SoMar Dance Works: Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

SoMar Dance Works and the Allen Zurcher Quartet (AZQ) announce their new production, “Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins.” The concert will be held Saturday, Feb. 21, at 7:00 p.m. in Walker Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Imagine a fairy tale princess, a magic mirror, and a myriad of immoralities, blended with jazz tunes and innovative choreography. What you get is a concert of dance, music, and serious sins. SoMar Dance Works is back on stage, reunited with the AZQ, turning their focus to the less-than-virtuous side of humanity: Envy, Lust, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, Pride, and Wrath. This multimedia event explores the darker aspects of human nature and the world we inhabit.

“We’re always looking for intriguing themes for our concerts, and this year we found ourselves drawn to the idea of the seven deadly sins,” explains co-artistic director Mark Santillano. “While delving into the rich history of the topic, we began asking what makes an act sinful, and what makes a sin worthy of this particular list.” These questions provided the spark that ignited the choreographers’ creative fires. Santillano added, “We included Snow White because we wanted to approach the topic from a unique (and hopefully humorous) perspective.”

While the seven dwarfs are not a part of this production, there are five dancers and five musicians bringing their talents to the project.

Along with SoMar directors Mark and Solveig Santillano, dancers include Sara Lawrence-Sucato, Maya Richards, and Jo Theisen. Providing the music are Bradley Amidon, Kelly Armor, Liz Sesler-Beckman, Chris Von Volkenburg, and Allen Zurcher (director of AZQ).

Santillano adds, “Performing with live music is always a great thrill for us. The energy and excitement are unmatched, and these people are among the best in the region.”

This concert is made possible in part due to contributions by JazzErie, The Music Performance Trust Fund, and the Local 17 Music Fund, as well as the ongoing support of the �� University School of the Arts and the Department of Dance.

SoMar Dance Works features the dances of Solveig and Mark Santillano. Serving as co-artistic directors, choreographers, and dancers, Solveig and Mark are seasoned performers who have danced across the world. Their choreography has been influenced by their association with their former companies, Pilobolus Dance Theatre and Momix. Solveig and Mark are also the proud recipients of the inaugural Erie Arts & Culture Artist Fellowship. More information can be found at .

SoMar Dance Works made its premiere in 1999 at the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. Since, SoMar has performed at the Erie Art Museum, Erie Festival of Dance, the American College Dance Festival, Celebrate Erie, The Brick Church for the Performing Arts in Lovell, Maine, Unitarian Universalists in Community concert, Luther Memorial Concert Series, The Fredonia Opera House, Grand Valley State University, overseas in Gothenburg, Sweden, Austria’s “Young! Tanzsommer,” and numerous �� University programs, where the company is in-residence.

For more information, contact:
Mark Santillano
Office: 814-824-2176
somardanceworks@yahoo.com

������������

SoMar Dance Works: Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins

��