Instagram story viewer> @ekesss> Tagged

Emily Kessler

@ekesss

2K

followers

1537

following

dance artist 💐

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

some of you may know, but my incredible momma has been living with metastatic melanoma since 2020 and she sadly came out of remission for the second time just before moving to italy last year. not once has living with cancer diminished her zest for life and her courageous decision to relocate to italy is perhaps the biggest testament to that.

since october of last year, my mom has been traveling between the us and italy in order to receive necessary treatments while navigating all of the challenges of moving abroad. even though this has not been an easy time for her, she’s been making the best of the hand that she’s been dealt, all with a smile on her face.

her doctors in new york decided that the immunotherapy treatments were not working quickly enough, so she underwent a very complex surgery to remove the tumor in june. i spent the better part of the month in nyc to take care of her and coordinate with her medical team. thankfully, the surgery was successful and she was able to go home to florence at the end of june, where she’s been continuing her recovery.

the past year has been so hard and this hasn’t been an easy thing for me to talk about, but it truly takes a village and i’m still overwhelmed with gratitude for our friends and family (near and far) and the support they have provided throughout.

mel and margot provided the softest of landings when i first got to nyc

was also great to dance and sweat it out with friends

jacks took the day off work to be with me while my mom was in surgery - she was sure to keep me fed and occupied to calm my nerves

momma’s first meal of solid foods more than 2 days post-op, of course she requested matzo ball soup and a reuben sandwich

summer storm during my first outing from the hospital since surgery, got a sweetie rainbow once the rain stopped and still managed to get some dancing in

watched the knicks championship game on an upper east side rooftop with shon, momo, and friends once my mom was down for the night

biked over to astoria for a brief solo trip to the noguchi museum while momma was napping

after six long days in the hospital, my mom was finally cleared for discharge! i popped down to the union squ

3

28

Summer’s getting faster 🌅
Seattle, NYC, whales

106

2

✶ Summer School with Emily ✶

Level up your line dancing with intermediate classes in a supportive studio environment. If you’ve completed our beginner series, you’re ready for intermediate.

★ Sundays with Emily — 6:30–8 PM
★ Gibney NYC
★ July 12–August 30

Gibney classes are offered in separate July and August sessions. Registration is required for each session.

Series passes → scuff.us

35

0

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

📸 1&2 @jma___photography

272

11

54

1

More pics from the first NYC Round-Up 💓

Photos taken at the Round-Up are available through the link in our bio. All photos by @trevormunch

Thank you for being so patient 💌
As an extra little treat for waiting, we have some news coming this week — stay tuned!

✰

127

8

Hang onto your hats ! 𐚁

Round-Up has a STACKED list of your favorite NYC country western dance DJs spinning from noon to late

From noon to 8pm, you can catch FREE beginner line and partner dancing outside at the Town Hall on a sweet outdoor deck. Partner and line mini lessons will be taught periodically throughout the day

Then head indoors to catch the real party - hoedown activities begin at 7pm and go until late

Check our schedule linked on the site so you don’t miss a single set!

✰

75

4

Introducing Emily Kessler and Mackenzie Katz of Live Laugh Line Dance 🩶

Emily and Mackenzie choreograph line dances together and individually under Live Laugh Line Dance, and will be sharing two new low intermediate level line dances called Heartache Medication and Pull Up with y’all at NYC Round-Up. Not to be missed!

More about Mackenzie (he/him):
I showed up to Tenaya’s class in 2023 curious about line dancing. Turns out it became my lifeline when everything else was falling apart. Now I’m completely obsessed and thankful to be able to choreograph with Emily Kessler under Live Laugh Line Dance.
What drives me is helping people find that same joy I discovered when I desperately needed it. It’s a pleasure to boot scoot with y’all sexy angels.

More about Emily (she/her):
Emily Kessler is a choreographer and dance-based artist living in Brooklyn, NY. She has been obsessed with the community and freedom that queer line dancing has given her since a friend brought her to dance in a small room behind a Ukrainian restaurant in early 2023. She regularly taught line for Stud Country and now for SCUFF, and has guest taught for places such as UEVR Line, Buck Wild, 90mil, and the Emerald City Hoedown among others. She choreographs under Live Laugh Line Dance with Mackenzie Katz.
Emily is a co-founder of New York City Round-Up.

First photo by @lilijamail

✰

147

15

Two-stepping in queer time at @stud.country 📸 2024-2025 on 35mm film

69

1

park placed second at @theedgedanceevent 🥂 🥈

sweet t and cd were demo angels 👼 😇

63

5

Yesterday my original choreo DIME won 3rd place in the intermediate/advanced line dance category at @theedgedanceevent ❤️‍🔥 thank you SO MUCH to @ekesss @gabfrat & Carolina for learning this dance to demo with me and executing it so perfectly, and so many thanks to The Edge for having me at my first ever line convention and competition | @adiadance @_bootscootin @thefinelinedance @djrickdominguez | Stepsheet in bio! #linedancing

292

40

Windows and thresholds of space 🧡

Alpine Slip returns for its Manhattan premiere on February 9th, 6:30 and 8:30 presented by @artsonsite
POGO will also debut a new solo performed by @ekesss 🌱

Tickets in bio, can’t wait to see you there! 🏔☁️✨

#pogo #pogodance #dancenyc #artsonsite #contemporarydance #contemporaryart #alpine #slip #dance

72

2