Sara de Santis

In the murky shadows of a darkened basement a figure stirs within a matrix of projections.  Like an insect, struggling to escape a spider web, her crafted environment distorts and shifts with movement. Eventually the dancer gains control of her environment as she maneuvers the space with greater freedom, causing major contortions of the matrix that surrounds her.

Emanuel Andel

 For dance anywhere® 2014 choreographer Sara de Santis created a web-like series of projections, which she described as a “playground to explore with movement”. As Sara moved within the space, her crafted world distorted and changed with her.  “The piece was an exploration of shifting and changing landscapes and unstable environments”.    

“I dance anywhere® for my memories, my soul, my future!” said Sara.  Sara, a first time dance anywhere® participant from Rome, Italy participated in dance anywhere® because she sought a community dedicated to performance in unconventional spaces.  Her work investigates the memories and stories of shared and common spaces. “I love to dance in unusual spaces!”

Sara de Santis

Sara’s most recent work, Lumbering Memories traverses the grounds of a large stone castle in Crete, Greece. “Two performers investigated the concept of memory and its place-time location. They exchanged suggestions and movement material in order to create a ‘common playground’ where they can not only let resurface common memories but interact with each other”. Sara choreographs in locations that reflect memories and themes relevant to individuals across cultures and backgrounds. With this in mind, she perceives that site- specific dance has “an incredible potential to unite people.”    

Emanuel Andel

  Though currently based in Amsterdam, Sara choreographed  Lumbering Memories in Crete, Greece during dance anywhere® 2014. In Crete Sara explored a wide variety of indoor and outdoor spaces, as she scouted an appropriate location for her new work. She especially enjoyed dancing near the ocean and on rocks overlooking the sea in Iraklion. These explorations inspired the site-specific “web” she created for dance anywhere® 2014. 

Sara De Santis is a choreographer and performer based in Amsterdam. She recently finished her Masters Degree in Dance and Performance at AND (National Academy of Dance) and also holds a degree in Theories and Practices of Anthropology (Sapienza, Rome).  Since 2009 she has collaborated as a choreographer and dancer with the visual artist Klaus Obermaier in “The Concept of Here and Now”. Sara has presented her own choreography in Greece, Italy, France, Poland, Germany and Hungary.

 For more information on Sara de Santis view her website or dance anywhere page