“Every. Single. One. of us who has been with this disease is validated, loved and to a certain extent, freed by this image.”
"Ashes & Soil" Cherie Sampson. Performance for the camera, on site at Blue Heron Orchard, Missouri, 2017. (Photo: Lisa Wigoda, Quote above: Ann Titus)
I am an artist, art professor and nine-year survivor of Triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive breast cancer subtype, positive for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. In 2017, when I was diagnosed both with cancer and the hereditary risk, I turned the camera on myself to document the experience, not for the ubiquitous performance-of-the-self for social media, but with a goal of creating an artistic production that would provide me with a sense of motivation to complete a project in a future in which I would be alive. It was also very therapeutic, like witnessing the process unfold from a slight distance while at the same time being embodied within it.
After many months of treatment and making a few video and photographic works in the environment of my husband’s organic apple orchard and woodlands around our property, I finally posted an image on Facebook. A friend and cancer survivor, Illinois artist, Ann Titus, wrote the above quote upon seeing the image.
“every.single.one” became the title for the production, which has been eight years in the making. It is an original one-woman multi-media theatrical performance that depicts personal, familial and community stories with hereditary cancer while exploring topics of science, genetics and integrative oncology from a cancer patient’s perspective.
"every.single.one" Cherie Sampson. Presented at Minnesota Fringe Festival, 2024. (Photo: Dave Suggs)
The performance weaves three levels of testimonial: my own, my sister’s, and those of hereditary cancer survivors and "previvors" (people with an inherited risk who take prophylactic measures to prevent cancer.) The documentary and other media collected during and after treatment comprise the rich audio-visual environment of the performance that, along with live and prerecorded spoken word and expressive movement, is integral to the storytelling. The performance addresses agency in dealing with adversity, navigating allopathic treatment and complimentary,integrative modalities(that help patients cope mentally, physically and emotionally), impacts of hereditary disease and risk on individuals and families, challenging decision-making, the therapeutic power of the arts, survivorship and mortality. All these themes converge to convey that no two cancer stories are alike.
Dance as a healing practice is an important through-line in the performance as it was during my treatment and recovery. Shortly after diagnosis, I informed Anjali-Tata Hudson, my dance mentor in the classical Indian dance form, Bharatanatyam, that I wished to continue my instruction with her and “keep dancing through this.” Together we worked on traditional items, such as a “Kali” dance to embody the goddess’s “shakti” and transformative power and provide focus for physical, emotional, and spiritual strength.
"every.single.one" Cherie Sampson. Presented at Minnesota Fringe Festival, 2024. (Photo: Dave Suggs)
Dancing, along with my yoga practice, was grounding and got me back on my feet after each treatment cycle to exercise and regain stamina. Solitary improvisational sessions in my summer (barn)studio in which I worked through difficult experiences while undergoing treatment were fused with phrases from the traditional dances to become dance scenes co-choreographed by Anjali and me for the “every.single.one” performance.
"Ganesh dance" 2022, Co-choreographed by Cherie Sampson & Anjali Tata-Hudson for "every.single.one." (From video still in studio). Music by Charles Gran.
“every.single.one” has been presented in theatrical readings and live performances since 2019 while it was still a work-in-process. Since 2023, it has been performed in Canada, Washington, D.C., Illinois and Missouri, with its full-production debut in early 2025 at the Columbia Entertainment Company Theater (CEC),a long-time community-supported theater in Columbia, Missouri.
every.single.one, Columbia Entertainment Company (CEC) Theater, Columbia, MO. USA. 2025 (Photo: Jonathan Meyer)
every.single.one,
In 2023, it was performed for the 20th Annual Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) at the Banff Center for Arts & Creativity. Over the years, videos and images related to the project have been shown in solo and group art exhibitions as well as film festivals internationally.
I have been invited to present about the performance (and related research) at artist gallery talks, conferences and symposia related to topics ranging widely from clinical oncology to theater research to classical Indian dance – subjects for future blogs.
What will this blog be about? Many things!
This blog is also about ~you~
I invite anyone who has an interest and/or embodied experience in any of these topics to share that here. If you are an artist of any kind – please interpret that as you wish – and have continued a creative practice while undergoing cancer treatment, please reach out. I would love to hear your story as well.
Video still from projection design in every.single.one show