Today we’d like to introduce you to Sasha Reist.

Hi Sasha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I started dancing before I knew how to walk. I don’t ever remembering deciding to dance- it was always inherent. I took ballet and tap starting at the age of two and at the age of seven, I realized that I wanted to take dance more seriously than the kids around me. In second grade, I auditioned and got into The Ailey School and trained there until I graduated high school. I then attended the University of Arizona where I got a BFA in Dance and BA in Film & Television. After college, I’ve been doing my best to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Through choosing to put effort in the things that interest me, my career has taken me in many exciting directions.

I was introduced to the film world at a young age since my dad was a stage manager and director for Guiding Light. I grew up coloring on the back of scripts and taking days off to go to the studio. My dad also got me on a camera and editing on different programs at five. I would take headshots with friends or create small videos in my free time. I continued to hone my craft until high school, when I had to switch gears and dedicate more time to dance and getting into college. However, when choosing my second major in school, I realized there was nothing else I rather study than film & television. The pandemic also pushed me to reenter the film world since there was nothing but the virtual world and an abundance of time. I started creating dance projects for film and was eventually hired by the University of Arizona School of Dance to create film projects with faculty members, as well as editing content for Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance. Right out of college, I started working at Broadway Dance Center and Dare to Be Films as a videographer. Those two jobs have led me to many incredible experiences, both with theirs teams and on my own.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Overall, I am lucky to say the road has been relatively smooth. I am very grateful to have a great support system and have been lead to so many incredible opportunities. Self-doubt, the tendency to compare myself and the habit to put expectations on my timeline was the biggest struggle. It is incredible to grow up knowing exactly what you want to do but in turn, in puts a lot of pressure on oneself at a young age.

I had a vision of what college would be and the trajectory after that. I wanted to go to a top dance program at a larger college and have a well-rounded university experience and then jump into an arts career right away. On one hand, my life didn’t go as planned. I got cut during the pre-screening for my dream school and then when I found my love for U of A, I didn’t get into the school at first either. I was determined and expecting to book a contract right out of college but didn’t even receive my first callback until a year after I graduated. I’m constantly struggling with self-doubt, existential crises and the weighted worry that I don’t have what it takes to make it. However, my career has continually taught me that our dreams are much more in reach than we give them credit for. They usually just manifest in ways we never would have expected. I have yet to book that “contract” I have always envisioned myself to have, the one I thought would come the moment I got my diploma and the one I see my classmates already getting. In spite of that, I believe my career, in both dance and film, has been an incredible success so far. I mean, heck, I am having an article written about me. My real success has been finding a career that is more fitting for me than I could have imagined.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I pride myself in being a jack of all trades. Not only do I work in dance and film, but I act, sing and have a long background in percussion. Within the last year, I have started training in flying trapeze and other static apparatuses, such as silks, straps and lyra.

I also value that I have an extremely diverse dance background, which was heavily cultivated by my time spent studying at The Ailey School and Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts. I have trained in ballet, modern (including Límon, Horton and Graham), jazz, West African, hip-hop, character, tap, precision, theater, house and contemporary. I am skilled in pointe, partnering, floor work and improvisation (at this point, you are getting my resume!). My greatest interest lies in musical theater. I am very grateful for my wide-ranging background as Broadway has started to splinter into more dance genres.

Within my film and photography work, I am most specialized in capturing dance, whether that be a dance class, performance, or reel. However, my experiences have expanded beyond that. I also work a lot with bands, such as the Neon Trees and Gaslight Anthem. I have done event coverage for organizations such as the Women’s Sports Foundation.
I take dance shots, headshots, couple shots- I am here to fulfill whatever creative need you have!

I take most pride in my understanding of the intersection between film and dance. I have filmed a lot of dance concept videos and have an eye for optimal angles and editing techniques to enhance movement. I also choreograph often with a filmic eye, incorporating concepts and themes reserved for the screen. One of my favorite pieces I choreographed told the story of a person who falls in love and learns that their love interest has been leading them on and is involved with someone else. They are devastated but then they realize the love of their life has been there all along. I started the piece in the “middle of the storyline,” in which the main character dances their devastated solo and then the piece rewinds to the beginning of the story. You see how the main character got to their saddened state, arrive back to the solo and then the piece resolves itself beyond. Throughout the piece, their are moments of fast-forwarding or flashback. It was an awesome puzzle to solve and I loved seeing my dancers bring my vision to life!

I created two short films in college that I am extremely proud of- “Changement” and “So This Is Love”

“Changement” is a short documentary exploring the experiences of two dancers, Cat Cogliandro, a nonbinary individual within the dance community, and Mae Lever, a queer dance graduate student. Foundational to many other forms of dance, ballet has remained a highly traditional art form, with most of its’ movement and pieces revolving solely around heteronormative, cisgendered practices and labels. “Changement” touches on historical elements of ballet while opening up the discussion around more inclusive and welcoming language, stories, and narratives. I have been slowly working on creating a longer adaption of “Changement.”

Credits:
Official Selections- 2022 Leeds International Film Festival
Official Selection- 2022 Loft Film Festival
Official Selection- 2022 Social Impact Film Festival
Nominee- 2022 National Academy of Television Arts & Science Student Production Award.

“So This Is Love” is a short adaptation of the classic Cinderella tale told entirely through dance and title cards. Eva, after receiving a magical invitation and a visit from her Fairy Godfather, attends the Rainbow Ball and instantly falls in love with a princess. However, a presumptuous prince and her own sexual confusion keeps on getting in the way of Happily Ever After. I created “So This Is Love” as my senior honors thesis and plan on one day doing a similar feature-length film.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?

I was a very confident and sassy kid. I was full of personality and always beating to my own drum. I established a funky, wacky style around the age of 10 and wore every eccentric outfit with a sense of pride I still envy today. Telling me I was matching was the worst insult you could give me. My confidence and self-assurance often led me to an accidental bossiness. There is an infamous video of me aggressively directing my friends around a stage for a elementary talent show

I was determined to be a dancer at a young age and therefore very dedicated to my craft. I started commuting on my own into the city by myself four times a week when I was eleven, along side all of the corporate parents of Westchester.

While I didn’t have a lack of outward confidence and determination, I have also struggled with anxiety and OCD. It manifested in me constantly worrying and lacking the belief in myself, and instead instilling way too much trust in other people. It’s a gift to be analyze the world at such lengths but also a curse that I’m constantly learning how to work through.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sashareist.media @sasha.reist

Image Credits

DSC06165- Adam Reist, Dare to Be Films
IMG_5542- Katie Mollison
IMG_5542- Jackson Hayes

My photos:
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