History of SSF

Our history in a nutshell:

Sans Souci (meaning “without concern” or “no worries”) was conceived one fine spring day in 2003 when Michelle Ellsworth and Brandi Mathis sat on the porch of a 1967 Marlette mobile home in the Sans Souci Mobile Home Park in Boulder, Colorado, musing about the pleasures of viewing and creating dances for the screen. Quickly, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) and the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Theatre & Dance, as well as artists Ana Baer and Hamel Bloom, added their support to transform mere musings into a festival of dance cinema.

What was first imagined as an informal gathering of local dance video artists screening their works on a white wall in a trailer is now an international festival with submissions from all over the world. With over twenty years of annual festivals behind us, Sans Souci has exhibited over 800 works from countries all over the world, including: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, and the USA. Our international tours have brought the festival itself to Mexico, Germany, Spain, the UK, Brazil, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Highlights and Milestones:

  • 2004 – 1st annual festival at BMoCA. Tour in Mexico.
  • 2005 – Named first Executive Director David Leserman (a.k.a. Hamel Bloom) and Artistic Director Ana Baer.
  • 2006 – Launched official web site. First live multi-media performance. Tour in Mexico.
  • 2007 – Began online entries. Tour in Germany.
  • 2008 – Tour events in Los Angeles, CA and Texas.
  • 2009 – Added local venue, Dairy Arts Center. Tour in Germany.
  • 2010 – Premiere at ATLAS Black Box. Featured scholarly panel of dance-filmmakers. Tour in Spain.
  • 2011 – Added local venue, Canyon Theater. Tour in Austin, TX.
  • 2012 – Tour in Mexico.
  • 2013 – Screened 5 distinct programs at 3 local venues. Added local venue, Boedecker Cinema. New Artistic Director Tara Rynders.
  • 2014 – Added Screening Partners in Missoula, MT; Austin, TX; and Collegeville, PA. Tour in Guatemala.
  • 2015 – Added Screening Partners University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dancers’ Workshop Jackson Hole, and Ursinus College. Tour in United Kingdom.
  • 2016 – Tour in United Kingdom and Trinidad & Tobago. Added local venues Louisville Arts Center and Lafayette Public Library. New Executive Director & Artistic Co-Director Michelle Bernier. Stepping down: David Leserman and Tara Rynders.
  • 2017 – Premiere event: [Un]W.R.A.P. at University of Colorado Boulder. Added Screening Partner Texas State University. Tour in United Kingdom. Added local venue Lafayette Collective Community Arts Center.
  • 2018 – 15th Anniversary – Tour in United Kingdom. Added Screening Partners Texas State University and University of Wisconsin Madison. Featured in 2 regional ACDA conferences. Added local venue Firehouse Arts Center, first to feature touring live performance (Life/Art Dance Ensemble).
  • 2019 – Sans Souci: Brazilian Edition, the first full edition of the festival outside the US. Annual premiere event at Irey Theatre, University of Colorado Boulder. Added new partners Flatirons Food Film Festival and VIVA Theater. First locals’ films night at the Boedecker Cinema. Launched creative aging program Dance is Like a Fine Wine to bring screenings featuring dancers across the age spectrum to assisted living and memory care facilities.
  • 2020 – Screened 15 distinct screening programs. First Black History Month and Women’s History Month Screenings. First virtual screening. First release of films through Facebook Watch Party and Instagram TV. First SSF-created dance film, shot at iconic Boulder locations with professional local dancers. Sans Souci Brazil: 2nd Edition. Covid-19/Quarantine Challenge virtual screening. First drive-in screening at Dairy Arts Center. Added new partners Colorado Chautauqua Association and Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival. Presentation at CODEO and NDEO conferences.
  • 2021 – New website. Added new Virtual Reality submission category. Added new screening partner for Festival Season Premiere event: Museum of Boulder. Added local venues Jack’s Solar Garden and Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities.
  • 2022 – New President of the Board: Rosely Conz. Sans Souci Brazil: 3rd Edition. Added new Jazz Dance submission category. Added new screening partners Moving Southwest festival, Twin Cities Film Festival, and Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop.
  • 2023 – 20th Anniversary! Attained 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.