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Emily Regas
Emily Regas grew up in "beautiful, and always sunny" San Diego. She earned a B.F.A. in dance from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an M.A. in performing arts administration from New York University. Before coming to Juilliard, Emily was the development associate for individual giving at the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation, where she produced special events, managed the individual giving program, and coordinated the internship program.
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| Emily Regas in the N.Y.U. 2002 Master’s Dance Concert. (Photo by Chianan Yen) |
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How long have you worked at Juilliard, and what do you remember about your first day? Or what is one of your favorite memories from your years here?
I have worked at Juilliard for a year and a half. I remember that my first day was a co-worker's birthday, which led to meeting my co-workers with a mouthful of cake. My favorite Juilliard memory thus far was planning the events for the centennial tour. The Juilliard students' performances on tour were phenomenal, and the events were a wonderful opportunity to meet Juilliard's friends and donors in various cities throughout the country.
What job at Juilliard would you like to try out for a day and why?
I would love to help build the sets and props for the drama productions. It would be fun to create the world that the actors perform in.
What is the strangest or most memorable job you've ever had and what made it so?
It's a toss-up between tap dancing on a big barrel for an N.Y.U. musical-theater event and being licked by a llama while doing a commercial for the San Diego Zoo … both were highly humiliating.
If out of the blue your boss said to take the day off, what would you do with your free time?
Sleep in, take a dance class at Dance New Amsterdam, read a good book, and then go see some sort of performance in the evening.
Have you continued your artistic endeavors, and if so, how do you balance them with your job?
I love to dance, and could not imagine my life without it. I work with choreographers who also balance several jobs, so rehearsals are mainly in the evenings and on weekends. I like to perform in a variety of mediums—modern, tap, and liturgical dance—so performing on a contractual basis allows me to keep my career diverse. I usually end up using some vacation time for travel and performances. Right now I am rehearsing for an evening of work by the Metronome Rhythm Tap Ensemble, which we will perform this May in New York City, and a tour of a work by the Arch Studio titled A Path for Peace, scheduled to be performed in various cities throughout the summer.
What other pursuits are you passionate about?
Besides dancing, I love to sing in my church choir and I love musical theater. After my first performance in the musical Jack and the Beanstalk at the tender age of 8 I was hooked, and continued performing in musicals up until about five years ago, when I decided to focus more on dancing. While I haven't performed in a musical in several years, if you named a musical I could probably sing you the entire score from memory. I am constantly listening to musicals on my iPod and love to see what is new on Broadway.
What was the best vacation you've had and what made that trip so special?
The winner by far would be my honeymoon in London and Paris. It was simply magical.
What might people be surprised to know about you?
My sister is profoundly hard of hearing, so I know American Sign Language. A.S.L. is such a beautiful language, I feel like signing is an elegantly choreographed dance.
What book are you reading right now?
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It is a beautiful yet heart-wrenching look at acceptance and betrayal through the eyes of a wealthy boy in pre- and post-war Afghanistan.
What is your favorite thing about New York City?
The access to so much creativity, and the ability to be a part of it.
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