Albert Mathias
Music Performed by Albert Mathais
Cinematography by Heath Orchard
Edited by Austin Forbord
Incarceration is not a single or discrete event, but a dynamic process that unfolds over time and affects families for generations. This dance/theater film draws upon individual experiences and physical memories of a cast comprised of Bay Area artists– some of whom are fathers or sons who have experienced incarceration. See below for a special note from the directors.

Chimera, 2016, France, 2 min

Directed by Steven Briand
Produced by Vast Be Mess
Choreography by Cathy Ematchoua
Featuring Cathy Ematchoua
Dancing by Aliaska HILSUM, Leonore ZURFLUH, Hajiba FAHMY, Dalila Cortes.
Music by Phazz
Cinematography by Kaname Onoyama
Edited by Nadir Cassim
Inspired by Greek mythology, the Chimera features acrobatic dance performances and highly aesthetic kaleidoscopic movements.
Frame from ALL ABOUT YOU

ALL ABOUT YOU, 2017, Canada, 3 min

Produced and Directed by ALLISON BEDA
Choreography by TARA CHEYENNE FRIEDENBERG
Featuring Tara Cheyenne Performance
Dancing by Kate Franklin, Josh Martin, Kim Stevenson, Bevin Poole-Leinweber
Music by The Royal Oui (Adrienne PIerce & Ari Rosenshine)
Cinematography by Allison Beda DOP/CAMERA & Luis Lam 2nd Camera
Edited by Allison Beda
In this strange and joyful music video to The Royal Oui’s song “All About You,” dancers wearing suits and running shoes perform a quirky and distinctive modern dance piece in and around Vancouver, rendering the pedestrian surreal.
Frame from Dear Good Son

Dear Good Son, 2017, Israel, 4 min

Directed by Or Meir Schraiebr, Omri Drumlevich
Produced by Achsheli Productions
Choreography by Or Schraiber & Mario Bermudez-Gil
Featuring Dancers from the Bat-Sheva Dance Company
Dancing by Or Schraiber, Mario Bermudez-Gil
Music Composed by Danny Sanderson, Yonatan Daskal & Nimrod Bar.
Music Performed by 'Kaveret', Yonatan Daskal and Nimrod Bar
Cinematography by Omri Drumlevich
Edited by Achsheli Productions
In a small house in an unknown forest sleeps a lonely lady, shut up in her room....
Frame from Singeries

Singeries, 2015, Canada, 7 min

Directed by Priscilla Guy and Catherine Lavoie-Marcus
Produced by Mandoline Hybride
Choreography and Dancing by Priscilla Guy and Catherine Lavoie-Marcus
Filmmaker: Priscilla Guy and Catherine Lavoie-Marcus
Special effects by Antoine Quirion Couture
An abstract duet in which ordinary and agreeable dancers turn into automatons, beasts, objects in free fall, and primates.
Frame from Above the light

Above the light, 2016, UK, 6 min

Produced and Directed by Heike Salzer & Jack Laidlaw
Choreography and Dancing by Jennifer Essex
Music by Jack Laidlaw
Cinematography by Andy Harrison
Edited by Heike Salzer
A movement exploration on a rooftop set to the backdrop of sunset and city lights.
Frame from Black Train is Coming

Black Train is Coming, 2011, USA, 3 min

Produced and Directed by John T. Williams
Choreography and Dancing by eNinja & Joyntz Scott
Music Composed by Rev. J.M Gates
Cinematography by James Tucker
Edited by John T. Williams
Blending an old time sermon with modern day Flex/Turf dance style, this film is based on the 1926 exhortation, "Death's Black Train is Coming," by the prolific black preacher, Rev. J.M. Gates, many of whose sermons were strong warnings of the hellish punishments that awaited sinners.

Kali, 2016, Netherlands, 12 min

Directed by Sabine Molenaar
Produced by Wim van Stam , DansBrabant / PLAN
Choreography and Dancing by Sabine Molenaar
Featuring Sandman
Music by Julien Lepreux and Malik Djoudi
Cinematography by Fleur Boonman
Edited by Myriam Magassouba
In the fringe, wavering between illusion and disillusion, three female figures try to find a harmony in their longing for intimacy and the return to the 'untouched.’
Frame from Dead Draw

Dead Draw, 2016, United States, 2 min

Directed by Charli Brissey, Cou
Choreography and Dancing by Charli Brissey & Courtney Harris
Featuring Maeko Productions
Music by Charli Brissey
Cinematography by John Dombroski
Edited by Charli Brissey
Two dandies flirt over a game of chess.
Frame from Targeted Advertising

Targeted Advertising, 2015, USA, 4 min

Produced and Directed by Mitchell Rose
Choreography by Susan Hadley
Dancing by Josh Hines + 80 dancers
Music Composed by William Goodrum
Cinematography by Perfect Perspectives Aerial Imaging
Edited by Mitchell Rose
A dark-comedy sci-fi drone film glimpsing a future when flying spambots chase a fleeing populace.
Frame from Variations on Breathing

Variations on Breathing, 2016, United States, 3 min

Directed by JeanCarlo Ramirez
Produced by YoungArts Foundation, JeanCarlo Ramirez, Pascal le Boeuf, Kate Vrijmoet
Choreography and Dancing by Katy Short
Featuring YoungArts
Music by Pascal le Boeuf
Cinematography by JeanCarlo Ramirez
Edited by Connor Milligan
How can we embrace our true selves amid an ocean of false social constructs and unconscious biases? Borrowing from Vrijmoet’s “Non-Ordinary Reality” painting series and Le Boeuf's compositions for prepared piano, “Variations on Breathing” leads the viewer from the deep sleep of unknowing through a physical and moral struggle to free the self. Metaphors for transformation are explored through the lens of Ramirez's immersive maximalist cinematography, improvised movement, the shedding of aqueous skin, and the transition from full immersion in water to surfacing for air.

Wed., Mar. 28, 2018, 5:30 PM

Frame from Subsurface

Subsurface, 2015, Finland, 7 min

Directed by Thomas Freundlich
Choreography and Dancing by Jussi Väänänen & Katja Koukkula
Music by Kimmo Pohjonen
Filmmaker: Thomas Freundlich
Costume Design by Jenni Ahtiainen
Archaic elements of nature are metaphors for the multiple levels of a relationship.

Down for the Count, 2015, USA, 5 min

Directed by Erika Randall and Daniel Beahm
Produced by
Choreography by Teena Marie Custer
Dancing by Teena Marie
Music by Andy Hasenpflug
Cinematography by Daniel Beahm
Edited by Jonas Bendsen
Costume Design by Markas Henry
Script by Erika Randall
In this 70s flavored Hip Hop Dance Theatre piece, b-girl Teena Marie, chameleoned as four distinct characters, fights a battle of wills and skills against herself.
Frame from Martiality, Not Fighting

Martiality, Not Fighting, 2012, China, 11 min

Produced by Siu-Fai Pun & Raymond Wong
Choreography by Cheng-Chieh Yu
Featuring Guangdong Modern Dance Company
Music by Christian Fredrickson
Filmmaker: Marianne M. Kim
Combining movement idioms of postmodern dance and the martial arts culture of "Ba Gua Zhang," a young Chinese dancer forsakes violence in recognition of vital exchange and kinetic empathy.
Frame from Earth Poem

Earth Poem, 2015, USA, 3 min

Directed by Gabriel Bienczycki
Produced by The Equus Projects
Choreography by Gabriel Bienczycki, JoAnna Mendl Shaw
Featuring The Equus Projects
Dancing by Tal Adler, Jenna Pollack, Audrey Rachelle Stanley
Music by Jami Sieber
Filmmaker: Gabriel Bienczycki
Poem by Ewa Bienczycka
The Equus Projects, Artistic Director by JoAnna Mendl Shaw
A dancer in a poetic, kinetic dialogue with an equine partner (filmed in Elizabeth, Co.).

Hitch-Glitch-Snag, 2014, USA, 7 min

Produced and Directed by Ana Baer
Choreography by Ana Baer and dancers
Featuring Merge
Dancing by Taylor Wasmer, Olivia Barto
Music Composed by Richard Hall
Filmmaker: Ana Baer
Two dancers, one wall - sharing, resisting, and exploring.
Frame from Angsters

Angsters, 2014, USA, 7 min

Directed by Benjamin Epps
Produced by Heather Epps
Choreography by Amy Cain
Dancing by Amy Cain, Dawn Dippel, Matt Dippel, & Wesley Cordova
Music by Adam Crawley
Cinematography by Kobi Zaig
Edited by Benjamin Epps
Costume Design by Jane Thayer
Dancers have a grand time among the civic sculptures of Houston in this cleverly framed and edited piece.
Frame from Tap Graffiti

Tap Graffiti, 2016, USA, 3 min

Directed by Geoffrey Goldberg
Produced by Geoffrey Goldberg - New Movie Musical productions
Choreography by Geoffrey Goldberg
Dancing by Geoffrey Goldberg and Seth Judice
Cinematography by Bill Simmers / WillyMac Studios Carla McDonald / Find Memphis
Edited by Geoffrey Goldberg
An impromptu tap routine in a graffiti-covered abandoned warehouse in downtown Memphis.
Frame from THE LAST DANCE

THE LAST DANCE, 2015, SPAIN, 11 min

Produced and Directed by CONCHA VIDAL
Choreography by CONCHA VIDAL
Featuring CONCHA VIDAL
Dancing by CONCHA VIDL
Music by ANONIMOUS
Filmmaker: CRISTINA MONGE
A woman performs a dance of grief with her partner, a life-sized rag doll, representing the desire of the soul to revive what is dead.
Frame from TAKE YOUR TIME

TAKE YOUR TIME, 2017, United States, 5 min

Directed by Max Sachar, Natasha Adorlee Johnson
Choreography by Natasha Adorlee Johnson
Featuring Concept o4
Dancing by Natasha Adorlee Johnson and Dalmacio Payomo
Music by Lender
Filmmaker: Max Sachar
Obstacles can sometimes pull us apart, but they can also create a force that binds us. This is the framework for this dream-like collaboration between Bay Area based indie rock band Lender, director/choreographer Natasha Adorlee Johnson, Concept o4 dancers, and Max Sachar, a feature film animation manager at Pixar. A single 5-minute choreographed shot, played backwards, follows a duet as they navigate complex obstacles and spaces.

Globe Trot, 2013, USA & 22 other countries, 4 min

Produced and Directed by Mitchell Rose
Choreography by Bebe Miller
Dancing by people found on the street
Music Composed by William Goodrum
Cinematography by 50 filmmakers
Edited by Mitchell Rose
An international crowd-sourced dance-film project: 50 filmmakers on all 7 continents each shoot 2 seconds of a dance by choreographer Bebe Miller.