Meet our Director

I grew up in Dresden, Germany, where dance was part of daily life. It’s a city whose dance culture was deeply shaped by modern and contemporary pioneers like Gret Palucca, Mary Wigman, and William Forsythe, all of whom spent significant time there and left a lasting artistic legacy. Surrounded by this rich cultural backdrop, I developed a deep love for movement from a young age.

Starting at the age of 5, I spent years performing, competing, and studying dance across Europe — two of many highlights were earning a runner-up title with the Silver Spirit dance team in Dortmund at the Germany Cheer and Dance Championships (which led us to represent Germany at the European championships in Denmark), and performing on a live televised stage production broadcast in three countries to celebrate two neighboring nations joining the European Union.

I began my university journey in the U.S., where I found the perfect environment to nurture both my academic and artistic passions. I pursued a PhD in biological anthropology while dancing with the University of Southern Mississippi’s Dixie Darlings and minoring in dance. Game days as a college dance team member helped me grow as a dancer just as much as college dance classes.

Dance gave me more than technique — it taught me presence, resilience, and how to work as a team. These skills served me well in research and fieldwork, from guiding tourists in a South African monkey sanctuary to conducting forensic anthropology projects in Guatemala and rainforest research in the Ivory Coast.

Motherhood and the pandemic brought a shift. I wanted a place where my children could grow creatively and confidently through movement — just as I had. That vision became Elevate Motion Studio.

Here, I combine my knowledge of the human body, scientific research, and the joy of dance to create a space that nurtures and uplifts every child.

See you at the studio!

Elise Geissler-Huesgen, PhD