SSF @ Dairy Arts Center 2021

a series of three different screenings, with two showings of each

I. Dancing on the Planet

  • October 27, 2021 at 7pm
  • October 31, 2021 at 1pm
  • must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend

II. Dancing as Ourselves

  • November 17, 2021 at 7pm
  • November 21, 2021 at 1pm
  • must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend

III. Dancing Through the Holidays

  • December 8, 2021, at 7pm
  • December 12, 2021, at 1pm
  • must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend

Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema is one of Boulder’s longstanding favorite arts organizations, and we’re so happy to return to one of our most beloved venues, the Boedecker Cinema at Dairy Arts Center for three separate programs this fall — Dancing on the Planet, Dancing as Ourselves, and Dancing Through the Holidays.

Dairy Arts Center logo
Dairy Arts Center
2590 Walnut St
Boulder, CO 80302

Accessibility: handicap parking, theatre on the first floor with ramps to building, wheelchair seating available upon request. Must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend.

a silhouette of a woman tap dancing on a bench; part of the Sans Souci logo

I. Dancing on the Planet

October 27, 2021 at 7pm
October 31, 2021 at 1pm
must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend

“Dancing on the Planet” is the first of that series. Featuring films from the U.S., Australia, France, U.K., Mexico, and Sweden, this screening will remind you just how small you are, and how big this world can be. Specially curated around the theme ‘dancing on the planet,’ this program of short films repositions the viewer in relationship to the Earth, and connects our bodies to the places we call home, near and far. From ballet to modern dance, and from neoclassical Indian dance to physical theater, this screening illustrates that the range of humanity’s expression is as vast as the range of environments on the planet.

This screening runs approximately 90 minutes plus one 10-minute intermission.

a dancer on the beach at sunset raises her chest to the sky

Weight of the Moon

2021 / United States / 10 min

Directed by Lindsay Gilmour
Choreography by Lindsay Gilmour
Featuring Pearson/Widrig Dance Theater
Dancing by Aliya Kerimujiang
Cinematography by Nathan Whitmont

A 10-minute dance film exploring the interconnected and reciprocal relationship between body and ocean; a conversation where we experience ourselves not as the center, but as a thread in a larger fabric of being.

one dancer with a long braid, sitting atop another dancer with hands clasped behind him

Ecce

2021 / France / 9 min

Directed by Fu Le
Produced by Tetrapode
Choreography by Fu Le
Dancing by Maya Eymeri, Rafael Cherkaski
Sound Design by Olivier Lasson

We spin around the night consumed by the fire.

two dancers in casual clothes and orange masks in angular shapes on a rocky surface

Circumstance 2020

2020 / Australia / 23 min

Produced and Directed by Sue Healey
Featuring Allie Graham, Billy Keohavong
Choreography by Sue Healey and dancers
Dancing by 25 dancers from Sydney Dance Company’s Pre Professional Year 2020
Music Composed by Fiona Hill
Cinematography by Ken Butti
Drone Operator by Lee Stevenson
Color by Nicholas Andrews

watch the trailer

In reaction to the pandemic, 27 dancers defy the consequences of the lockdown – no work, no contact, no live performance – through the use of a drone to capture their dance from a distance. A study in isolation, connection and moving in precarious spaces.

an Asian American man in mid air in a balletic jump

The Air Before Me

2021 / United States / 5 min

Directed by Shaun Clarke
Produced by Shaun Clarke, John Lam, Helen Pickett
Choreography by Helen Pickett
Dancing by John Lam
Music Composed by Peter Salem
Edited by Shaun Clarke
Director of Photography by Daniel Jacobs

The Air Before Me is a short dance film that connects ethereal space and light with human agency in a continual affirmation of the present’s power.

10-minute intermission

several Indian dancers caught mid turn with fabric and hair flying

Kattam Katti

2020 / United Kingdom / 20 min

Directed by Omari ‘Motion’ Carter
Produced by Pagrav Dance Company
Choreography by Urja Desai Thakore
Dancing by Meera Patel, Mira Salat, Saloni Saraf, Subhash Viman Gorania, Gurdain Singh Rayatt, Hiren Chate, Kaviraj Singh, Praveen Pratap
Cinematography by James Williams
Concept, Artistic Direction by Urja Desai Thakore
Photo credit: Pagrav Dance Company, Souvid Datta

watch the trailer

Neo classicist dance with specially composed live music tells tales inspired by the colourful yet ruthlessly competitive Uttarayan kite festival, highlighting the parallels with today’s divided societies.

two dancers shoulder to shoulder lock eyes and smile at each other

WECreate Spaces: Morelia

2020 / Mexico / 4 min

Directed by Ana Baer, Heike Salzer
Produced by WECreate Productions
Choreography by Rocio Luna, Heike Salzer
Featuring Rocio Luna, Heike Salzer
Music Composed by Christian Alexander Cruz Lineros
Cinematography by Ana Baer

In WECreate Spaces: Morelia the artists explore the urban landscapes of Morelia, Mexico, a city that exemplifies the dichotomy found in colonial places featuring the eclectic richness of their architecture and the dilapidated parts of the town. Tuning into the environment through improvisation, the dancers, camera-person and musician create a collaborative knowledge that illuminates their multi-layered sensibility of understanding the world through the body. Generating affective spaces, highlighting the artist’s relations to environment, artist to artist and artist to locals. The serendipitous encounters with the passers-by add a flavour that transforms the usual into extraordinary, portraying the tonality, mood and atmosphere of this joyful and vibrant place.

a light-skinned woman with messy hair pulls on her mouth and stares

Dear Tree, Please Don’t Spill on Our Grave.

2021 / Sweden / 15 min

Produced and Directed by Jonne Covers
Featuring Anna Fransen, Laurens van de Linde
Music composed by Thomas Jaspers, Jort Terwijn
Cinematography by Floris Verweij
Written by Jonne Covers
Sound Design by Sam Huisman

watch the trailer

Dear Tree, Please Don’t Spill on Our Grave. tells a short story about the history of humankind. In an attempt to make sense of it all, the film originates from a somewhat dry research to “How did we get here?” and “What is that ‘here’ anyway?” Of course this leads to nothing but more questions. So here is a clunky film about adventurous Anna, who lives in a toilet, and who accidentally throws herself a surprise party.

a bare chested white male dancer reaches toward the grass with a leg thrown up behind him

Rebirth

2020 / United States / 5 min

Directed by Łukasz Zięba, Andrzej Belina Brzozowski
Produced by ACE Dance Concept, Łukasz Zięba, Stypendium Twórcze Miasta Krakowa
Choreography and Dancing by Łukasz Zięba
Featuring Danica Paulos
Music composed by Mateusz Bazgier, Nathan Prillaman
Cinematography by Andrzej Belina Brzozowski
Edited by Filip Kowalski
Drone and Underwater Camera by Marcin Zięba
Music Production by Nathan Prillaman

watch the trailer

Rebirth takes us on one man’s journey through the evolution of consciousness by connecting with the elements and Nature’s metaphysical powers.

a silhouette of a woman tap dancing on a bench; part of the Sans Souci logo

II. Dancing as Ourselves

November 17, 2021 at 7pm
November 21, 2021 at 1pm
must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend

“Dancing as Ourselves” is the second of that series. As a festival that typically screens mostly short artistic films, these two documentaries are a step outside the box for SSF. This lineup was specially curated around a theme: dancing as ourselves, and features two documentaries we think make an interesting fit for one another. The first film features women dancing as men, and the second film features men dancing as women (the legendary Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo). Together, they meet at the intersection of gender, art, and politics, but with vastly different approaches, styles, and histories.

This screening runs approximately 90 minutes plus one 10-minute intermission.

several women in men's suit jackets, ties, and underwear, on the steps of a building gesture wildly

Men in Charge

2021 / Canada / 37 min

Directed by Melanie Kloetzel, Linnea Swan
Produced by kloetzel&co., ReLoCate
Dancing by Jocelyn Hoover Leiver, Meghann Michalsky, Jennifer Dewolf, Janelle Schiffner, Brenna Goertson, Taylor Ritchie, Sylvie Moquin, Melanie Kloetzel

watch the trailer

Tracking the antics of the performance group kloetzel&co., Men in Charge documents the development of the satirical dance theatre work “It began with watching.” Through a physical and artistic representation of a sector enthralled by alternative facts, this film provokes audiences to reconsider the cunning, and sometimes comical, intersection of art and politics.

10-minute intermission

historic photo of male ballerinas on their toes

Ballerina Boys

2020 / United States / 53 min

Produced and Directed by Chana Gazit, Martie Barylick
Dancing by Peter Anastos, Roy Fialkow, Natch Taylor, Tory Dobrin, Albie Pretto, Duane Gosa, Philip Martin Nielson
Music composed by Nathan Halpern, Chris Ruggiero
Cinematography by Claudia Raschke
Edited by E. Donna Shepherd

Ballerina Boys celebrates Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, whose male ballerinas have for 45 years taken great risks to practice their dazzling version of ballet parody. This is a beautiful, funny film, yet it asks viewers to face issues of gender, inclusion, and social justice. Ballerina Boys interweaves a tour of the Carolinas (center of efforts to walk back LGBTQ rights) with portraits of the dancers and the survival saga of the Company itself – a story that begins at the Stonewall Tavern in 1969 and culminates in “Stars and Stripes Forever” at the Stonewall 50th Anniversary Celebration where 15 drag queens, in red, white, and blue tutus, exult in a moment of unabashed patriotism. Ballerina Boys is intimate and panoramic, historical and immediate. Now the world can look up to heroes who actually DO wear tights!

a silhouette of a woman tap dancing on a bench; part of the Sans Souci logo

III. Dancing Through the Holidays

December 8, 2021 at 7pm
December 12, 2021 at 1pm
must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend

“Dancing through the Holidays” is the last of that series. As a festival that typically happens in the fall, this will be our first time ever extending our season into December, making a little room for some holiday programming! The three films in this lineup aren’t your typical holiday dance show, but they do include ballet by the Scottish Ballet, tap by Barbara Duffy & Ted Louis Levy, and jazz by twin cities-based company Rhythmically Speaking. Where else can you get some jazzy Radiohead, classic showtunes, and a touch of the Nutcracker all in one show?

This screening runs approximately 80 minutes, with no intermission.

a man and woman tap dance in a large room with bare floor and Christmas decorations

When Snow Falls

2020 / United States / 10 min

Directed by Anthony Morigerato
Produced by Anthony Morigerato, Jess Weiss
Choreography by Anthony Morigerato, Luke Hickey
Dancing by Barbara Duffy, Ted Louis Levy
Cinematography by Kurt Csolak

watch the trailer

The best things happen while you’re dancing! The holidays celebrated through music and dance!

a light skinned man rubs his face in a furry coat

RadioBody

2021 / United States / 13 min

Produced and Directed by Erinn Liebhard
Choreography by Erinn Liebhard
Dancing by Nieya Amezquita, Doug Hooker, Amy Jones, Sara Karimi, Erinn Liebhard, Kelli Miles, Kathleen Pender, John Surber
Cinematography by Cully Gallagher
Musical Arrangement by Mike Lauer
Drone and Additional Camera by TJ Tronson

RadioBody is a collaboration with composer Mike Lauer exploring the jazz sensibilities and human toil and triumph embedded in the work of pioneering alt-electronic band Radiohead.

a dancer in an elaborate sparkling dress and crown wearing green lipstick

The Secret Theatre

2020 / United Kingdom / 57 min

Directed by Jess & Morgs
Produced by Tony Currie, Beth Allan
Choreography by Christopher Hampson, Peter Darrell
Featuring Scottish Ballet
Dancing by Leo Tetteh, Alice Kawalek, Constance Devernay, Jerome Anthony Barnes, Bruno Micchiardi
Cinematography by Jess and Morgs
Written by Jess & Morgs

In a deserted city, a young boy stumbles into a theatre. He wanders through the auditorium, where rows of velvet chairs, draping curtains and chandeliers seem to lie in lonely wait for audiences to return. The theatre may be empty, but the show will go on… Starring characters from our most popular festive ballets, the worlds of the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy collide when the theatre bursts into life. In this spectacular feature-length film, you’ll be treated to an extraordinary show filled with acrobats, snowflakes, clowns, princes and – of course – beautiful ballerinas.