Katie Eliason | Full Time Specialized ​Skills Instructor

Originally from Manchester, Connecticut, Katie Eliason began her formal dance training at the Hartford Ballet/Hartt School Community Division, where she studied under the esteemed direction of Susan Brooker, Franco De Vita, Peter O’Brien, and Hilda Morales. During her time at Hartford Ballet, she performed in the world premiere of Kirk Peterson’s The American Nutcracker and in The Sleeping Beauty. In 2005, she was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Francine Goldfarb Scholarship.

Ms. Eliason began her professional career with BalletMet Columbus, where her repertoire included The Sleeping Beauty, Dracula, The Nutcracker, and more. She went on to dance with Atlanta Ballet for three seasons, performing in John McFall’s Peter Pan and The Nutcracker, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Swan Lake, and Lauri Stallings’ Big, among others.

She then went on to dance with Nashville Ballet for 8 seasons performing in a wide range of works, including Paul Vasterling’s Carmina Burana, Peter Pan, Nashville’s Nutcracker, and The Ben Folds Project. She was featured in Gina Patterson’s ...but the flowers have yet to come, Dominic Walsh’s The Whistling, Christopher Bruce’s Moonshine, Jiří Kylián’s Sechs Tänze, Stephen Mills’ Light: The Holocaust & Humanity Project, and Christopher Stuart’s Johnny Cash and 7 Deadly Sins. Her repertoire also includes numerous works by George Balanchine and notable others.

Since 2019, Ms. Eliason has been a dedicated faculty member with the Metro Parks Dance Division, where she serves as a full-time advanced ballet instructor. She stages multiple full-length productions annually, including the beloved Mini-Nutcracker. Ms. Eliason is passionate about nurturing the next generation of dancers and sharing her deep love of ballet and artistic expression with her students.