Ellen Furey

Ellen Furey is an experimental choreographer, death doula, and a Cultural Studies MA student at Queen's. Her academic research looks at the intersections of death care and performance practices to develop and support alternatives to spiritual sterility in both medicalized end-of-life care services in Canada, as well as in her art practice. 

Her research includes the application of dramaturgical approaches to meaning-making at the end of life, co-created performance in community-led vigils, consideration of palliative philosophies to navigating personal/institutional/societal change, and exploring respectful practices of curating/hosting artistic works in performance festival settings that are made through experiences of deep grief, loss, and upheaval. 

Since 2012, Ellen has built a dynamic career in experimental and contemporary dance primarily participating in discursive and collaborative, long-form processes. She uses the materials of virtuosity, a sense of spectacle and nonlinear narrative to create stage works that include elements of scored movement, paradox, irreverence, devotion, humor and solemnity. Her work has been performed across Europe, Canada, in the USA and the UK. 

Ellen is originally from Unama:ki/Cape Breton Island and is based in Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal on the unceded traditional territories of the Kanien'kéha Nation.