Recent Work Samples
Tilted Terrains (2025)
Created for the 2025 Art School Confidential 11 at Masary Studios in Boston, MA
Tilted Terrains explores climbing and route setting as forms of vertical choreography. Movement is informed by the placement and position of handholds and light to showcase an improvisational and way-finding approach to climbing. Projected images are generated through prerecorded mocap climbing data, outdoor climbing footage, handholds, and a greenscreen climbing wall. In this work, I am interested in the contrast between lightness and weight, falling and flying, gripping and ease – and I am exploring how my body shifts between these qualities to sustain itself on a wall.
Tilted Terrains explores climbing and route setting as forms of vertical choreography. Movement is informed by the placement and position of handholds and light to showcase an improvisational and way-finding approach to climbing. Projected images are generated through prerecorded mocap climbing data, outdoor climbing footage, handholds, and a greenscreen climbing wall. In this work, I am interested in the contrast between lightness and weight, falling and flying, gripping and ease – and I am exploring how my body shifts between these qualities to sustain itself on a wall.
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Route Movements (2024)
Choreographer and Performer: Ellen Oliver
Media Designers: Emily Berkheimer and Ellen Oliver
Set Design: Ellen Oliver
Sound Designer: Ramin Roshandel Lighting Designer: Victor Maldonado Digital Media Specialist: Emily Berkheimer
Poetry: Lénaïg Cariou (2019), translated from French by Virgil Blanc, text performed and recorded by Alexandria Pierre-Etienne
MoCap Costume Specialist: Kaelen Novak
Fabrications Specialist: Juliana Waechter
Stage Manager: Mariana Tejeda
This work merges dance, live motion capture, and rock climbing. Real-time projections, sound, and lights respond to movement in an unstable system, creating improvisation and an interactive environment that transforms climbing gestures into expressive, three-dimensional choreography.
Media Designers: Emily Berkheimer and Ellen Oliver
Set Design: Ellen Oliver
Sound Designer: Ramin Roshandel Lighting Designer: Victor Maldonado Digital Media Specialist: Emily Berkheimer
Poetry: Lénaïg Cariou (2019), translated from French by Virgil Blanc, text performed and recorded by Alexandria Pierre-Etienne
MoCap Costume Specialist: Kaelen Novak
Fabrications Specialist: Juliana Waechter
Stage Manager: Mariana Tejeda
This work merges dance, live motion capture, and rock climbing. Real-time projections, sound, and lights respond to movement in an unstable system, creating improvisation and an interactive environment that transforms climbing gestures into expressive, three-dimensional choreography.
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Belay On (2024)
This project was created for students at the Roger Williams University Dance Theatre Department. It explores rock climbing movement vocabulary on a horizontal surface, and the relationship between belayer and belay partner.
Choreography by Ellen Oliver
Music by Ramin Roshandel featuring voices of the cast
Performed by Ella (EB) Belsky, Holly Grenier, Sophia Mallico, Holly Saunders, Logan Tilburg, Alana Wyzanski
Choreography by Ellen Oliver
Music by Ramin Roshandel featuring voices of the cast
Performed by Ella (EB) Belsky, Holly Grenier, Sophia Mallico, Holly Saunders, Logan Tilburg, Alana Wyzanski
photos by nik lee (2024)
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photos by nik lee (2024)
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Fret Hold (2024)
Collaboration with David Hurlin for Open Air Media Festival.
This installation features a sculpture containing found objects, climbing holds, musical strings, and frets. Choreography is revealed through the performer's interactions with the sculpture that functions as a projection surface and musical instrument. Projections are created in real time using PN3 motion capture and Unity to create traces of movement onto the vertical walls.
This installation features a sculpture containing found objects, climbing holds, musical strings, and frets. Choreography is revealed through the performer's interactions with the sculpture that functions as a projection surface and musical instrument. Projections are created in real time using PN3 motion capture and Unity to create traces of movement onto the vertical walls.
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Rock Climbing Wall Performance (2022)
Choreographed by Ellen Oliver in collaboration with David Hurlin, Raud Kashef, Ramin Roshandel
Performed by David Hurlin, Raud Kashef, Ellen Oliver, Ramin Roshandel, Oliver Crocker, Ben Poss, and Libo Xiao.
The Recreational Center Rock Wall, Iowa City, Iowa
This work explores route setting as a form of choreography, and performers interpret the climbing routes as improvisational scores.
Contact microphones were installed on the wall to amplify the sound of physical contact on handholds. This was a pop-up performance in a public gym.
Performed by David Hurlin, Raud Kashef, Ellen Oliver, Ramin Roshandel, Oliver Crocker, Ben Poss, and Libo Xiao.
The Recreational Center Rock Wall, Iowa City, Iowa
This work explores route setting as a form of choreography, and performers interpret the climbing routes as improvisational scores.
Contact microphones were installed on the wall to amplify the sound of physical contact on handholds. This was a pop-up performance in a public gym.
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Climbing Rope Performance (2021)
Ellen Oliver final project for "Topics in Intermedia: Performing Lines" University of Iowa course taught by Tony Orrico
Participants: Gracie Baer, Jordan Ismaiel, L.D. Kidd, Zoe Miller, Ellen Oliver, Tony Orrico, Brooklyn Staab, Edwin Stajkovic
Visual Arts Building, The University of Iowa
This gallery performance explores climbing as a duet, where anchored ropes extend the body, connecting partners through space and responding to the architecture for audiences to see vertical space in new perspectives.
Participants: Gracie Baer, Jordan Ismaiel, L.D. Kidd, Zoe Miller, Ellen Oliver, Tony Orrico, Brooklyn Staab, Edwin Stajkovic
Visual Arts Building, The University of Iowa
This gallery performance explores climbing as a duet, where anchored ropes extend the body, connecting partners through space and responding to the architecture for audiences to see vertical space in new perspectives.
Photo by Tony Orrico
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Photo by Tony Orrico
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Alighting Summits (2021)
Video and Direction: Ellen Oliver
Choreography: Ellen Oliver in collaboration with the performers (Hannah Bennett, Rachell Gamache, Lindsay Gibbons, Serenity Gorecki, Analisa Palla, Sylvan Williams, Samantha Witham)
Music: Claude Debussy: Children's Corner, L 113 - The Little Shepherd by Ronan O’Hora
Poetry: by Lénaïg Cariou (2019), translated from French by Virgil Blanc, text performed and recorded by Alexandria Pierre-Etienne
Set design: Richard Oulette ‘12
Costume Design: Emily Woods Hogue
Lighting Design: Stephen Petrilli
Technical Direction: Craig Lindsay
Technician for Lights, Sound, Video: Alex Trombly
Alighting Summits explores the history of forest fires and ecological succession on Mount Monadnock, NH. The work includes a film projection on hanging sculptures alongside dancers shaping aluminum foil through movement and sound. Alighting Summit invites us to consider how the Monadnock landscape holds memories of its visitors. This work is a collaboration with Keene State College dance students.
Choreography: Ellen Oliver in collaboration with the performers (Hannah Bennett, Rachell Gamache, Lindsay Gibbons, Serenity Gorecki, Analisa Palla, Sylvan Williams, Samantha Witham)
Music: Claude Debussy: Children's Corner, L 113 - The Little Shepherd by Ronan O’Hora
Poetry: by Lénaïg Cariou (2019), translated from French by Virgil Blanc, text performed and recorded by Alexandria Pierre-Etienne
Set design: Richard Oulette ‘12
Costume Design: Emily Woods Hogue
Lighting Design: Stephen Petrilli
Technical Direction: Craig Lindsay
Technician for Lights, Sound, Video: Alex Trombly
Alighting Summits explores the history of forest fires and ecological succession on Mount Monadnock, NH. The work includes a film projection on hanging sculptures alongside dancers shaping aluminum foil through movement and sound. Alighting Summit invites us to consider how the Monadnock landscape holds memories of its visitors. This work is a collaboration with Keene State College dance students.
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