Natalie Elizabeth

uses she/her pronouns and was born in East Lansing, MI. She began performing when she was 3 years old, and professionally when she was 17 years old. She began her Vaganova ballet training with Barbara Banasikowski Smith in Lansing, Michigan, who also opened her dancing world to Polish Folkloric dance. It was not long after her heart decided she wanted nothing else but to pursue a career in ballet, and moved on her own when she was 14 years old to study at Bossov Ballet Theatre and Maine Central Institute. There on scholarship, she received Vaganova training from Natalya Getman and Andrei Bossov. BBT also gave her a special opportunity to travel and perform in St.Petersburg, Russia for Dance Open. Her institutional studies proceeded with Gelsey Kirkland at Gelsey Kirkland Academy in New York City when she was accepted to study in the first year of the schools opening. She feels a deep appreciation to all of her teachers past, and present.

Her professional career went from corps de ballet and soloist work, teaching, costume work and setting choreography with Columbia Classical Ballet of Columbia, SC to traveling back to NYC and abroad freelancing and falling for modern/contemporary movement.

As her dancing and her influences began to change she moved to Sarasota, FL in search of something new. Within a couple of months she began dancing with Sarasota Contemporary Dance, under the direction of Leymis Bolanos Wilmott; she remained there for 3 seasons dancing full time. She was also teaching at local studios and singing with her Jazz duo/trio/quintet at local stages and bars. There she was exposed to a wide variety of choreographers and musicians and was also given the opportunity to choreograph her own work and set in on the main stage.

Smitten with the contemporary side of dance, she learned to create environments that stimulate curiosity, imagination, and challenge the limitations of the body and mind.

Natalie has always had a strong core of acting as she approached any dance role, and also believes physical intelligence and expression is extremely important when bringing in dialogue.

Now, Natalie is expanding her work as an actor and writer for On Camera and Theater projects. In Chicago she worked with Lucky Plush Productions, began taking roles in small films with local film makers, and also has written/co-directed/starred/edited in a short film called Disarmed which she has adapted into a full length stage play. She also sings jazz locally and is represented by Option 1 Models.

Natalie continues to produce and write new work. She is currently in partnership with poet Philip Schaefer for a new movement theatre piece she is launching: combining music, dance, and poetry from Philip’s collection Bad Summon (as well as other publications.)

She stays committed to creating a new relationship with herself as an artist and story teller. She spreads her enthusiasm to her artistic partners and students in the classroom. She continues to use her inspirations to expand her vocabulary, explore boundaries, and find her voice in the crafts of dancing, acting, singing, writing, poetry, teaching and choreographing. Any experience can be a step to creation. Everyday she looks for new opportunities, collects inspirations from her community, and is always looking for collaboration!