Cool Cat: Emma Tolmich
Q&A by Zelby Gloria, photo by Amal Dahi
Emma Tolmich is a teacher at “The Studio” by Ellensburg Dance Ensemble. She teaches Acro and Ballet dancing. She has recently in the last couple years started choreographing for the CWU Theater program and the Orchesis Dance program at CWU. She is passionate about movement, emotion and all things dance.
Q: How many plays/events have you choreographed for at CWU?
Overall, at Central I have choreographed in four orchestra shows and one play.
Q: What led you to choreograph for CWU?
I was very nervous to choreograph my first two years but after getting to know all the people in the company, my courage grew. I started having big ideas that I just wanted to see put on people and put into space. I couldn’t hold back anymore and needed to get my ideas out and choreograph.
Q: What was the first play you ever choreographed for?
Occasionally all choreographed for the Valley Musical Theater company in Ellensburg my first one I helped choreograph “Godspell Junior”, but the one I had all to myself was the sound of music over the summer. This one was so much fun and it was so interesting to work with theater instead of dancers and getting to work with them singing and where they are with the blocking it’s more of a collaborative experience I just recently assistant choreographed for “Urine Town” at Central Washington University, and I’m upcoming choreographer for Valley musical theater in their junior play next spring.
Q: What is the energy like at the CWU Theater program and Orchesis Dance Show Program?
The energy in the Dance program feels so welcoming to new ideas and everyone is so willing to learn a different style in a new technique. It feels like a great place to learn and play with ideas. Making a mistake is expected, but it’s how you fix the mistake that matters. How do you fix that account that didn’t work how do you fix the formation that isn’t going into place
Q: What is the process like to choreograph for theater?
For theater it’s a lot of meetings with the director. You have to know where they are what they’re singing what the goal is and where they need to be can it be the ensemble doing big dance of the lead is doing little or stuff who’s doing the most singing, you need to take an account of what story you’re having to tell and make it so clear. There’s lots of rules, but the rules are what makes the end product so amazing.
Q: Is choreographing musical theater different from choreographing in a studio setting?
Yes, 100% theater typically the rule is if you are teaching a three minute Dance, you have three hours to teach it in Dance. You have about eight hours to teach three minutes over the course of eight weeks. Teaching it so fast makes peoples brains have to pick it up fast so there’s way more time for cleaning. Whereas in a studio you clean as you go and people can ask as many questions as they want.
Q: What is your favorite piece you choreographed for CWU?
My favorite piece I ever choreographed for CWU was the gazelle piece for the 2025 to 2026 show. I absolutely love the outcome. The story read very nicely, but it still left room for interpretation and for people to see their own version of art within it. My close second would be “My peace”. I had a vase on stage and the dancers were pushing it over and catching it, and it was an unstable unsteady game they were playing with this very fragile object.
Q: What does it feel like to see finished choreography on stage?
Seeing the finished product is like watching your child take their first steps. I'm not a parent and I don’t really know, but I imagine it feels great! At that point the dancers take it and make it their own and all the acting comes to life. I can give the piece choreography, but the dancers give the piece life.