ReelAbilities Screening: OhioDance Festival

Join Art Possible Ohio and the OhioDance for the May program from ReelAbilities Film Festival Columbus.  This free screening of shorts about dance and movement will be followed by a discussion led by dancer and educator Sarah Ramey.

Doors open at 2:00 PM, films begin at 2:15 PM.

Dance Shorts:

¡Salsa!, The Art of Weightlessness, This Body is a Shell, Turn Up The Bass

Cost:

Free and open to the public.  For tickets visit the OhioDance Festival Humanitix. Registration is requested for this event due to limited seating at the venue.

When:

May 1, 2026     2:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Schedule of events:

2:00 PM: Doors open

2:15 PM: Films begin

3:00 PM: Discussion with Sarah Ramey

Where:

Sullivant Hall, The Ohio State University

1813 N High St, Room 225, Columbus, OH 

Access:

These films feature open captions and Audio Description.

We will also have headphones for assisted listening.

Parking:

Parking is available in the Ohio Union Garages just south of Sullivant Hall.

Film Descriptions:

(¡Salsa!) At a vibrant beachside kiosk, two women discover new forms of expression through dance. Margarita, seeking personal reinvention, meets Liana, a Deaf tourist drawn to the rhythm of salsa. Together, they develop ways to share the music’s essence, creating a language of movement that transcends traditional communication. Their collaboration celebrates the diverse ways people experience and interpret dance. Director: Antonina Kerguelén Román. Run Time: 14 min. 2024.
(The Art of Weightlessness) An animated documentary exploring the life of Bill Shannon, a performance artist born with a degenerative hip condition who redefines movement through dance and skateboarding on crutches. The film captures Shannon’s innovative approach to physicality, turning perceived limitations into a powerful expansion of artistic expression. Director: Moshe Mahler. Run Time: 9 min. 2023.
(This Body is a Shell) Wild souls push through strange terrain and desolate spaces to confront their visage, only to rediscover their worthiness and power. A visual poem that reflects on body image and disability, serving as a reminder that we are souls housed in a temporary shell. Trigger warning: Contains flashing images. Director: Ashley Eakin. Run Time: 7 min. 2023.
(Turn Up The Bass) A look into the vibrant world of Troi Lee, known as DJ Chinaman, who pioneered the UK’s Deaf rave scene. Through his creation of ‘Deaf Rave,’ Lee has spent two decades creating spaces where music, vibration, and community intersect. Made by a predominantly Deaf crew, the film examines how Deaf communities experience and create electronic music, challenging common assumptions about sound and movement. Director: Ted Evans. Run Time: 12 min. 2024.
  

About Sarah Ramey:

Sarah Ramey is a choreographer, performer and teacher who dances and makes dances with people of all ages and backgrounds. She joined the faculty of the School of Dance at Ohio University in 2025 as an Assistant Professor with a focus on dance and healthy aging. Her research explores the role dance plays as a physical, creative, and social practice to enhance the lives of older adults, and how dance can contribute to the flourishing of communities and individuals at every stage of life.
Sarah is the founder and co-director of Perennial Movement Group, a program of dance classes and performance opportunities for adults over age 50 that cultivates creativity, health and community involvement. Founded in 2015 in Columbus, Ohio, the program expanded in 2021 to include a performance ensemble (The Perennials) which has created and performed nine original works at venues ranging from retirement communities to dance festivals. PMG reaches over 200 seniors a year in Central Ohio through classes and events, including partnerships with the Ohio Veterans Administration and the Delaware County Jail.
Sarah began her professional dance career in 2007 with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, a multigenerational dance company founded in 1976. For six years, Sarah traveled around the US and internationally to perform, as well as teach and make dances with people of all ages and abilities. During her career, she had the privilege of dancing in works by Liz Lerman, Cassie Meador, Gesel Mason, Samantha Speis, Keith Thompson, Sara Pearson/Patrik Widrig and Robert Battle. Her own work has been presented at venues ranging from small scale (her front yard) to large scale (The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts). Recent work includes “Inside Voices,” a collaborative evening- length work created in collaboration with four other artist-mothers, and “See Through,” an intergenerational dance work created in collaboration with Chloe Napoletano and a cast of 20 dancers ranging in age from 25-85.
Sarah trained at McDonogh School with Ilona Kessell, then went on to receive her BA in Dance from the University of Maryland, College Park, and her MFA in Dance from The Ohio State University. She lives in Athens, Ohio, with her husband, musician Steve Ramey, and their two children.

Event Image Description:

Poster for screening of Dance Shorts with OhioDance on May 1, 2026 from 2:15-3:30PM. FREE Screening and a discussion after the film! At The Ohio State University in Sullivant Hall, 1813 N High St, Room 225, Columbus, Ohio. Sponsored by Art Possible Ohio, Ohio Arts Council, GCAC, Harry C. Moores, The Columbus Foundation, COTA and ADAMH. In partnership with the OhioDance.