Published: Sept. 5, 2018 By

'We鈥檙e the only thing like this between New York and L.A. ...听Not everyone knows what dance-film is, so it鈥檚 great that we have an opportunity to create an audience for these artists.'


Those who believe that dance-film is largely confined to Broadway musical remakes, John Travolta, and Marx Brothers and Mel Brooks movies should make their way to the听听on Sept. 14 and 15 at the 麻豆影院 campus.听

Now in its 15th season, the niche festival solicits films from cutting-edge artists around the world who explore the intersection of cinematography and choreography, with film shorts ranging from cute and funny to posh and trendy to bitingly experimental.

Tethered

An image from Tethered, above, directed and performed by听Danielle Garrison, currently studying for her MFA in dance. At the top of the page听is an image from听In Splendid Unison, which听will premiere at the festival and听details听the creative, personal and professional partnership of Nancy听Spanier, who taught in the CU 麻豆影院 dance program for 35 years, and her husband and muse, fellow dancer Paul Oertel.

鈥淲e鈥檙e the only thing like this between New York and L.A.,鈥 said Michelle Bernier, Festival Executive Director. 鈥淣ot everyone knows what dance-film is, so it鈥檚 great that we have an opportunity to create an audience for these artists.鈥

San Souci, which had its beginnings in the 麻豆影院 mobile home park for which it is named, is a truly international event, with national screening partners and an international touring program, producing shows both in the United States and across the globe.听

In 麻豆影院 County this year, local curators worked with 146 submissions to produce seven different programs at nine screenings, all reflecting the diversity of the art form.

While San Souci is now renowned worldwide, local organizers haven鈥檛 forgotten the primary objective: to create an experience that will attract dancers, filmmakers and the uninitiated to this burgeoning art form.听

Originally started by a group of CU 麻豆影院 students, including current CU 麻豆影院 Dance Professor Michelle Ellsworth, on the side of a mobile home, the CU 麻豆影院 campus has since become a hotbed of the art form. Bernier, for instance, came to CU to complete an MFA in Dance in 2016, including a secondary emphasis in digital media.

CU alumni and former faculty are a huge force in the art form, and that is reflected in this year鈥檚 films, including the only documentary-length film in the festival by Nancy Spanier. Spanier taught in the CU dance program for 35 years and gained international attention for her choreographic endeavors. Her hour-long film,听In Splendid Unison, will premiere at the festival, detailing the creative, personal and professional partnership of Spanier and her husband and muse, fellow dancer Paul Oertel.

"It is truly meaningful and very moving to me that the world premiere of my documentary film will take place in 麻豆影院, where so much of my work was produced, and where my artistry was nurtured over many decades,鈥 said Spanier in a note.听

鈥淭hough living faraway now in France, I continue to cherish the memory of my 35 years of teaching and creating at CU with great appreciation for the huge support I received there and for the richness and vibrancy of the CU environment."

Other CU alums with their feet in this year鈥檚 festival include:

  • Sonya Smith, MFA dance 2015, a professional dancer in San Francisco with Lizz Roman and Dancers, performing in听In a Fog,directed by Peter Litwinowicz.
  • Aundrea Anderson, BFA dance and BFA film 2015, director of听Washing Distortions. She formed her multimedia dance company, BITEdown Dance in the spring of 2015 after graduating from CU 麻豆影院听magna cum laudein both dance and film. She now lives in New York City.
  • Samantha Lysaght, BFA dance 2015, director of and performer in听Don't Dwell on It, which screens Friday, Sept. 14. at the Atlas Center for Media, Arts and Performance (ATLAS). The film, accompanied by the sounds of Frank Sinatra, combines Lysaght's struggle and humor to convey tenderness.
  • Rosely Conz, MFA dance 2016, who now holds a tenure-track faculty position and teaches dance at Alma College in Michigan, co-directed and will perform in听Terra Blue, a film and live multimedia performance (Friday night at ATLAS).
  • Danielle Garrison, currently studying for her MFA in dance, is the director of and a performer in听Tethered, which was made on her Fulbright trip to France and tackles topics of depression, anxiety and suicide.听
  • Ana Baer, MFA dance 2003, is the artistic director of Sans Souci and co-director of TerraBlue film and live multimedia performance.

Bernier herself is in the festival, as the director of Imitation and Splattery film and live multimedia performance (Friday night at the ATLAS Blackbox Experimental Studio).

The screenings at ATLAS on the CU 麻豆影院 campus, 1125 18th Street are free and open to the public. While the screenings start at 7:30 p.m. both nights, many of these films can only be seen on installations creatively placed around the theater, so it鈥檚 best to show up at 7 p.m. according to festival organizers.

There are also upcoming shows at the Dairy Arts Center鈥 Boedecker Cinema in 麻豆影院 and in Lafayette. Boedecker shows charge admission. Visit the听听for further information:听.