Inside the Choreographer's Mind: Return Eternal by Julio Medina

What happens when memories surface through sound? How do the cycles of the moon, the loss of a loved one, or the rituals of parenthood manifest themselves in the creative process?

These are some of the questions at the heart of Return Eternal: Echoes from the Cosmogram, a new evening of work by Emory Dance faculty member and choreographer Julio Medina, coming to the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts September 24–26.

The concert brings together three original works - a solo, quintet, and quartet - that continue Medina’s exploration of Indigenous Mexican cosmology while moving through deeply personal themes of loss, parenthood and memory.

Inspired by the loss of his uncle in 2019 that Medina describes as “a big turning point in my life”, the solo work uses sound a guide to bring memories surrounding this loss to the surface. It also explores themes related to Mictlan, the realm where ancestors rest in Mexican cosmology.

The concert then turns toward the moon with a quintet inspired by Metzli - both the Nahuatl word for moon and the name of Medina’s daughter. The work brings together the cycles of the moon, the Legend of Coyolxauqui, parenthood, the birth of his daughter, and the familiar rituals of saying goodnight. For Medina, parenthood has become an unexpected but increasingly present influence on his creative process. He shares, “Many of the rituals, emotions, and movements that I’ve shared with my kids are showing up in the choreographic process.”

The final work, a quartet, explores tonal, meaning “solar heat” in Nahuatl, and considers what happens when that heat leaves the body. Inspired by the four main Aztec regents: Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, and Huitzilopochtli. The work moves through ideas of loss, interrupted by breaking points of playful absurdity.

While the themes of Return Eternal are expansive, Medina says one of the most rewarding parts of creating the concert has been the people bringing it to life. Years of collaboration have created a sense of trust in the rehearsal room, one that allows for both focused work and unexpected conversations, extending as well to his design collaborators Greg Catellier and PhaeMonae Brooks. 

Ultimately, Medina hopes audiences leave with space to reflect on their own relationship to the cycles that shape our lives.

“I hope that this work encourages audience members to have a chat with a friend or themselves about how they relate to the moon, or raises awareness of the life cycles all around them.”

Adding, “I’m most excited to be part of the wonderful dance community at Emory and in Atlanta, and honored to contribute to the tapestry we are stitching.”

Join us for Return Eternal: Echoes from the Cosmogram, September 24–26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts Dance Studio.

Click here to purchase tickets: https://tickets.arts.emory.edu/2026medina

 

For information about the Emory Dance Program and upcoming events, visit dance.emory.edu and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @emorydanceprogram.