EM PAPINEAU + SOFIA ENGELMAN // dance and performance
ID: Sofia and Em are seen in movement on a wooden floor with various multicolored balls strewn around them. Em is in a wide stance, their knees slightly bent, with their left arm flung out to the side and their right arm holding part of Sofia. Sofia is laying back against Em’s right hip and thigh, her right arm reaching up and back, her hand holding onto Em’s right shoulder. Em is wearing a denim dress that is open in the front, showing their bare legs and white kneepads.
ID: Sof and Em take their pants off in slow motion while a group of femme dancers in white t-shirts and boxer shorts, as well as two audience members sitting on inflatable glittery chairs, watch. There are gumballs on the floor.
ID: Sofia + Em are seen in movement on a wooden floor with various multicolored balls strewn around them. Sofia is seen in profile, on all fours. They are wearing black pants with bright blue stripes down the sides, and a long short-sleeve denim shirt. Em is behind Sofia resting on their right arm, reaching their right leg underneath Sofia and wrapping their foot around Sofia’s right wrist. Em’s left leg is lifted and resting on Sofia’s back, as their left arm braces against Sofia’s hip.
INSTANT SAVIORS (how stars are made // revival) (2020)
32 min // unfinished due to COVID-19
performances at School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, Movement Research, The Dance Complex, and Tufts University
View an excerpt/draft here.
*developed with generous support from Northampton Arts Council, Dance Complex, The School for Contemporary Dance & Thought
ID: Em + Sofia are seen in motion on a dimply lit stage. Em is standing straight forward with their hands on the front of their hips with their cheeks are puffed out, full of air. Sofia is standing next to Em, leaning her left hip out towards them as she looks over left shoulder toward Em. Em is wearing black pants with a light brown T-shirt; Sofia is wearing navy blue pants with a gray long sleeve shirt.
ID: Em + Sofia are seen lying down on top of a small blue blowup pool with cash strewn around them on the black floor. Em is outside of the pool, just resting their head on the edge of the pool, looking upward, with both of their hands resting on their lower abdomen. They are wearing black striped shorts and a black and striped short-sleeve shirt. Sofia is lying inside the pool, with a brown notebook open in front of her, as if reading.
ID: Em + Sofia are seen in movement as Sofia bends forward, her hands on her knees, as she looks down to the floor. Em is off the ground, sliding across Sofia’s lower back; Em’s right leg is forward, their left leg slightly bent behind them. They are bracing themselves with their right hand on Sofia’s shoulder. Em’s left hand is slightly raised over their head. Sofia is wearing navy blue pants with white stripes going down the sides and a purple and white shirt.
INSTANT SAVIORS (just add water) (2019)
30 min
performances at Ponderosa, Lion's Jaw Festival's The THING, Movement Research at the Judson Church, FRESH Festival, EstroGenius Festival at Kraine Theater, HUT at School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, Mark DeGarmo Dance, Smith College, Providence Movement Festival at AS220, and The Dance Complex
View the Kraine Theater iteration here.
*developed with generous support from Smith College
ID: Sofia + Em are seen in movement on a black marley stage. Sofia is on her side curled into the fetal position as Em lays their front side onto Sofia, their legs in a wide stance, their feet just barely lifting off of the ground. Em’s hair is pulled back into a ponytail and they are wearing navy blue pants with white stripes down the sides, a sheer black short-sleeve shirt and red sneakers. Sofia’s hair is pulled into a ponytail and is wearing dark colored clothes and light blue sneakers.
ID: Em + Sofia are seen in full body profile as they look at one another, their heads close to touching. Sofia is wearing blue and white striped pants and a red short-sleeved top, her brown hair is down. She is holding leopard print boots and is reaching towards Em’s hands. Em is wearing a brown and floral patterned short-sleeve shirt with multicolored makeup haphazardly drawn on their face. There is a silver headless mannequin wearing a neon safety vest and work gloves sitting on a table.
ID: Em + Sofia are seen in movement from a far distance. They are in a white painted space with white pillars and a silver disco ball hung on the ceiling. Rows of people sitting on folding chairs are watching them, as well as a sound system set up on the right side of the image. Both Em and Sofia are in a wide legged stance facing forward, with their elbows pulled against their ribs. Sofia is wearing maroon pants and a bright red top. Em is wearing a blue denim dress that is open at the front.
Things That Are (ongoing)
a moniker for all pop-up and one-off performances; ghosts of these dances may find their way into finished works
performances at The Root Cellar, BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, WestFest, Northampton Center for the Arts, School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, Ponderosa, Smith College, Flywheel, The Dance Complex, The Craft, The Living Room, and Queer Spectra
ID: Sofia watches Em hold up a sign that says “THIS DANCE IS ALMOST OVER”. Other signs are resting on Em’s knees.
ID: Em stands holding Sofia at shoulder height parallel to the floor. A sign reads “THIS IS A EULOGY”
ID: Sofia Engelman, Em Papineau and an unknown child sit in the foreground of the image. Sofia is wearing a black, long-sleeve turtle neck top with long black athletic pants that have three white stripes on the sides and black sneakers. Em is wearing a mesh black, elbow-length shirt under a black velvet ribbed dress. Em's hair is placed on top of Em's head with a coral-coloured hair clip. Em and Sofia are both sitting on their own piles of lemons.
GRIEF CAROUSEL (2021/2022)
in-progress, collaboration with Albert Mathias
performances at freeskewl, Arts On Site, and MOtiVE Brooklyn
*developed with generous support from the New York Foundation for the Arts, MOtiVE Brooklyn, Triskelion Arts, The Floor on Atlantic
ID: Sofia is seen from their shoulders up, facing the camera and looking slightly over their right shoulder. She is wearing a red, yellow, and purple knit shirt, with a paper cone tied to the top of her head. Behind her is a black wall with a wooden barre that runs horizontal.
ID: Em is seen from their was it upwards, facing the camera. They are smiling with their hands on their hips. Em is wearing a white short-sleeve t-shirt with a denim vest. They have a red McDonald’s French Fries carton tied to the top of their head.
ID: Em + Sofia are seen standing close together, with Sofia facing the camera and Em directly behind her. Sofia is wearing red pants, a red shirt, and a red jacket, holding her arms above her head, fingers slightly spread. Em is barely seen behind Sofia, dressed in orange pants and an orange jacket, their arms also raised above their head with their fingers slightly spread open. They are in a room with a wooden floor, white walls and white curtains, a radiator and folding chair behind them.
Trash Hats (2018)
22 min
performances at Fresh Dance Friday at Green Street Studios and The Living Room's Kaleidoscope
ID: Em + Sofia are seen in profile; Em is hugging Sofia from behind as they look towards the camera. Sofia reaches one of her hands up to hold onto Em’s hand, with her other arm dropped against her side as she looks down. Em is wearing cuffed jeans, a white t-shirt, and a denim vest. Sofia is wearing cuffed jeans and a short-sleeve denim shirt. They are in a room with a wooden floor, white walls, and a yellow couch in the background.
ID: Em + Sofia are seen in movement. Em is walking forward while carrying Sofia over their right shoulder. Sofia dangles her legs in front of Em’s torso while she holds her left arm gently out to the side and reaches her right arm down to the ground. Em is wearing cuffed jeans, a white t-shirt, and a denim vest. Sofia is wearing cuffed jeans and a short-sleeve denim shirt. They are in a room with white walls and a black curtain, and stage lights hung from the ceiling.
ID: Sofia + Em are seen in movement, Em holding Sofia in off the ground. Em is standing with their back to the camera holding Sofia over their left hip with their two arms. Sofia’s head is tilting towards the floor as her legs fly up in the air. Her left arm is reaching around the back of Em’s right leg, her hand on their thigh. They are in a room with a light wooden floor, white walls, and a yellow couch in the background.
Where the air is light and clear (2017)
35 min
performances at Smith College, Boston University, Fresh Dance Friday at Green Street Studios, The Living Room, and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
View the 7 min version here.
*developed with generous support from The Living Room