Emily Maine

🪔 About

Emily Mayne is a versatile dancer with a comprehensive background in classical dance forms. She commenced her dance studies with ballet at the age of five. Her classical dance training expanded to include various international forms, and in 1974, she began an intensive study of Bharatanatyam, the classical dance of South India, under the tutelage of the legendary master T. Balasaraswati. This rigorous, traditional training took place both in the United States and India, encompassing the intricate South Indian rhythm system and the demanding mime techniques characteristic of Indian dance. Mayne holds a BA in dance from Antioch University and an MA in dance from UCLA. Her career includes extensive teaching experience, having served on the dance faculty of institutions such as Los Angeles City College, East Los Angeles College, Pierce College, College of the Canyons, and UC Santa Cruz. She has performed numerous solo concerts across various locations, including California, New York, Oregon, Hawaii, Mexico, and India. Emily Mayne is also the co-director of the performance company "Rhythmic Visions" with musician Ron Wagner. Her expertise extends to movement coaching, where she has been hired to coach character movement for Cirque du Soleil shows ("Zed," "KA," and "O") and to teach characterization and gesture workshops to animators at Walt Disney Feature Animation studios (Burbank, Orlando, and Paris), Walt Disney TV Animation, Pixar Animation, Industrial Light and Magic, Sony Imageworks, Pacific Data Images, Blue Sky Studios, and the San Francisco Academy of Art's animation program. Her studies in movement and gesture, combined with kinesiology, have provided her with unique insights into posture, gesture, and movement. Awards & Honours: Fulbright fellowship.