About Us

Ms. Eliese is the owner and director of DANCE by Eliese. Eliese launched DANCE by Eliese in the fall of 2013 and offered ballroom dance lessons and social dancing events to help raise money and awareness for a local community food pantry. In June 2014, she opened the doors to her first studio, located off of Wedington Drive in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Ms. Eliese started dancing in her mother’s studios before she was old enough to talk! After her mother closed her studios, Ms. Eliese continued her dance education with the Judith McCarty School of Dancing in Texas. She studied classical ballet, theatrical jazz, broadway and rhythm tap, Spanish dancing and clogging. Upon relocating to Northwest Arkansas, she continued her dance education in the styles of classical ballet, tap, jazz and Spanish dancing. Ms. Eliese has trained across the United States with masters such as Dr. Kathleen Tenniswood-Powell, Renata Sanford, Lee Ann King, Judith McCarty, Susan Mayes, as well as classes with various other masters of the arts.​ Ms. Eliese has performed, competed, and adjudicated in several areas of performing arts including vocal, instrumental, dance, musical theatre, acting, and baton twirling. She has performed in and been a guest choreographer in several productions including The Nutcracker, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

Ms. Eliese is a Qualified Associate Member of Cecchetti Council America and serves as the Chairman of the Southwest Committee of Cecchetti Council of America. She is also an Acrobatic Arts Certified Member, Baton Arts Certified Member, United States Twirling Association Coach and a Functional Movement Technique Certified Movement Professional. She has formerly served on the Board of Directors for Ballet Arkansas, the state's foremost Professional Ballet Performing Company, as Board President, NWA Chair, Scanning Committee Chair, and member of various committees. She is certified in adult and pediatric First Aid, AED and CPR. She also holds Instructor Certifications through Dance Educators of America, Alixa Flexibility, and Progressing Ballet Technique. Ms. Eliese’s teaching experience includes acting as a Guest Teacher in several studios in Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, and Louisiana, Instructor of Ballet and Social Ballroom Dancing through Instructional Programs at the University of Arkansas and Qualified Teacher and Scholarship Auditioner with The Southwest Committee of Cecchetti Council of America. Ms. Eliese’s students include dance teachers in Arkansas and Missouri, Arkansas Scholarship Pageant Title Holders, and undergraduates and graduates in various performing arts colleges in Chicago, New York, St. Louis and Austin.

​

In her spare time, Ms. Eliese enjoys fostering dogs through the MAK German Shorthair Pointer Rescue, paddling down Arkansas rivers, and reading in her hammock.