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 across Europe and America including Dance Magazine, Art Review, Frieze, The Stage, Flash Art, The Brooklyn Rail, and Springback Magazine. She is currently an editor at COLORSxSTUDIOS, where she launched and continues to manage a new editorial platform.
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
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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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Dance and Arts WriterSelf Employed
Berlin, GermanyFreelance
• Berlin-based arts writer and critic specialising in dance and performance
• Member of the Dance Section of the UK Critics' Circle
• Contributing reviews, interviews, and features to publications across Europe and America
• Titles include The Stage, Dance Magazine, ArtReview, Frieze, Flash Art, The Brooklyn Rail
• Moderating post-show talks for Aerowaves, Soundance Berlin, and Czech Dance Platform
• Produced and hosted the Terpsichore podcast (2020-2021)
• Managed the Terpsichore website, social media platforms, and newsletter (2020-2021)
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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.