Emily is a choreographer, facilitator, dance maker and community artist. With over 10 years of experience Emily has worked with people from a wide variety of backgrounds across the North West of England, London, Ghana and Peru in a wide variety of roles. Emily originally trained at the Hammond School, graduating in 2011 with a strong classical background. After several years of working in the industry, performing on cruise ships and with smaller contemporary companies as well as leading her own projects, she went on to gain an MA in Dance (distinction) at the University of Chester in 2018, where her research focus was dance and storytelling.
In 2018 Emily founded Kindred Folk Dance Theatre with the aim to create performances, using both dance and oracy, for non-traditional performance venues. Emily’s Irish heritage heavily informs her working her approach to making with an integration of folk and contemporary styles. All productions are developed for and with communities, through workshops and interviews stories and testimonials are gathered to inform the work. This creates productions that communities are invested in and excited about, where people can relate first hand to what is going on on stage and/or are opened to a perspective of a community they don’t belong to.
Emily believes that it is stories that connects us all and the more stories are shared the less isolated people feel.
Emily is currently working with Charlotte on developing a full length piece for rural touring. The work explores Emily’s Irish heritage and uses stories collected from Emily’s family members, told through dance and oracy by four performers.
@kindredfolkdt