Join us at The Oaks Theater in Oakmont, Pa., for an evening of dance films (aka mini-movies with visually stunning backdrops, dance, and fantastic music scores), live music, live dance performances, a fully stocked bar, and movie theater snacks. If you've never been to The Oaks before, you're in for a treat! This mid-sized movie theater hosts a flat top space with tables and a bar where you can mingle, chat, and relax before the show. Full bar and movie theater snacks available for purchase.

What Can I Expect?

Doors open at 6 p.m. for the Opening Night Event. Come a little early, grab a beverage and a snack, and watch local band Else Collective performing live from 6:15 p.m.-7:15 p.m. Then, enjoy small segments of dance films (usually 2-3 in a row) with short breaks in between the segments. SSD company dancers will entertain you in between or you can get up and mingle around! The show is expected to conclude at 9 p.m.

Shana Simmons Dance is proud to present the 2nd annual Constructed Sight Dance Film Festival
(CSDFF). This festival is historically the only dance film festival ever presented in Pittsburgh. With
a strong history of filmmaking in the Pittsburgh community, SSD is excited to bring back
international artists to the Pittsburgh screen. CSDFF also features SSD company members’ dance
film shorts blending public works of art around Pittsburgh with dance on film. This festival not only
brings international artists to Pittsburgh through the screen, but brings Pittsburgh’s cultural works
of art to a larger stage.

The 10-day festival kicks off with an in-person Opening Night Event featuring curated selections
from the pool of international applicants plus Shana Simmons Dance company members to
create an hour-and-a-half long show. Live music and dance round out this event and patrons can
sip on purchased beverages or nibble on movie theater snacks. The Opening Night Event will be
presented at The Oaks Theater in Oakmont, Pa., plus be live streamed to a YouTube audience.

Simmons says about this series:
“Constructed Sight is one of my favorite presentations SSD has created over the years. Dance films are like watching mini-movies through movement, visual imagery, music, and storytelling. It’s exciting to see these films from different locations around the globe and a truly special culmination of artists.”