Inclusive Interdisciplinary Ensemble (IIE)
About the ensemble
The CSU East Bay Inclusive Interdisciplinary Ensemble (IIE) is directed by Professor Eric Kupers and is part of the Department of Music and Performing Arts. It's dedicated to creating radically inclusive performance.
IIE is the umbrella ensemble for several overlapping creative laboratories. Its members are CSU East Bay students, alumni, professional guest artists, and volunteers from the community. Together, they explore what dance, music, theatre, and other art forms offer for learning to thrive in a diverse community, embracing differences at every stage of the process.
In each group, every member has needs for support and skills that can support others. Part of the creative process is discovering together how everyone can support each other to grow and make work that feels truthful, vital, and enlivening.
The four groups
IIE Afternoon
IIE Afternoon meets Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the Dance Studio (PE 140), together with the Inclusive Ensemble class. It draws on many forms of dance, music, and theatre training and exploration. Members create original performance work collaboratively and perform it around campus and beyond.
Creativity Lab
The Creativity Lab meets on Thursdays. It supports students in individual or collaborative work in visual art, music, storytelling, acting, movement, photography, writing, computer programming, and more. Everyone is welcome, and the lab is specifically designed to support students on the autism spectrum and students with other disabilities, along with their allies. The Creativity Lab is a collaboration with the College Link Program and is the creative home of the band Ultrasonic Current.
Ultrasonic Current
Ultrasonic Current is IIE's house band. Professor Eric Kupers and student musician Jacob Goldstein founded it in 2016 through the Creativity Lab. The band works across folk, blues, rock and roll, world music, experimental rock, and spoken word poetry. Its first studio album, Collabyrinth of Souls, came out on December 20, 2020, followed by Apokálypsis Practice. Listen and learn more.
DanceSing Drum Company
The DanceSing Drum Company (DSDC) is an ensemble of dance, music, theatre, and visual artists who have made a significant commitment to developing as creators, performers, or designers. Sessions focus on cross-disciplinary training and developing performance material, often at a faster pace than IIE Afternoon. Participation is by audition or invitation.
DSDC works with Dandelion Dancetheater as the Wandering Ensemble. To join, contact eric.kupers@csueastbay.edu.
Follow IIE on Facebook.