About Elevate Ballet
Elevate Ballet trains dancers to utilize ballet technique in other styles.
Katie developed Elevate Ballet in a basement with a ballet barre and computer, combined with her desire to get herself and others audition ready after a year and a half of pandemic life. Katie quickly realized the need for accessible ballet classes that were not only for professional ballerinas.
Elevate Ballet’s classes focus on expanding and improving your ballet technique to support other dance styles. Each class is also created with muscle activation and development in mind. Katie strongly believes that by adding ballet, the foundation for all styles of dance, to one’s regular training – the sky is the limit. Using her professional ballet experience along with her many years as a Radio City Rockette, she connects each ballet class to other styles so those with little ballet training will find their precision dance, jazz or contemporary improving.
Elevate Ballet offers weekly in-person ballet class and virtual ballet barre, monthly workshops, ballet privates and traveling master classes for individual dance studios. Whether you’re looking to refine your performance or to get audition ready, Elevate Ballet has something for you.
About katie
At the age of 12, Katie began studying ballet intensively at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She continued her studies there through high school graduation in 2004 and during these years, spent her summers training with Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet and American Ballet Theater. While at UNCSA, Katie had the pleasure to train with teachers from American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet and The Kirov Ballet. It is this exposure to a variety of teaching styles that Katie uses to make her own ballet classes unique. Some of Katie’s favorite roles performed at UNCSA include the Snow Queen from the Nutcracker, Black Swan Pas de Deux from Swan Lake, 2nd Regiment leader in Stars and Stripes and 4th Movement principal in Symphony in C.
Upon graduation, Katie joined Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in New York City and while there learned works by Benoit Swan-Pouffer, Nicolo Fonte, Edwaard Liang and Christina Johnson.
In 2007, Katie saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and was inspired by the precision, cleanliness, structure and scale of the show. The following year, Katie auditioned and joined the Radio City Rockettes. In her 14 years as a Rockette, Katie has been assistant choreographer, dance captain, swing and assistant dance captain. In 2015 and 2016, as the assistant choreographer, Katie helped create and teach the New York Spring Spectacular and the New York Spectacular alongside Warren Carlyle and Mia Michaels. She was involved in every aspect of the creative process including the choreography, pre-production, workshops, auditions and eventually went on to teach the show to the Rockettes.
During her time as a Rockette, Katie has performed on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, the White House Christmas Party, and America’s Got Talent. As an assistant choreographer, Katie has helped direct and choreograph for performances on The Today Show, The Tony Awards, Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Show, NBA All Stars Game, USO Partnership Performances, MLB Home Run Derby, America’s Got Talent and the Kacey Musgraves Christmas Special.
Katie loves finding ways to make others as passionate about ballet as she is and connecting it to other styles of dance.
Frequently Ask Questions
Ballet teaches you the basic arm and leg movements you need in jazz, modern, precision dance and many more styles. It helps you learn how to work your feet which is very important when dancing in heels. You will also find your center of balance, gain strength and agility while still moving with a graceful quality when necessary. Think of ballet as the foundation of a home – it is the support for all of the layers and rooms added on top that make it unique.
Consistent training in ballet helps you develop the solid strength to then add in style, personality, performance and refinement to stand out in an audition or a performance.
Precision dance focuses on the exactness of movement, being aware of the placement and pathway of your limbs at all times but still bringing a breathiness and dance quality to each step.
uPCOMING EVENT
Spend 2 days training with a full ballet class followed by kicks and precision choreography. The goal with this is to take the focus of ballet class from the day day and immediately apply it to another style.
March Precision Dance Collective
Weeklong workshop with daily technique classes and precision dance choreography sessions culminating with a live performance on the final day.
12 March 2023
11:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Our Students Say
"Katie's ballet class is such an effective and convenient compliment to my dance career and training. Her classes challenge my comprehension skills while getting in the necessary technical elements to a ballet class. Hopping onto her ballet barre lights me up and gets me excited to do ballet! I highly recommend her for getting consistent guidance in your ballet technique."
Katie D.
, RockettePricing Table
WEEKLY CLASS
- $20 virtual option
WORKSHOP
- $70 virtual option
VIRTUAL BALLET BARRE
- always virtual