Hey There
Thanks for being here. This is my heart. This is vulnerable. This is a journey.
Spaces of Fontana is a product of my deep-seeded desire to create positive art while I was performing professionally in NY. A space within the rehearsal environment that lifts others up and leaves audience members with a glimpse of good in any situation.
Movement and art is how I process the world. I made a commitment long ago as a bright-eyed young dancer to build a career based on the teachings in John Paul II’s Letter to Artists. In this he speaks of the unique gift artists have been given to see beauty in this world in a way others may not be able to grasp. It is my goal to create works and a company culture that reveal light in all situations seemingly ordinary or challenging.
As Artistic Director, I strive to cultivate uplifting, collaborative and supportive rehearsal environments with the dancers. Since the work we create is based on human connection, it is important to me to foster a space that allows the artists to be human. We take the time to connect with each work on an emotional level, and give space for each dancer to layer their own relationship with the movement.
I’m fascinated and inspired by how bodies connect. There is nothing more beautiful than dancers partnering together seamlessly. We often start the process with improvisation, phrase work and journaling through an idea or concept. One of my greatest joys is seeing our dancers transform the movement through their own experience - to see them take a leap as an artist.
I’m proud of what we have created and excited to see where this next chapter in Austin will take us. I hope you will take the time to see beauty in what we created, collaborate with us, support us or dance with us.
I’m always here to connect.
With love,
Evelyn Joy
Meet evelyn
Evelyn Joy Hoelscher is a multi-talented artist, entrepreneur, and movement expert based in Austin, Texas. With a degree in Dance Kinesiology from Texas A&M, Evelyn spent six years building her professional dance and fitness career in New York City. While in New York, she danced for over 10 choreographers, served as dance captain for Off-Broadway's SHE a Choreoplay, and founded her own professional dance company, Spaces of Fontana. Since 2009, she has taught and choreographed across Texas, North Carolina, New York, Switzerland, and Ethiopia.
As the Founder and Artistic Director of Spaces of Fontana, Evelyn has created 8 new works, received grants from QCA and Queens Theater, and had 31 performances; including the US Open, 2 Queens Tours, Dixon Place, Ailey Theatre, Peridance, Gelsey Kirkland, Mark Morris, Producers Club, and 3 self-productions. Her duet, Connected Roots, was featured on a Manhattan television series, and her piece, Together Apart, was chosen as a finalist for Ballet Inc's Outstanding Choreography Award. In 2018, Spaces of Fontana toured Woven Chaos through Queens, a piece inspired by Hurricane Harvey and created in collaboration with an artist and a composer. In 2019, she premiered her evening-length work, Soft Spot at Queens Theater after touring excerpts throughout the city.
Since relocating to Texas in 2020, she has invested in her Austin dance community by teaching and choreographing for local youth companies, presenting work, and leading the college fair for Austin Dance Festival. She has also choreographed Cabaret and Sound of Music for the Georgetown Palace Theater and is currently collaborating with a Louisiana artist to create an immersive movement-based art installation set to premiere in 2024.
In addition to her success in the dance world, Evelyn is also a certified Yoga, Trauma-Informed Yoga, Pilates, and Prenatal instructor. She taught over 1500 classes, trained NY top executives, founded Spaces of Fitness, and served as VP of People for a wellness-based start-up. As VP of People, she recruited and trained over 120 fitness professionals, developed a thriving work culture, led all things HR, and fostered internal mobility through creating leadership and continuing education workshops.
With her diverse skill set and experience, Evelyn is a sought-after collaborator, teacher, and choreographer. She believes in the power of art and the importance of community and allows this to drive her vision for Spaces of Fontana.
“An emerging New York City choreographer who tears out her heart to address hard hitting issues.” Evelyn’s choreography is “a welcome reminder of dance’s power to tackle more than entertainment or abstraction.”
Juan Michael Porter II -Dance Enthusiast