Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Elayna Waxse - Season 15, Episode 164

Elayna Waxse (she/they) is a St. Paul-based choreographer, dance
educator, and performer who prioritizes emotional attunement,
identity and risk taking in their work. They facilitate an
environment of empathy, compassion and witnessing in which
artists feel empowered to bring their full social and cultural
identity to the work. Elayna has been commissioned by Minnesota
Dance Theatre, University of Minnesota Dance Department (2022
Cowles Visiting Artist), Carleton College Dance Department,
Threads Dance Project, St. Paul Conservatory for Performing
Artists, and the University of Minnesota Opera Theater among
others. She was a 2023 alternate selection for the Ann and Weston
Hicks Choreography Fellowship at Jacob’s Pillow, and a 2024
finalist for the Carmel Dance Festival Choreography Fellowship.
In 2023, her work was selected for the National Gala Performance
at the American College Dance Association’s National Conference
in Long Beach, CA. In 2024, she was invited to join the inaugural
cohort of ChoreoTech: Immersive Dancemaking with AI and VR at The
School at Jacob’s Pillow.
Professionally, Elayna has danced with Minnesota Dance Theatre,
Colorado Ballet/Colorado Ballet Studio Company, Black Label
Movement, BodyCartography Project, and with Cie. Ismael Ivo at
ImPulsTanz Vienna International Dance Festival and in São Paulo,
Brazil.
She was a member of TU Dance from 2012 to 2019, performing works
by Alvin Ailey, Dwight Rhoden, Jawole Willa Jo Zoller, Katrin
Hall, Francesca Harper, Stephanie Batten-Bland, Gioconda Barbuto,
and Gregory Dolbashian among others. They were part of the
original creation team of Come Through, the collaboration between
TU Dance and Grammy-award winning musical group Bon Iver. Through
this collaboration Elayna performed at the Hollywood Bowl (LA,
CA), the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington,
D.C.), and at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival (Manchester,
TN).
Elayna is 2019 recipient of a McKnight Fellowship in Dance,
through which they worked with choreographer Bobbi Jene Smith on
an original solo. 
As a dance educator, they have taught ballet and contemporary
dance at the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Dance Theatre, TU
Dance, and Macalester College. In 2024, they served as Interim
Artistic Director for Minnesota Dance Theatre & School and
they are currently the Dayton Hudson Visiting Artist/Teacher at
Carleton College.