Elissa began dancing at age 3 at CMDE, and began teaching dance over 30 years
ago. She attended The Martha Graham School, Jacobs Pillow Summer
Dance Festival, Bennington College, Simons Rock College, and the
New School for Social Research. She has taught students ranging in age
from toddlers to seniors and from beginner
to advanced in a wide variety of settings, has developed and
implemented numerous original programs for CMDE, and continues to teach
and present her own choreography. In her role
of Artistic Director, she manages all of CMDE's artistic and
professional-development programming, supervises all staff, and is the
primary liaison between CMDE staff and the Board
of Trustees. She is also the Chairperson of the 2009 Committee
for the Bergen County Week of the Young Child Family Fun Festival; a
member of the Bergen County Department of Cultural
and Historical Affairs' FY09 & FY10 Arts Grants Panels; a
member of the Bergen Youth Collaborative (created in 2008 to address
critical issues facing youth in Bergen County); a member
of the Advisory Committee for the Bergen County Teen Arts
Festival; a member of Bergen Dancemakers; and a former Board Member of
Dance New Jersey.
