The Four Dance at Night
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama
On this night four bewitching sisters engage in a moonlit ritual, that -- while innocent in intention -- may have awoken something altogether corrupt.
The Four Dance at Night
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $12,410 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
66 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
On this night four bewitching sisters engage in a moonlit ritual, that -- while innocent in intention -- may have awoken something altogether corrupt.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
There are the Bennet sisters, the March sisters, and the Lisbon girls. Although from different generations, and with stories varying from the romantic, the pragmatic, and even outright miserable-- they all embody sisterhood so poignantly. The Four Dance at Night -- an unabashed tribute to girlhood -- is a tale inspired by these stories, but with faces we may not have seen before.
Our film explores young sisters belonging to the American Black Elite, a segment of culture following the American Reconstruction that created a distinct class system within the black community. This class system was not dictated by skin tone as most would assume, but largely by family history and education. And while this part of American History is often glanced over, in the effort to tell more stories about people of color by people of color, we would like for you to step into the slippers of these sisters for one night.
Walking in the footsteps of Julie Dash's Daughter's of the Dust and Kasi Lemmon's Eve's Bayou, this film tells the tale of black girls, celebrating the revelry, innocence, and even rivalry between sisters.
Set in 1949, over one night in a parochial black community in New York, the four Marchand sisters have created an outlet. They've secured a means for their carefree adolescence to take center stage-- by way of sneaking out of their home to engage in a moonlit dance in the woods.
It is a welcome escape from the stifling restraints of their Black elite status and the docile facade that they're expected to wear during the day -- but in this innocent ritual may be born something that is altogether corrupt. The Four Dance at Night is a story about sisterhood and the choice to express one's freedom, and truest nature. It’s about the unbounded thrill of taking part in something forbidden.
In this story one will see four sisters emboldened by the magic of their minds, the chaos in their brief moments of stolen freedom, and their belief that if they only will it, anything is possible.
The team behind this film are highly talented, invested, and resourceful. We come from diverse backgrounds and are proud to display that we're mostly female led. To learn more about the team, check out our "Team" tab.
A note from the director, T.S. Evering:
From a young age, my mother encouraged my sister and co-writer, K.S. Evering, and myself to be lovers of literature. She introduced us to the classics and fairy tales which was where my love for period pieces first took form-- mostly because their costumes are so incredibly layered and considered. I grew up on Masterpiece Theater and Turner Classic Movies, befriending the March and Bennet sisters both. There was such an elegance to these BBC dramas and Old Hollywood films that I wanted to emulate in real life. After a while, I realized that I yearned to see women of color--women that looked like me in these films. But, I was also painfully aware that when casting a black woman in a historical drama, it was most likely for the role of slave, maid, and/or "magical negro". How to remedy this? Write a script about black sisters in the 1940s dealing with the complexities of girlhood, of course!
***
To bring this bewitching night in the lives of the four Marchand sisters to the screen, the budget has been carefully considered. Your contribution will go towards:
Location
Equipment (including sound)
Hiring the film crew
Costumes
Set Production
Transporation
Meals
Post-production
Film Festival Fees
The journey of this film does not end with the final cut, we will be entering The Four Dance at Night into film festivals to widen our audience. Representation in the film industry is vital and helps to break down stereotypes and barriers. Art helps to set the tone of our culture, and you can be a part of the effort to tell a universal coming of age story through the lens of four black girls.
For more information, you can also check out our "Wishlist" tab to see if you can loan or donate any of the items needed to make this film possible.
It is our utmost duty to ensure that all cast and crew feel safe and well taken care of while on set. Covid safety increases budgets by 10-30 percent, but we will not be looking for shortcuts to spare the change. Instead, we are taking all the proper protocol. Part of our budget will go towards hiring a COVID-19 Compliance Officer to oversee and enforce all safety measures. We will be providing personal protective equipment (PPE), temperature checks and screening surveys. We also will be mandating that any person on set be tested within a 72 hour window of filming.
Our team is so thankful that you've visited our page today and took the time to read about our project. We look forward to filming The Four Dance at Night and making this film with you.
Please follow us on
Instagram @fourdanceatnight
Facebook @thefourdanceatnight
Twitter @thefourdance
And spread the word. The only way we can make our crowdfunding goal, is by reaching beyond our network. Don't know what to say? That's alright, we've written something for you below. We welcome you to copy, paste, and share!
It's the spooky season and filmmaker @t.s.evering has a film about four, black, bewitching sisters engaging in an innocent moonlit ritual gone awry. Excited yet? Join them on @fourdanceatnight and @seedandspark: shorturl.at/klzKV. Come and see.
Join filmmaker @t.s.evering and her female led team by supporting her unabashed tribute to girlhood and black girl magic through her film The Four Dance at Night. Follow them on @seedandspark: shorturl.at/klzKV. Come and see.
Thank You!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Travel & Lodging
Costs $1,500
We're traveling upstate to shoot this beautiful piece!
Production Design
Costs $700
Costumes, furniture, props to transport us to the 1940s.
Compensation
Costs $5,000
The majority of our budget is going to paying our talented cast and crew.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $1,500
Having the right camera and lighting is mighty important when shooting at night.
COVID Testing & PPE
Costs $1,000
Safety first!
Crowdfunding Fees
Costs $300
Seed & Spark
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
T.S. Evering - The Director
T.S. Evering is a New York City based director whose first interest in cinema was discovered when she watched Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. As fate would have it, after graduating with her degree in documentary film, she would join his team as an EA during the filming of the Netflix series The Get Down. T.S.'s film experience has spanned directing and producing documentary shorts, filming and editing videos for various social media accounts, and directing music videos. The Four Dance at Night is her first fictional narrative short film and she is so thrilled to bring it to life.
Monica Arsenault - The Producer
Monica Arsenault is a storyteller. The first time she realized she loved stories was when she was 3 years old and saw Singing in the Rain. Immediately, she knew that she wanted to be a part of that world and put on her mother's high heels to "tap dance" around. Since then, performing has become less important and making the stories come to life in a different way has taken her focus.
In 2018, Monica created Nun Habits, a web series that has just finished a very successful festival run. She has since written, produced, or directed a number of short films, web series, music videos, and branded content. Monica's philosophy is that if her story isn't saying something unique, or working towards changing the world in some positive way, then it's not worth making. Her work addresses issues at the intersection of faith, womanhood, and sexuality. Monica's production company, Soul Series Productions, is committed to bringing communities together through diverse storytelling.
K.S. Evering - The Co-writer
K.S. Evering is a New York City based novelist who first wrote the novel for which The Four Dance at Night is based off of when she and her sister were influenced by their belief that they, and their cousins were romantically cursed. Starting her writing career on the stage, K.S. has wrote and directed several plays and has toured two of them with a company of actors in the tri-state area.
Angelica Jacinto - Director of Photography
Angelica is a cinematographer who lives in Brooklyn with her rescue dog Momo. She is passionate about film and in particular, cinematography, as an art form. As a Cinematographer, Angelica's goal is to help people bring about their vision as beautifully and emotionally-felt as possible. Her biggest influences are David Lynch and Wong Kar Wai.
Hanaan Louis - Production Designer
Hanaan is a black, Muslim, award-winning filmmaker, photographer & entrepreneur. As a young woman of both middle eastern & western cultures, she strives to represent the broad tapestry of Muslims and Islamic life in all of her work from the perspective of women & children.
Xindi Xu - Costume Designer
Xindi is a Costume and Fashion designer, graduating from MFA Design and Technical Production at Brooklyn College in 2021. Originally from Beijing, China, Xindi began her work of painting and fashion illustration in high school and received her BFA in Fashion Design with a minor in Art History from Parsons School of Design in 2017.
Xindi believes thorough research of the story and characters is the key to making good design and has continued showing great passion across different genres of performing arts.
Boris Palacios - Production Sound Mixer
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
There are the Bennet sisters, the March sisters, and the Lisbon girls. Although from different generations, and with stories varying from the romantic, the pragmatic, and even outright miserable-- they all embody sisterhood so poignantly. The Four Dance at Night -- an unabashed tribute to girlhood -- is a tale inspired by these stories, but with faces we may not have seen before.
Our film explores young sisters belonging to the American Black Elite, a segment of culture following the American Reconstruction that created a distinct class system within the black community. This class system was not dictated by skin tone as most would assume, but largely by family history and education. And while this part of American History is often glanced over, in the effort to tell more stories about people of color by people of color, we would like for you to step into the slippers of these sisters for one night.
Walking in the footsteps of Julie Dash's Daughter's of the Dust and Kasi Lemmon's Eve's Bayou, this film tells the tale of black girls, celebrating the revelry, innocence, and even rivalry between sisters.
Set in 1949, over one night in a parochial black community in New York, the four Marchand sisters have created an outlet. They've secured a means for their carefree adolescence to take center stage-- by way of sneaking out of their home to engage in a moonlit dance in the woods.
It is a welcome escape from the stifling restraints of their Black elite status and the docile facade that they're expected to wear during the day -- but in this innocent ritual may be born something that is altogether corrupt. The Four Dance at Night is a story about sisterhood and the choice to express one's freedom, and truest nature. It’s about the unbounded thrill of taking part in something forbidden.
In this story one will see four sisters emboldened by the magic of their minds, the chaos in their brief moments of stolen freedom, and their belief that if they only will it, anything is possible.
The team behind this film are highly talented, invested, and resourceful. We come from diverse backgrounds and are proud to display that we're mostly female led. To learn more about the team, check out our "Team" tab.
A note from the director, T.S. Evering:
From a young age, my mother encouraged my sister and co-writer, K.S. Evering, and myself to be lovers of literature. She introduced us to the classics and fairy tales which was where my love for period pieces first took form-- mostly because their costumes are so incredibly layered and considered. I grew up on Masterpiece Theater and Turner Classic Movies, befriending the March and Bennet sisters both. There was such an elegance to these BBC dramas and Old Hollywood films that I wanted to emulate in real life. After a while, I realized that I yearned to see women of color--women that looked like me in these films. But, I was also painfully aware that when casting a black woman in a historical drama, it was most likely for the role of slave, maid, and/or "magical negro". How to remedy this? Write a script about black sisters in the 1940s dealing with the complexities of girlhood, of course!
***
To bring this bewitching night in the lives of the four Marchand sisters to the screen, the budget has been carefully considered. Your contribution will go towards:
Location
Equipment (including sound)
Hiring the film crew
Costumes
Set Production
Transporation
Meals
Post-production
Film Festival Fees
The journey of this film does not end with the final cut, we will be entering The Four Dance at Night into film festivals to widen our audience. Representation in the film industry is vital and helps to break down stereotypes and barriers. Art helps to set the tone of our culture, and you can be a part of the effort to tell a universal coming of age story through the lens of four black girls.
For more information, you can also check out our "Wishlist" tab to see if you can loan or donate any of the items needed to make this film possible.
It is our utmost duty to ensure that all cast and crew feel safe and well taken care of while on set. Covid safety increases budgets by 10-30 percent, but we will not be looking for shortcuts to spare the change. Instead, we are taking all the proper protocol. Part of our budget will go towards hiring a COVID-19 Compliance Officer to oversee and enforce all safety measures. We will be providing personal protective equipment (PPE), temperature checks and screening surveys. We also will be mandating that any person on set be tested within a 72 hour window of filming.
Our team is so thankful that you've visited our page today and took the time to read about our project. We look forward to filming The Four Dance at Night and making this film with you.
Please follow us on
Instagram @fourdanceatnight
Facebook @thefourdanceatnight
Twitter @thefourdance
And spread the word. The only way we can make our crowdfunding goal, is by reaching beyond our network. Don't know what to say? That's alright, we've written something for you below. We welcome you to copy, paste, and share!
It's the spooky season and filmmaker @t.s.evering has a film about four, black, bewitching sisters engaging in an innocent moonlit ritual gone awry. Excited yet? Join them on @fourdanceatnight and @seedandspark: shorturl.at/klzKV. Come and see.
Join filmmaker @t.s.evering and her female led team by supporting her unabashed tribute to girlhood and black girl magic through her film The Four Dance at Night. Follow them on @seedandspark: shorturl.at/klzKV. Come and see.
Thank You!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Travel & Lodging
Costs $1,500
We're traveling upstate to shoot this beautiful piece!
Production Design
Costs $700
Costumes, furniture, props to transport us to the 1940s.
Compensation
Costs $5,000
The majority of our budget is going to paying our talented cast and crew.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $1,500
Having the right camera and lighting is mighty important when shooting at night.
COVID Testing & PPE
Costs $1,000
Safety first!
Crowdfunding Fees
Costs $300
Seed & Spark
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
T.S. Evering - The Director
T.S. Evering is a New York City based director whose first interest in cinema was discovered when she watched Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. As fate would have it, after graduating with her degree in documentary film, she would join his team as an EA during the filming of the Netflix series The Get Down. T.S.'s film experience has spanned directing and producing documentary shorts, filming and editing videos for various social media accounts, and directing music videos. The Four Dance at Night is her first fictional narrative short film and she is so thrilled to bring it to life.
Monica Arsenault - The Producer
Monica Arsenault is a storyteller. The first time she realized she loved stories was when she was 3 years old and saw Singing in the Rain. Immediately, she knew that she wanted to be a part of that world and put on her mother's high heels to "tap dance" around. Since then, performing has become less important and making the stories come to life in a different way has taken her focus.
In 2018, Monica created Nun Habits, a web series that has just finished a very successful festival run. She has since written, produced, or directed a number of short films, web series, music videos, and branded content. Monica's philosophy is that if her story isn't saying something unique, or working towards changing the world in some positive way, then it's not worth making. Her work addresses issues at the intersection of faith, womanhood, and sexuality. Monica's production company, Soul Series Productions, is committed to bringing communities together through diverse storytelling.
K.S. Evering - The Co-writer
K.S. Evering is a New York City based novelist who first wrote the novel for which The Four Dance at Night is based off of when she and her sister were influenced by their belief that they, and their cousins were romantically cursed. Starting her writing career on the stage, K.S. has wrote and directed several plays and has toured two of them with a company of actors in the tri-state area.
Angelica Jacinto - Director of Photography
Angelica is a cinematographer who lives in Brooklyn with her rescue dog Momo. She is passionate about film and in particular, cinematography, as an art form. As a Cinematographer, Angelica's goal is to help people bring about their vision as beautifully and emotionally-felt as possible. Her biggest influences are David Lynch and Wong Kar Wai.
Hanaan Louis - Production Designer
Hanaan is a black, Muslim, award-winning filmmaker, photographer & entrepreneur. As a young woman of both middle eastern & western cultures, she strives to represent the broad tapestry of Muslims and Islamic life in all of her work from the perspective of women & children.
Xindi Xu - Costume Designer
Xindi is a Costume and Fashion designer, graduating from MFA Design and Technical Production at Brooklyn College in 2021. Originally from Beijing, China, Xindi began her work of painting and fashion illustration in high school and received her BFA in Fashion Design with a minor in Art History from Parsons School of Design in 2017.
Xindi believes thorough research of the story and characters is the key to making good design and has continued showing great passion across different genres of performing arts.
Boris Palacios - Production Sound Mixer