Meet
Motivated Movers

Motivated Movers is a community powered by artists and volunteers dedicated to making the power of dance and creative movement accessible to all.

We are a home for every body to embrace their inner dancer and explore the liberating joy of dance.

We are also a supportive space for emerging and professional artists to harness the power of storytelling through movement while building the confidence and dance technique needed to thrive in the musical theatre industry. 

 
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Our Story

Motivated Movers was founded by Elise Melendez & Jesse Miller to ensure performing artists have a supportive space to learn to dance confidently, as well as navigate the demands of the arts industry as movers. We help artists evolve into storytellers through dance.

Today we are a global community filled with dancers beginning and returning to dance. We believe that everyone can and deserves to dance, but we need a judgment-free and intentional space to find joy in being a beginner. We create that space, introduce you to your inner dancer, and help you harness the power of dance.

 

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Our Team

We are a team of artists and volunteers dedicated to making dance accessible and fun.

  • Our professionally-trained teaching artists are committed to serving the needs of this community and every being present.

  • Our Advisory Board is dedicated to guiding the organization towards becoming a more equitable community while expanding who we serve and how we do it. 

  • We are surrounded by volunteers who believe in the power of dance and want to help you unlock its joy.

Meet Our Team

The Heart of the Matter

 
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You Do You

Our “You Do You” approach is at the center of everything we do, prioritizing whole artist wellness above all else.

  • Choose to move in the way that is right for your body.

  • Listen to what your heart, mind, and body need in the moment.

  • Dance at your own pace, for your own purpose.

  • Release expectations, invite curiosity.

  • Come as you are, dance how you feel.

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Unique Support

A new kind of dance class:

  • Designed to serve a wide range of experiences and needs.

  • We offer multiple options and modifications for movement.

  • Each class holds space for all your questions.

  • We remind you that it is your right to choose what is best for you. 

  • Your unique journey with dance is celebrated.

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Our Commitment

We promise you:

  • What happens on the dance floor, stays on the dance floor. (Our space is sacred and your journey private.)

  • Each class is pedagogically sound to ensure your safety and growth. 

  • An inclusive and supportive space for all bodies and beings. (We are always open to your feedback.)

  • Our community agreements will be upheld.

 

Follow Our Community

 
We invite you to close our celebration week by adding some more creative movement to your weekend. We encourage you to make time for joy, let go of what no longer serves you, stop thinking, and start dancing!⠀ ⠀ Here's how you can move with us:⠀ ⠀ FR
At Motivated Movers we know one thing for certain: dance is a powerful tool for every body, not just the trained dancer.⠀ ⠀ It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been dancing since you were little or you’ve never danced before in your li
Martha Graham formed a dance company and school in 1926, living AND working in a tiny Carnegie Hall studio in midtown Manhattan. Martha Graham was known for experimenting with natural and innate human behavior when creating her technique, starting wi
"We need to feel our way in to think our way out."⠀ ⠀ Erica Hornthal ⠀ Thank you to all of you who joined us on Saturday for our first ever Day of Dance. We had an incredible line-up of speakers, teachers, and movement professionals who led
Hello Motivated Community! Our first ever Day of Dance virtual extravaganza is here! This is a party you do not want to miss. The kind where there is something for everyone. The kind that will help you forget your troubles and start to smile. T
Prepare to invite some creative movement into this very special weekend. Along with our normal weekend schedule, we'll be celebrating Day of Dance on Saturday. We've come up with a dance-a-thon style experience filled with different classes, performa