Emily Schoen Branch is an American choreographer, dancer, and educator living and working in Seattle.
Artist Statement
Across my teaching, scholarship, and creative work, I elevate the body as a way of knowing. Through the body, dance emerges as a physical and expressive practice with deep roots in our shared human history, as a connecting force within our communities, and as a source of beauty for beauty’s sake.
Dance offers a fast way of understanding ourselves and others, and softens the boundaries between the two. Most importantly though, dance and the way of knowing that it promotes, offers a sound way to navigate this life with honesty and joy; and to connect more richly with one another along the way.
News
Smith Fine Arts Series presents:
“An Evening of Dance
by Emily Branch”
Western Oregon University’s Smith Fine Arts Series presented an evening of repertory by Emily Branch in January 2025. Along with a cast of four dance artists, Emily presented four pieces and one dance film, spanning her 11-year dance making career. Check out images from the performance. Photos by Frank Miller
dro • mi • a
Behind-the-scenes footage from Emily’s piece, dro·mi·a, commissioned by the University of Washington Chamber Dance Company and premiered at Meany Center for the Performing Arts in October 2024.
Video by Steve Korn
Catalyst by University of Washington’s Chamber Dance Company
October 10-13, 2024
Meany Hall for the Performing Arts
Photos by Steve Korn
Seattle International Dance Festival presented Skywoman by Emily Schoen Branch on Saturday, June 15, 2024. The dancers are from University of Washington.
Photos by Jim Coleman
Derek Crescenti and Emily Schoen Branch. Image by Steve Korn.
As an MFA Candidate at the University of Washington, Emily performed with UW’s Chamber Dance Company in pieces by Doug Varone, Robert Moses, and Beth Twigs. Performances were at Meany Hall, October 12-15, 2023.
Emily was accepted into the prestigious graduate program at the University of Washington. She will pursue her MFA in Dance. Expected graduation: Spring 2025.
Performance Recap
Emily premiered a new work titled, “come to ground,” at the Seattle International Dance Festival at the Erickson Theater on Sunday, June 18, 2023. Collaborators include Leah Terada, Kyle Sangil, and Rhea Keller. The piece mixed poetry by David Whyte with original music by Simon Brouchka and Curtis Robert MacDonald.
See review: “A Night to Remember” by Marcie Sillman. Images by Jim Coleman below.
Kyle Sangil, Leah Terada, and Rhea Keller. Photo by Jim Coleman.
University of Washington awarded Emily the “Body Space Time” residency for winter 2022. She used the time to research new dance ideas with Leah Terada, Tess Neill, and Kyle Sangil.
Performance Recap
“Flight / An Evening of Dance and Drinks” was a great success! We sold out with over 200 people in attendance! We rented lights and transformed the venue into a living, breathing theatrical space. We danced on tables, theater boxes and the small in-house stage. We played with the audience and invited them to join in our antics. Our Comedy MC—Obadiah Freeman—constructed funny stories with suggestions from attendees and helped us investigate the age-old dance question, “Yes, but, what does it all mean?”
The kitchen even ran out of food.
Thank you to our supporters, to the Seattle dance community who showed up in a big way, and to our friends near and far. This show is all about community, and the celebration that is performance. It was a joy to make and share with all of you.
Check out some early images from the show.
