Cari Ann Shim Sham

Cari Ann Shim Sham is an American filmmaker, choreographer, media artist, and academic. She is a full arts professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.[1][2][3] '[4][5] In 2017, She received the Best VR Film award at the NYC Indie Film Festival.[6]

Early life and education

Shim Sham studied at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), earning a Bachelor of Arts in World Arts and Cultures (Dance) in 1997 and a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography in 2009.[4] During her graduate studies, she met David Rousseve and joined his company Roussève/REALITY as a resident video artist and filmmaker.[7]

Career

She joined New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts as a faculty member in dance and new media, later becoming Associate Professor and then full Arts Professor. She served as director of the NYU Dance & Technology Program from 2017 to 2020.[8]

Her artistic practice focuses on movement in relation[9] to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain-based art,[10] generative systems, interactive performance, and immersive media.[11] She is the creator of body landscapes, a generative art and animated film project, and dance prompts, an open-source AI choreography system.[12] She is also co-founder, with Joey Zaza, of the Museum of Wild and Newfangled Art (mowna).[13]

As a filmmaker, she has directed experimental works combining choreography and cinematic techniques, including body landscapes,[14] Parksville Murders (2017),[2] and SAND (2010).[5] Her work has been presented at United Nations General Assembly and Lincoln Center.[15]

In addition to directing, she has worked as a cinematographer, editor, and producer on documentary and dance films, including Two Seconds After Laughter[4] and One Day on Earth.[5] She has also contributed video design to live performance, including the reconstruction of Robert Rauschenberg’s Shiner for Trisha Brown’s Set & Reset/Reset.[16]

Her work has been exhibited and screened at The Wrong Biennial, the Texekspressionizm program at CAMUZ, and the Out-FRONT! Film Series in New York City.[12]

Her generative work wobimo: a magical sigil generator for what is needed most was exhibited in Art on Tezos: Berlin.[12] Other exhibitions include Techspressionism exhibitions in New York, the San Francisco Dance Film Festival, Sans Souci Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Museum of Boulder.[17]

Scholarly and artistic work

Shim Sham’s research focuses on choreography, media theory, and emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and generative systems.[18] Her works include Dance as Generative Art (2022), body landscapes (2023), and wobimo (2025).[12]

She has contributed writing to publications including Dance Chronicle[19] and developed educational materials for One Day on Earth.[20]

Selected filmography

  • body landscapes (2024) – Director[14]
  • pandemic statements (2022) – Director[21]
  • Parksville Murders (2017) – Director[2]
  • Last Leaf (2018) – Director[5]
  • chicken boy (2012) – Director[22]
  • SAND (2010) – Director[5]

References

  1. ↑ Bleiberg, Laura (2011-08-18). "Cari Ann Shim Sham*'s Documentary About Tap-Dancing on Sand - LA Weekly". Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  2. 1 2 3 Matthews, Cortlandt (2017-11-20). "Horror in Opera, in Virtual Reality: The Parksville Murders". Sequenza21. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  3. ↑ Ousley, Andrew. "Opera On Tap Presents the World's First Virtual Reality Episodic Horror Opera, The Parksville Murders". Musical America. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  4. 1 2 3 Rizzuto, Rachel (2024-01-15). "4 Choreographers and Their Go-To Nondancer Collaborators on Making Magic Together". Dance Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Simon, Kirk. "Meet the DocuWeeks Filmmakers: Cari Ann Shim Sham--'Sand' | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  6. ↑ Sinclaire, Adrian. "Cari Ann Shim Sham wins Best VR Award". tisch.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  7. ↑ "Cari Ann Shim Sham instructor profile". Santa Fe Workshops. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  8. ↑ "Arts Professor Cari Ann Shim Sham tours her newest generative art". NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  9. ↑ Owen, Norton. "The Dance Between Choreography & Technology". pillowvoices.org. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  10. ↑ "Romancing The Machine". wp.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  11. ↑ Sankaram, Kamala (2016-09-27). "Opera on Tap to Present World's First Virtual Reality Episodic Horror Opera THE PARKSVILLE MURDERS". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Glen, Watkins. "Artist Interview: Cari Ann Shim Sham". Digital Arts Blog. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  13. ↑ DeFranco, Bridget. "Museum of Wild and Newfangled Art End-of-Year AI-Curated Exhibition". Art & Object. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  14. 1 2 "body landscapes". San Francisco Dance Film Festival. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  15. ↑ "NYU Tisch Dance Professor presents new dance film". NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  16. ↑ "Cari Ann Shim Sham, New Media Artist & Award Winning Filmmaker, Joins NYU Tisch Dance Faculty". tisch.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  17. ↑ "Dynamic Duos: Choreographers and Nondancer Collaborators". Dance Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  18. ↑ Bench, Harmony. "3. A World from a Crowd: Composing the Common | Perpetual Motion | Manifold@UMinnPress". manifold.umn.edu. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  19. ↑ Altunian, Lara J. (2018-10-04). "A Life Lived "Halfway To Dawn": David Roussève Celebrates Jazz Legend Billy Strayhorn". L.A. Dance Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  20. ↑ "Film Forum Presents: Cari Ann Shim Sham- Filmmaker, Choreographer and Video Artist". www.montclair.edu. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  21. ↑ Cristi, A. A. (1970-01-01). "Museum Of Wild And Newfangled Art Debuts PANDEMIC STATEMENTS Film". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  22. ↑ "FSLC and Dance Films Association announce the 41st edition of DANCE ON CAMERA, Feb 1-5". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
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