meet the founders
Emily Kline
is a co-founder and Artistic Director of emme dance collective. She is a Lancaster-based choreographer who has been presenting her professional work in Lancaster, the Lehigh Valley, and Philadelphia since obtaining her BA in Dance from DeSales University in 2016.
For the first 16 years of her dance training, Kline studied various genres of dance at Encore Dance Center in Lancaster, PA, under the direction of her mother, Alvina Kline. After graduating high school in 2012, Kline knew she wanted to pursue a career in dance and went on to continue her dance education at DeSales University.
During her time at DeSales, Kline had the privilege of choreographing for the Spring & Winter Informal Dance Concerts, as well as the Emerging Choreographer's Concert. Kline's work was also selected to be performed as a representation of DeSales University’s Dance Department at the American College Dance Association East-Central Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in March of 2016.
Since receiving her Bachelor's degree in Dance, Kline has presented her professional work in shows such as the Koresh Artists Showcase, Kun Yang Lin / Dancer's InHale/ExHale Performance Series, Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange's Dance EXposure, and Lancaster's annual Downtown Dances. In 2016, she was selected as one of three choreographers for Lancaster's Dance 333, where she presented three original pieces created specifically for that show. Kline also collaborated with Jennifer Berlet, founder of NetCo Dance Company, in the fall of 2017 to create an original show titled COLLAB, which featured a total of six original works choreographed by Kline & Berlet.
Aside from her work with emme dance collective, Kline is a full-time dance instructor at Encore Dance Center and works as a freelance photographer.
Melissa Faller Turka
is a co-founder and Assistant Artistic Director of emme dance collective. She grew up dancing in Lancaster County at Encore Dance Center, under the direction of Alvina Kline. Faller wanted to further her dance education and attended DeSales University where she received her BA in Dance. During her time at DeSales University, she performed works by notable choreographers: Antony Tudor, Trinette Singleton, Jessica Chen, Jeff Shade, and Jamey Hampton, to name a few. After graduating from DeSales, Faller moved back to Lancaster and began her professional career as a freelance artist. Professionally, she has performed in New York City, Philadelphia, Lancaster and the Lehigh Valley for choreographers Emily Kline, Julia Mayo, Tara Madsen Robbins, Melissa Chisena, and more. In 2017, she joined Opus 1 Contemporary Dance Company, under the direction of Lina McMenamin & Tim Early, and performed with them for their 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Performing has always been Faller’s favorite aspect of dance, however, she has begun to find her passion for choreography as well. In the summer of 2016, Faller joined the N.A.D.I.N.E. Project where she performed works by Melissa Chisena, Jennifer Yackel, and Marie Brown. This was where her choreographic career truly began, as she was also required to create some work of her own. Under the direction of Janet Soares and Libby Nye, from the N.A.D.I.N.E. Project, Faller was encouraged to find the satisfaction choreography can give an artist. She began by creating excerpts and solos on herself and eventually built up to full-length pieces she now creates on other dancers.
Since 2016, Faller has presented work all across Pennsylvania and in Connecticut as well. Her pieces have been showcased at Lancaster’s Downtown Dances, Dance EXposure in the Lehigh Valley, Convergence Dance Festival in Doylestown, and in Ledyard, Connecticut for the N.A.D.I.N.E. Project. Her style has been described as “ethereal yet grounded” (Samantha Burns, LV Dance in Review); and innovative floor work has become a trademark of Faller’s choreography.
Photography by Melissa Wardwell