I was born and raised in France, where I trained in ballet, Russian character, and modern dance. Following a professional dance career in France and Europe, I moved to New York City where I studied the technique of Merce Cunningham .
I have experience in both contemporary and historical dance forms. I create original choreographies that incorporate baroque dance vocabulary within a contemporary format, and have also recreated 18th-century dances from ancient notations. I enjoy working with dancers of diverse styles and techniques and build original choreographies that bring out their unique personality.
I have been recognized by the Vermont Arts Council for my films "Covid, a Poem and a Rope" and "We Remember." I am the founder and director of The Junction Dance Festival, Inc.
Ellen Smith Ahern (she/her) is a dance artist and social worker/community organizer living with her family on Abenaki lands in N’Dakinna/New Hampshire. As a 2023 Creative Community Fellow with National Art Strategies and a 2024 Artist in Residence with the National Parks Service at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, Ellen creates performance projects that include a wider array of people than might otherwise feel welcomed into traditional dance spaces.
The Junction Dance Festival, Inc., is a non profit organization incorporated in the state of Vermont with the purpose of promoting the understanding and appreciation of Dance in all of its forms through diverse modes of expression. The Junction Dance Festival is dedicated to nurturing, promoting, and showcasing the talents of dancers, choreographers, and performing artists from Vermont, New Hampshire, and neighboring regions. Through free activities, accessible and inclusive dance programming, we lead the Upper Valley community to experience not only the artistic value of dance but also its health and social benefits.
The Junction Dance Festival
PO Box 605
Norwich, VT 05055
United States