Emma Redding

Dancer / Educator / Researcher

Emma is a contemporary dance and performance science practitioner, educator and researcher. She holds a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences from City University London, UK, an MSc in Sports Science from The University of Essex, UK and a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre from Laban, UK.

Prior to taking on the role of Director of the VCA, Emma was Professor in Performance Science and Head of Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, UK, leading the education, research and knowledge exchange. Originally trained as a dancer, Emma joined the Hungarian dance company Tranz Danz in Budapest before performing for Choreographers such as Rosalind Newman and Athina Vahla and furthering her interest in site-specific and cross-disciplinary performance practice.

Emma co-authored the first ever Master's degree in Dance Science and has since played a major role in developing dance science as a recognized field of study in Higher Education through her research, and through her international teaching. She is a founding partner of the UK’s National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science https://www.nidms.co.uk/ and a Past President of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science https://iadms.org/.

Emma retains her lecturing and studio practice in areas such as dance technique, improvisation, exercise physiology and research methods alongside her leadership and research work. She has supervised over 90 masters project dissertations and several PhD students through to completion in areas such as dancer health & wellbeing, physiology, talent development, creativity and dance pedagogy as well as dance for health among other populations. Emma has published over 50 papers in peer reviewed academic journals and 5 book chapters.

She is on the Research Advisory Board of Help Musicians, UK, serves on the editorial boards and review committees of national and international research journals and funding councils and is currently Associate Editor for two international academic journals. She serves on advisory and expert panels and offers consultancy to other higher education institutions in Europe, Asia and the United States on curricula development.