Meet Eloise Deluca

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eloise Deluca. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Eloise, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I started working at the age of 16 out of financial necessity, but what I didn’t expect was to fall in love with it. I have worked as a buyer for used clothing for 17 years, nannied for 15, tended bar for 10, worked as a receptionist, personal assistant, and a stylist. I have managed people’s homes, an event space in Brooklyn, catered parties, and coordinated weddings. I have taught dance technique to toddlers, teens, adults, and professionals across the country, movement directed for film, TV, music videos, and editorials. I have even sold jacuzzi fragrances at a national spa convention in Atlantic City! If there is a job in service I most likely have done it. This experience has allowed me to understand and value the psychology of working with people, for people. You can learn so much about a person in how they approach work and I promote translating that integrity into how we carry ourselves in everyday life.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I love people. I make movement about being one of them.
I am curious about work that embodies thoughtfulness and consideration of a collective experience. How can we value each other and support our differences while sharing space?
I grew up in Long Beach, California where I began dancing at the age of four at a local dance studio MMSDance (formerly known as Marrillyn McDowell Studio). This school became a second home to me and its pedagogy was pivotal in my adoration and pursuit for moving. After receiving a B.A. in dance from California State University of Long Beach I moved to New York to pursue freelance performing for twelve years. Amidst many different jobs, performing opportunities, and movement direction gigs, I developed a skillset for leading a room and making others feel safe to explore their bodies.
Seeking to connect with other humans about shared desires, I make work to communicate and relate to the social public. I am currently in my final year pursuing a Masters in Choreography from California Institute of the Arts. Please follow my instagram account for upcoming events! @elowah

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Studying other mediums of art, staying interested in various forms, seeing and experiencing other types of work whether it be visual art, music, theatre, tv, film etc. has and continues to be the most impactful on my dance making. Especially when you travel somewhere new…seek out art! It can only better and inform your work, ethics, and choice making when you see how someone else lives.
Stay hungry for learning. There is something to be learned in every experience, especially as a leader of that space. Try to become an expert at reading the room. When to share and when to listen is really important and often overlooked in contemporary dance making. Stay curious about other people and humble in what you can learn.
And humor! What fun is any of this if we aren’t laughing?

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Go outside. Walk around. Draw. Exercise. Eat something. Drink water. Get sleep. Go through the checklist and make sure your basic needs are met. Try getting stimulation from somewhere new. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by our own situation we lose sight of the bigger picture, and having that perspective is calming in itself. We are apart of a big world and its important to remember you aren’t alone.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @elowah

Image Credits

Kolomea

Mark Mann