Sheila
A dancer blows out a candle and finds herself in a magical world of memory , dance and presence.
An experimental short bio doc starring Sheila Rohan, one of the founding dancers of Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Personal Connection
I met Sheila when I moved to Staten Island, where Sheila Rohan was born and raised. She welcomed me immediately to the community, and became an inspiration and guiding light to me on so many levels. Over the years we formed a friendship, I saw some of her choreographies, saw her perform with her 5 PLUS Ensemble, ( I was floored) and more. As Sheila knows, I have been wanting to film her for years. We started a larger project in the beginning of 2020 which was stopped due to the pandemic. In the end I had a vision of this film I ended up making, a short film, a poem of sorts of a woman (Sheila) and memories past and present. It is in many ways an experimental short bio documentary, part dream, but above all I hope it conveys the mystery and strength of this talented, remarkable, inspirational, strong, elegant and kind woman who I am lucky to know. I want the world to know her too and feel the magic of her presence. In the last few months the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy was born and Sheila and her colleagues started to own and share their own stories. I’m grateful this is happening for her and all the dancers who deserve to be recognized, but also for me as it gave me permission to follow my artistic vision for this film.
— Gabri Christa, December 2021
This is fantastic. A dream like journey through time and one's previous selves. Beautifully imagined, shot, edited and strongly directed.
— Lisa Cortes, Filmmaker/ Producer and Director (known for The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion (2019), All In: The Fight for Democracy, Precious)
About Sheila Rohan
Sheila Rohan is one of the founding members of Dance Theater of Harlem (DTH), under the direction of Arthur Mitchell, former Premier Danseur with the New York City Ballet, and Associate Director Karel Shook. She toured extensively in the United States, Caribbean and Europe, performing as soloist in several works – Geoffrey Holder’s “Dougla,” Arthur Mitchell’s “Biofera,” “Tones,” and “Rhythmetron.”
Sheila has performed with dance companies both contemporary and ballet. She toured China and South Korea with the Myung Sook Chun Dance Company, a modern dance troupe. She danced the role of Rosa Parks in Gordon Parks’ film for television “Martin…the ballet,” and performed in a production of “Porgy and Bess,” choreographed by Carmen De Lavallade at the Metropolitan Opera House. She performed with the Louis Johnson Ensemble, Fred Benjamin Dance Company, Rod Rodgers Dance Company, Walter Nicks Dance Company, Clive Thompson Dance. Sheila co-founded and is a performer with 5 Plus Ensemble, a theater group for dancers over 50. She is also one of the founders of The 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy, whose mission is to collectively preserve, educate, and give voice to the essence of Black Ballet.
The camera lingers on her but does not fetishize; it does not call out otherness but instead builds a lexicon of iconic imagery. She is a woman, of color, a dancer, someone with a history and a story. The other women that come and go in the film support some kind of ancestry, or community legacy. And the small projections on her body tattoo history onto her flesh in a way that is deeply poetic.
— DOUGLAS ROSENBERG, PHD. AWARD WINNING FILMMAKER AND AUTHOR OF SCREENDANCE: INSCRIBING THE EPHEMERAL IMAGE, AND EDITOR OF THE OXFORD HANDBOOK OF SCREENDANCE STUDIES
BOOKING & CONTACt
To bring Sheila to your film festival or screening or to book a community engagement workshop, please contact Gabri Christa.
Credits
Sheila: Sheila Rohan
Additional Dancers: Sajda Musawwir Ladner, Makeda Thomas, Nyah Love Thomas, Idea Reid, Malasia Bell, Niyah Bell
Writer, Director, and Producer: Gabri Christa
Cinematographer: Guy de Lancey
Editor: Abby Lee
Camera: Gabri Christa and Manuel Molina Martagon
Associate Producer: Allison Costa
Set Assistant Producer: Nkima Stephenson
Composer: Mazz Swift
Sound Design: Eve Cuyen
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