Troy, NY: The Board of Directors of the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company (ESDC) is pleased to announce the establishment of a new Associate Director position, effective September 1, 2026. Emily Gunter, the current Assistant to the Artistic Director, has been appointed to this inaugural leadership role.
“The Board of Directors is pleased to support the elevation of Emily Gunter to the position of Associate Director,” says Hollis Dorman, President of the board. “Emily’s commitment to the company and to dance make her an excellent choice to work in this capacity with Ellen. Their collaborative styles will help shape the company now and for years to come.”
As Associate Director, Ms. Gunter’s responsibilities will include assisting the Artistic Director in administrative and artistic management, creating new dances to become part of ESDC repertory, co-managing the Arts-in-Education initiatives and directing The Egg Kids Project. Gunter will continue to dance and perform with the company.
“Having been my assistant since 2023, Emily has a solid understanding of the administrative elements of running an arts organization,” states Artistic Director Ellen Sinopoli. “She has a true passion for creating dance and has choreographed work that demonstrates sophistication, aesthetic depth and a singular creativity. Her choreography complements ESDC’s existing opus of works, and I fully anticipate all of our future dances will continue to do the same.”
Since joining the company in 2020, Gunter has held the positions of Co-Coordinator for Arts-in-Education programming since 2021, Assistant to the Artistic Director since 2023, and choreographer for the Egg Kids since 2024. In April 2026, ESDC premiered “Dactylic Bounds,” a work choreographed by Gunter as an extension of her 2025 NYS Choreographers Initiative award. The piece will remain in the company’s repertory.
Gunter earned her BA in Dance and Classics from Skidmore College. Her training includes working with the dance companies of Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, Stephen Petronio and Doug Varone, as well as Skidmore faculty Mary Harney, Debra J. Fernandez and Erika Pujič. Since 2019, Emily has presented original choreography inspired by Greek and Roman mythology at The Egg in Albany; Tang Teaching Museum in Saratoga Springs; Choreography on the Edge in Kingston & Hudson; and the Hellenikon Idyllion in Selianitika, Greece. In 2024, she received the Brightheart Fellowship from the Paideia Institute, where she visited archaeological sites in the Greek Peloponnese to develop choreographic source material for a new solo work. She was a 2025 New York State Choreographers Initiative award winner, a funding opportunity administered by The New York State DanceForce and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). For the Regional Dance America/Northeast 2026 Festival, she was selected as the Emerging Choreographer for Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet. Concurrent with her roles with ESDC, Gunter is an Assistant Lecturer of Dance at Skidmore College and an instructor at Art in Motion Dance Academy.
“When I joined the company in 2020, a lot of things in my life and in the world felt uncertain and unstable. ESDC quickly became a cornerstone that kept me motivated, intrigued, challenged, resilient, curious, and strong,” claims Gunter. “In my six years with the company, I have seen and experienced the perseverance it takes on the stage, in the wings, in the studio, in the car, on the phone, and at the desk to manage a professional regional modern dance company. I am excited to support Ellen as her Associate Director and it is my goal to continue learning and growing as a leader, collaborator, dancer, and choreographer as I step into this exciting new role.”
ABOUT THE ELLEN SINOPOLI DANCE COMPANY
The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company is the resident company of The Egg with a mission to CREATE, COLLABORATE, EDUCATE and PARTNER. Since 1991, Artistic Director Ellen Sinopoli has created more than 95 dances and collaborated with over 40 artists across numerous genres. Through commissions and collaboration requests or of its own initiative, ESDC develops and brings dance to a broad and diverse population, ranging from those unfamiliar with dance to aficionados. Performances take place on stages, outdoor venues, public environments, galleries, museums, playgrounds and throughout cityscapes. The company’s Arts-in-Education programs bring the excitement of exploring the creative process to children and young adults in both urban and rural schools as well as to special needs populations.
ESDC’s collaborative film project, Slipping into One, is currently in the post-production phase of its completion. With a concept that expands upon ESDC’s artistic vision as never before, it encompasses the internationally renowned sculpture opus of John Van Alstine and Caroline Ramersdorfer, the exceptional musicianship of guitarist Maria Zemantauski and percussionist Brian Melick and the masterful artistry of the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company. The film’s director is the award-winning Bat-Sheva Guez.
Committed to bringing dance to underserved communities and populations through Arts-In-Education, ESDC offers performances and workshops in and around NYS’s Capital Region. Residencies, workshops, and/or performances bring the excitement of exploring the creative process to children and young adults in both urban and rural schools. Our educational programs introduce and explore modern dance in a pure performing sense and utilize dance to teach curricula and enhance understanding of the connectedness of art and everyday life. ESDC’s outreach programming continues to expand as we bring our work to community centers, daycare centers, public playgrounds, libraries, art galleries, and centers for special populations. Our creative movement workshops for these populations are designed to introduce the joy of dance, movement for self-expression, and creativity into their everyday lives.
The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.