Anne-Elise Garrison

Instructor • Rotating Faculty Member

Anne Elise Garrison began her dance training at Augusta West Dance Studio in Augusta, GA at the age of 10, studying styles such as Jazz, Musical Theatre, Ballroom, Contemporary, Ballet, Tap, and Hip Hop. While in Georgia, Anne Elise worked with choreographers such as Kathryn McCormick, Kayla and Casey Frails, Brooke Paulsen-Zelus, Eve Mason, Mark Goodman, Walker Redick, Ade Obayomi, and others, gaining a wide variety of choreographic and performance experiences.  While a part of her studio’s performing companies, Anne Elise represented the state of Georgia twice at the international conference Dance Excellence in Anaheim, CA. Finding joy in the growth that comes from high-intensity training and performing, she was chosen to tour with Dancemakers Inc. in her Junior year of Highschool as a demonstrator and assistant under the direction of Brad and Felicia Taylor. This experience pushed her to pursue dance after high school, and in 2018 she relocated to Orange, CA to begin her undergraduate degree at Chapman University.

While at Chapman, Anne Elise studied under artists such as Jenny Backhaus, Wilson Mendieta, Steven Sofia, Charles Maple, Amanda White, and Will Johnston, as well as performed the professional works of Ido Tadmor, Igal Perry, Michael Getman, and Mara Hancock. Following her creative strain, Anne Elise choreographed three works at Chapman that were performed at the Waltmar Theatre and Musco Center for the Arts. During her studies, Anne Elise was introduced to the Israeli dance scene through a “Contemporary Dance in Israel” study abroad that allowed her to train with Batsheva Dance Company and the Gaga research of Ohad Naharin, Vertigo Dance Company, and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. Since then, she has returned to further train with the Gagapeople company at the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv. This research within the Gaga movement and the explorative movement teachings of Bret Easterling in L.A.  greatly influence her work as a teacher and choreographer and inspired her research for her final thesis at Chapman.

After graduating in 2022 with a BFA in Dance Performance and a Minor in Nutrition, Anne Elise furthered her nutrition credentials by becoming a Certified Sports Nutrition Coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is currently an Education Teaching Artist with Backhausdance, working to bring dance into schools as a means of boosting confidence and kindness in younger generations. Anne Elise specializes in choreography and teaching Ballet, Contemporary/Modern, and Jazz and is excited to begin her first year teaching at FOCUS!

When not teaching, you can find Anne Elise painting, soaking up the sun, and playing with her Siberian Forest Cat, Otis.

Anne Elise is one of the Rotating Faculty members for Jazz/Contemporary, Hip Hop and Ballet Competing Blocks.