Emily Coates

Emily Coates is a Professor in The Practice of Theater and Performance Studies and Directing at Yale University's David Geffen School of Drama. A renowned dancer and performer, she has collaborated with institutions like the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Carnegie Hall, and Performa, and artists such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Yvonne Rainer, and physicist Sarah Demers. Her interdisciplinary work bridges dance, theater, and science, including co-authoring Physics and Dance (2018) and developing Yale's dance studies curriculum since 2006.

Her research interests span contemporary ballet, cross-disciplinary performance, and the intersection of physics with dance. She founded the Yale Dance Lab in 2011, fostering immersive interarts research with guest artists. Scientific awards highlight her contributions, including the Mae L. Wein Award and Sloan Foundation grant.

Awards and Honors:

• Mae L. Wein Award for Outstanding Promise
• Martha Duffy Memorial Fellowship
• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant
• 2016 Center for Ballet and the Arts Fellowship
• 2019 Jerome Robbins Dance Division Fellowship

Coates' career integrates performance, education, and interdisciplinary inquiry, with recent projects involving collaborations at the Wadsworth Atheneum and contributions to the Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet.