Emory Dance Company Spring Concert 2016 "undertow": Choreographer Spotlight

Tonight is the final dress rehearsal before the premiere of "undertow"! Read below about our choreographers as they anxiously await opening night!

Elyse Schupak

Senior, Business and Dance Double Major

In creating a piece for the Emory Dance Company concert this spring, I was interested in exploring disconnect, the idea that we are often the most lonely when we are surrounded by people we love or the most unfulfilled when our lives are filled with achievement. The choreographic process was extremely collaborative. I called upon my dancers to translate the way they experience disconnect into movement and much of that movement was incorporated into the piece.

Working with music was a central element in the choreographic process. I wanted to use familiar songs that many people have a personal connection to. Elvis Presley seemed like a natural fit to create a nostalgic and emotional environment. I strived for the choreography itself to be largely unemotional. I wanted to create juxtaposition between the emotionally charged music and the detached choreography to convey this idea of disconnect.

The title of the piece, Prologue, stems from the idea of exploring what comes before. I am interested in how our experiences, upbringing, and perspective influence our ability to cope with disappointment and failure as well as how they influence how we experience joy and success.