Vision
After many years of dancing and creating movement material, I started to investigate and define my movement language and choreographic signature. A kick of inspiration came during my time in Israel, observing and learning from great companies such as Sharon Eyal, Batsheva, The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. In their movement, I enjoyed the combination of both very soft and hard movements that were simultaneously very transparent in what they wished to express. This led me to the search for movement that stands on its own, is raw, yet carries stories. On the other hand, my urban/contemporary education gave me the contrast to shape the raw, expressive shapes and forms of dance I love.
Art is a poetic translation of life. I feel blessed with the urge to keep on creating and working as a creative. To visit a dimension that only I can see and yet can connect to others. Whether it is for a performance, music video or a commercial, movement is a universal language that everyone understands and responds to. The right design of movement is very important for the feeling, for the message of the project. I love it that I keep learning every day how to create and articulate a production that is unique and what it tells me at that very moment. It is an incredible way of asking indirectly: “I feel/see this, do you?” With an audience responding: “I don’t know why, but I understand. In the way I feel”. This translates in the way I write and shoot film too – it’s a combination between texture, sound, color, atmosphere and emotion that all support what we want to share: a story translated by movement and art.
In my collaborations I look for freedom and vulnerability. I believe the magic happens when a team is inviting risk, guided by passion, in a process with a positive work environment for dancers and creatives. I’d rather choose a project blindly led by gut feeling and passion, then guided from intellect, usual ways and habits.
The inspiration for me comes also from outside the dance world; spoken word, film, sounds and stories bring a lot to my choreographies. In the future I wish to use them even more and deepen myself in all disciplines for dance film. Camera, styling, light, sound, music, art ….. should all be able to support what we want to share: a story translated by movement.
Biography
Emma Evelein is a Dutch choreographer, director and independent artist. After her pre- and bachelor’s degree at the Amsterdam School of the Arts (2008-2015), Emma has worked with various European and Israeli choreographers and studied the language of Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (IS) and Batsheva Dance Company (IS).
After her company life as a dancer, Emma focused on creating for theater and film and quickly grew into an international film & theater choreographer and director. Her dance language has been described as ‘detailed, sincere, raw and accessible’. For works like ‘Sisters’, ‘A Flood Remains’, ‘Wolves’ and ‘Fiftyone/fourtynine’ she received over 40 awards all over the world, including the Tuschinski Awards Nederlands Film Festival (2019), the Kurt Jooss Preis (2019) , Best choreography Amsterdam (2018), Audience Awards Bucharest International Dance Film Festival (2018) and NDT partner award (2021) in the final of the Rotterdam International Dance Duet Competition. In 2023 she won a ‘Gouden Kalf’ (Dutch Oscar) for her work as a director and screenwriter for ‘Lucid dreaming’. In 2022 Emma was taken under the wing of the Nederlands Dans Theater. She was awarded 3 productions awards in the Hannover Duet Competition 2023.
In the international commercial film world and music videos, Emma is asked for her unique movement language that adds value to productions. She worked with various European Film production companies like Newland (Sweden), Mamma Team, 24/7 Algebra (Spain) and Chelsey Film (Germany). In recent years she has staged work for European companies, most recently for Mannheim International Tanz Theater (Germany), in an evening alongside Marco Goecke and Johan Inger premiering in 2024.
Emma is a solid teacher at the Henny Jurriens Foundation, European Ballet School Amsterdam, Tanzwerk Zwitserland and various departments of the Amsterdam School of the Arts, Fontys Academy Tilburg and Codarts Rotterdam. She gave masterclasses in over 20 countries, judges international competitions and coaches up-and-coming talent, in collaboration with organizations like World of Dance (Ukraine), Equilibrio Dinamico (Italy), and Atmosphere Dance Europe.
Acceptance speech Emma at Dutch Film Festival
See Emma explain how risk taking got rewarded.
Choreographic resumé
EMMA EVELEIN
Choreographer | movement director | director
Residence: Barcelona, Spain | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
Born: Ukkel, Belgium
Height: 174 cm
Film – Directing
Lucid dreaming (Short film, 2022, The Netherlands)
The friendship squad (Short film, 2021, The Netherlands)
Dancing Alive (Music video, 2021, Israel)
Anahit (Short film, 2021, The Netherlands)
Wolves, Lucien (Art film, 2020, The Netherlands)
Lambs (Short film, 2019, Italy)
Starring (Video, 2018, The Netherlands)
A Flood Remains (short film, 2017, The Netherlands)
Sofie (Tribute video, 2018, the Netherlands)
I’ll Be Changed By Then (Short film, 2017, The Netherlands)
Film – Movement directing
Ballantines (Commercial, 2024, Argentina)
Biotherm (Commercial, 2023, Spain)
Bijenkorf 150 jaar (Commercial, 2020, The Netherlands)
St Oliver Fragrance (Commercial, 2020, South-Africa)
Canal Perfume (Commercial, 2019, The Netherlands)
Film – Choreography | movement directing
Armani Si (Commercial, 2023, Spain)
Lays Beach Dance (Commercial, 2024, Spain)
Slack (Commercial, 2024, Spain)
BE (Commercial, 2022, Germany)
Lidl San ar Livet (Commercial, 2022, Sweden)
Unlimiteds T-mobile (Commercial, 2020, The Netherlands)
Coca Cola global (Commercial, 2020, Spain)
Sisters (Short film, 2018, The Netherlands)
Nectar (Fashion film, 2019, The Netherlands)
Taska Black – Losing Our Minds (Music video, 2018, The Netherlands)
Numb (Dance video, 2019, The Netherlands)
Re:set – Animistic beliefs (Music video, 2019, The Netherlands)
Bloed, zweet en tranen (Feature film, 2015, The Netherlands)
Film – Dancer
Estrella Damm (Commercial 2020, Spain)
Coca Cola global (Commercial, 2020, Spain)
Wolves (Art film, 2020, Sweden)
Yseult – Noir (Music video, 2019, The Netherlands)
Nectar (Fashion film, 2019, The Netherlands)
Starring (Video, 2018, The Netherlands)
Taska Black – Losing our minds (Music video, 2018, The Netherlands)
Factor B – White rooms (Music video, 2018, The Netherlands)
Terence – Leef (Music video, 2018, The Netherlands)
Daphnes & Chloë (Short film, 2017, The Netherlands)
Theatre – Choreographer (+ dancer)
Train to Pluton (Mannheim Tanz Company, 2024, Germany)
Moonlight Innocence (Mannheim Tanz Company, 2023, Germany)
Airlift (United Ukranian Ballet, 2023, Los Angeles)
ADDA end performance (ADDA Institute, 2024, Spain)
Fortynine – a solo (Ballet Kiel, 2023, Germany)
A great net of souls (HF BA Education Zurich, 2022, Switzerland)
Fiftyone/fourtynine (RIDCC 2021, The Netherlands)
After dark (Sally 2021, The Netherlands)
Stearin (Tanzwerk101, 2021, Switzerland)
Wolves (Vondelpark festival, Kurt Jooss Preis 2019, The Netherlands)
Arbakkinn (Battery Dance Festival 2019, Vibenights Paradiso 2018, New York)
As Far As Thin Air (Schie theater 2019, DINO residence, The Netherlands)
100 jaren leven (for Public Library Amsterdam, 2019, The Netherlands)
Stumbling Folks (Amsterdam Theatre, 2019, The Netherlands)
River with me (AmsterDans 2018, Dansmakers 2018, The Netherlands)
Done (Dansmakers, 2018, The Netherlands)
Puccini for two (National Opera day, 2018, The Netherlands)
Quinten, solo (10 various festivals) (2018-2020, Italy)
Sisters live performance (Eindhoven film festival, 2018, The Netherlands)
Let Me Under (TedTalks Amsterdam 2017, The Netherlands)
Various pieces created in dance academy (2011-2015)
Teaching resumé
EMMA EVELEIN
Dancer | choreographer | movement director | director
Netherlands
NDT2 – repertoire week
Amsterdam Dance Centre
CIOS Limburg
Utrechtse Dans Academie
ICS Amsterdam
Olympus Utrecht
Universiteit van Amsterdam
Amsterdam dance center international group workshop
Danskamp 2018
Amsterdamse Hogeschool van de Kunsten – Urban Contemporary department
Amsterdamse Hogeschool van de Kunsten – Modern and dancetheatre department
Amsterdamse Hogeschool van de Kunsten – Teacher department
Meervaart – Studio West Amsterdam
Creating Art Productions Den Haag
Lucia Marthas Dansopleiding Amsterdam
MBO Dans Sittard
Danserswijk dansstudio Oisterwijk
Workshop dansschool Dentro Alkmaar
Autumn Intensive Henny Jurriens stichting 2020
Summer Intensive Henny Jurriens Stichting 2021
Henny Jurriens stichting contemporary classes
Oxygen academy Maastricht
European Ballet School Amsterdam
Fontys School of the Arts Urban Contemporary department
Fontys School of the Arts Contemporary department
IDD dance training Rotterdam
Serbia
Chance to dance / Studio 5
Belgium
Kamata Jazz / Kamata 3 for 1
Jesse Grossen Studio
Danse Erquelinnes
Ways dance training 2021
England
Hotspot Dance Camp summer 2022
Italy
Equilibrio Dinamico 2 day instensive 2018
Mediterraneo dance festival 2019
Dino Carano Teacher Workshop Napels 2019
The challenge Napels 2019
Comacchio Dance Camp Italy 2022
Germany
Dart Dance Intensive 2022
Luxemburg
Helen’s Dance and XL
Ukraine
World of dance Lviv 2019
Atmosphere dance camp Kiev 2019
World of dance Kiev 2021
Atmosphere dance camp Kiev 2021
Portugal
Festival Danca Lisbon 2019
Poland
Any Dance Camp summer 2022
United States
Battery Dance New York 2019
Valetto Summer Intensive online 2020
Israel
Nadine Bommer summer intensive 2019 Tel Aviv
Russia
The Stage Moscow 3 day intensive
Samson competition St Petersburg 2020
The Stage Moscow Online summer intensive
Switzerland
Tanzwerk101 summer edition 2020
Tanzwerk HBF education winter 2021
HF BA Education Zurich 2022