My Dancers & Apprentices are all strong, talented Christian women dedicated to their art and to their relationship with Jesus Christ. I have been blessed to find individuals who are deep in their faith and pray about everything that we to do together.
Kelsey Thompson - Rehearsal Director & Company Dancer
Kelsey Thompson (Rehearsal Director & Company Dancer since January 2016) is originally from Fredericksburg, TX. Before moving to NYC, Kelsey pursued her dance career as a company artist with Ballet Magnificat!, a professional touring ballet company. For six years, she toured and performed an average of 170 days/year all over the states and internationally (including Honduras, South Korea, The Philippines, China, Macedonia, Kosovo, Israel, Austria, and Germany.) She moved to NYC in January 2015 to complete her undergraduate degree at The King's College. While in school, Kelsey pursued her certification as an Xtendbarre instructor and also began dancing with Emma Elliott Dance. Currently, Kelsey works full-time for a wealth management firm in Manhattan but continues to enjoy opportunities to dance and teach Xtendbarre part-time.
Priscilla Curtis - Company Dancer
Priscilla Curtis is an Atlanta raised resident of NYC. She toured with the national tour of The Producers, worked at numerous regional theatres (Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, City Springs Theatre Company, among others) and recently worked with the Atlanta Opera (West Side Story, Seven Deadly Sins). Priscilla graduated with honors from Kennesaw State University, where she had the honor of performing in the Bill T. Jones masterpiece D-Man in the Waters. When she is not dancing, Priscilla is a magician’s assistant for master illusionist Elliot Zimet and a group fitness instructor for Equinox.
Erin Alaniz - Company Dancer
Erin Camille Alaniz (Apprentice since January 2018) is a Fayetteville, Arkansas native graduated from the King's College in May 2018. She studies Media, Culture, and the Arts and is so thrilled to be living in New York City and dancing with Emma Elliott Dance Company. Erin is passionate about the arts and loves theatre, dance, and music. Most recently, she danced in New American Youth Ballet's Nutcracker Tea and Symphony in Lower Manhattan. Soli deo gloria!
Elizabeth Mendieta - Company Dancer & Administrative Intern
Elizabeth Mendieta, originally from Holly Springs, began dancing at the age of 15 when placed in a Horton modern class. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she earned degrees in Dance Performance and Business Management and completed the University Honors Program. Elizabeth's choreography has been performed at the MOVE Dance Alliance Showcase, the International Sandwich Festival, the Loose Leaves Showcase, and the BOOM festival. During the summer of 2016 she was a marketing intern for Caroline Calouche & Co. She has attended intensives with Bates, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, and RIOULT. She has performed choreography by Kim Jones and Tony Award winner, George Faison. She has performed in Paul Taylor's Esplanade, and was an understudy for Kim Jones' reconstruction of his previously lost work, Tracer.
Kathryn Avery - Company Dancer
Kathryn Avery has been a commercial dancer in NYC since 2009, represented by Clear Talent Group. She was the dance captain for the Brooklyn Nets dance team for 3 seasons and has appeared in numerous film and television shows including Vox Lux, Boardwalk Empire, Saturday Night Live, and Bull. She has also danced in fashion shows for Revlon, Athleta, Hermes, and Victoria’s Secret. Over the years, her passion for helping people find hope, love and transformation has drawn her to pursue multiple forms of communication. She is honored to be able to perform with Emma Elliot Dance, with the hope that the art of dance may bring about such revival in the lives of others.
Arianna Haynes - Administrative Intern
Arianna Haynes was born and grew up in Dallas, Texas, where she studied ballet and other forms of dance for 13 years. During that time, she had the pleasure of performing in multiple Nutcrackers, local dance festivals, and showcases that allowed her to explore both the classical and contemporary worlds of dance. Some of her favorite pieces to have performed were variations from Petipa's Paquita and Sleeping Beauty; Bournonville's Napoli; George Balanchine's Valse Fantasie and excerpts from his Serenade. In the summers of 2015 and 2016, Arianna studied at Miami City Ballet School's annual summer intensive, where she expanded both her skills and her understanding of the dance world. She is now a Humanities student at The King's College in downtown Manhattan, with a minor in Business Management, and looks forward to graduating in 2021.