Emily May is a British-born, Berlin-based arts writer and editor specialising in dance and performance. An alumna of Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance and a member of the Dance Section of the U.K. Critics' Circle, she regularly contributes to publications including Dance Magazine, ArtReview, Frieze, The Stage, Flash Art, The Brooklyn Rail, and Springback Magazine, as well as organisations such as The Royal Opera House. She currently leads editorial projects at COLORSxSTUDIOS, where she launched and continues to manage an editorial platform exploring global culture. Previously, she was the Editorial Manager at Freunde von Freunden (FvF) online magazine and creative agency.
Alongside writing, Emily is experienced in moderating and participating in post-show talks and panel discussions, and has worked with a variety of festivals including Aerowaves Springforward, Soundance Festival Berlin, and Czech Dance Platform. From 2020-2021 she produced and hosted the Terpsichore podcast, interviewing leading women from the dance industry about their lives, careers, and the female dance pioneers that inspire them.
Emily’s writing is informed by her former practical experiences in the dance industry. As a choreographer, she presented her own work at venues including Somerville College Oxford, The Ashmolean Museum, and The Brewery Arts Centre, as well as in academic contexts for symposiums at Royal Holloway University (organised by the Society for Dance Research) and The University of Vienna.
Projects credited in
- Freunde von Freunden & Reform: A studio visit with Muller van SeverenFvF visited the acclaimed Belgian design duo Fien Muller and Hannes van Severen at their home studio to discuss their design processes and how good design brings people together. This piece was produced in collaboration with Danish kitchen design company Reform, with whom they partnered with for their first-ever kitchen design. Read the full interview here: https://www.freundevonfreunden.com/interviews/reform-ghent-muller-van-severen/
Work history
Editorial ManagerCOLORSxSTUDIOS
Berlin, GermanyFull Time
• Launching and managing COLORS’ editorial platform exploring global culture
• Commissioning writers from across the globe, managing the quarterly editorial budget in the process
• Leading editorial components of partnerships with Burberry, Motown, and The Goethe Institut et al.
• Interviewing artists on set for short-form videos, including FKA twigs, Loyle Carner, Shygirl, FKJ, Ibeyi
• Working with COLORS’ in house video director on storylines for editorial videos
• Overseeing the creation and release of COLORS’ bi-weekly newsletter
• Hiring, onboarding, and line managing an editorial intern
• Wrote and copy edited text for COLORS' first photobook, 'Hi, Five', released November 2021
• Copy writing and editing for other departments across the organisation including social media and product
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Dance WriterSpringback Magazine
Berlin, GermanyFreelance
• Selected for writing scheme alongside Aerowaves' Springforward festival (April 2019)
• Mentored by professional critics from NYT, The Guardian, The Times, and The Scotsman
• Regular contributor of reviews, interviews, and listings to Springback Magazine
• Part of a week-long investigation into audience engagement methods in Italy (August 2019)
• Conducted live Q&As with choreographers via Zoom (2020-2021)
• Wrote guide offering support to colleagues on how to prepare, conduct, and write interviews
• Took part in an internal enquiry into Aerowaves' environmental policies and wrote reflective document (April/May 2021)
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Skills
- Copywriting
- Choreography
- Interviewing
- Content Management
- Editing Proofreading
- Dance
- Reviewing
- Moderating
- Art Journalism
- Arts Journalism
Education
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BA(Hons) Contemporary DanceTrinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
- London, United Kingdom
First Class Honours.
Dissertation Title: Republican Automatons? An investigation into artists' ambivalent relationships with the dehumanising metropolis of 1920s Berlin.
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3 A Levels A*-AWorcester Sixth Form College
- Worcester, United Kingdom
A Level English Literature - Grade A*
A Level Classical Civilizations - Grade A*
A Level Dance - Grade A
Extended Project Qualification - Grade A*
GCSE Italian - Grade A*
AS Level History - Grade A
Awarded the English and Media Department Award for English Literature and the Performing Arts Department Award for Dance.