EMMA
Already in development as a solo show, EMMA blends specific stories of immigration, matriarchy, and nostalgia while rewriting familial memory cultures through contemporary/polka dance. Named for my Oma, an Austrian immigrant to the US, the show is a deconstruction, a love letter, and a study on losing a language but still knowing the curse words.
I envision presenting a solo that tells my story as it is embedded into my family’s. It begins with the overarching look back to the “old country” with its lore of Krampus and realness of war. It sets into a discovery on new shores - or rather rural Pennsylvania - as a new life is set up and lived. EMMA ends in a question of remembrance and longing, a sense of nostalgia for a place not quite visited but that feels like home. We’re carried through these scenes with the polka because, after all, even when life throws alcoholism and poverty into the mix, the accordion always starts a party.
At present, EMMA features a dress and other small props that I have crocheted. These are based on vintage patterns, items in my Oma’s house and dirndls - the traditional dress of Austria. The dress itself is a focal point to the movement as it acts as a puppet, a point of contact, and ultimately the context-providing container for me as the protagonist.
I envision presenting a solo that tells my story as it is embedded into my family’s. It begins with the overarching look back to the “old country” with its lore of Krampus and realness of war. It sets into a discovery on new shores - or rather rural Pennsylvania - as a new life is set up and lived. EMMA ends in a question of remembrance and longing, a sense of nostalgia for a place not quite visited but that feels like home. We’re carried through these scenes with the polka because, after all, even when life throws alcoholism and poverty into the mix, the accordion always starts a party.
At present, EMMA features a dress and other small props that I have crocheted. These are based on vintage patterns, items in my Oma’s house and dirndls - the traditional dress of Austria. The dress itself is a focal point to the movement as it acts as a puppet, a point of contact, and ultimately the context-providing container for me as the protagonist.
Upcoming:
Past performances:
- Human Movement Project LabWorks | Human Movement Lab | May 2, 2026
- Liquid Spine HOMEBODY | Arts Collaborative Medford | May 30 & 31, 2026
- ATLAS Residency Showcase with ImPulsTanz Vienna International Dance Festival | Bears in the Park, Vienna, Austria | August 9, 2026
Photos by Katie Pustizzi