Elbert - Hip Hop/Modern Instructor

Elbert's dance training started as a cultural experience with him being placed in folk and cultural dance classes by his parents.  Inspired by his sister to learn different forms of dance; Elbert began to train in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Spanish and Polynesian cultural dancing.  He began performing with companies and entered the arena of musical theater. There, he furthered his education adding Broadway and Musical theater dance and worked with Tina D’Amato in a specified pas de deux local rendition of the musical Camelot.  

After taking a break to pursue higher education, Elbert went on to continue his training with Step N’ Out Dance Studio (Home of the Benny Smith Dancers) where he started out as a recreational dancer and within a few months joined their competition team.  He continued exploring Tap, Jazz, and Ballet adding Street Funk, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Modern, and Contemporary to his repertoire. Elbert competed in competitions such as Showstoppers, Energy, and the California State Youth Competition where he won the Open Dance competition for his division and was crowned Double Grand Champion for CSYC, winning the state national competition and a dance scholarship.

Elbert joined Kirkland Dance Center to rejuvenate his love for dance, after taking a lengthy break to expand his career in the technical field.  He continues to employ the values that were taught to him which were to enjoy the art of dance first and foremost, and to express the beauty that it creates both on the inside and the outside of the dancer.