Elyse Jost is a dancer, dance educator, choreographer, and writer from Chicago, IL. She graduated in August of 2018 with a BFA in Modern Dance and a minor in English from the University of Utah, where she received the Jon Scoville/ Tandy Beal award. She originally began her training at a small studio in the suburbs of Chicago. At age 13, Elyse began commuting downtown to train year-round at Ballet Chicago, eventually joining the Ballet Chicago Studio Company under the direction of Artistic Director Daniel Duell and Associate Artistic Director Patricia Blair. Through her training, she traveled nationally for summer intensives, as well as an international exchange program with the Royal Danish Ballet. In the fall of 2014, she began her pursuit of a BFA in Ballet at the University of Utah. Elyse had many performance opportunities, but later transferred to the Modern Program in the spring of 2016 and was able to perform annually at multiple venues and shows around Salt Lake City. She created her own works and performed in works often, including works by Justin Bass Dance as well as a piece created by NWDP’s resident choreographer, Ihsan Rustem. During her time at the U, she also contributed to both the Arts and Opinion columns for The Daily Utah Chronicle and served as co-chair of English Student Enrichment Association. Since returning to Chicago after graduating, Elyse has worked at Gus Giordano Dance School as a dance educator and performer, Life Time Fitness as a group fitness instructor, and several other local studios. She was a 2019 company member with Esoteric Dance Project and had the honor of choreographing for Ballet Chicago’s Dance Vision in November of 2019. She has a passion for pedagogy, working in public schools throughout the Chicagoland area as a musical choreographer, poms coach, and academic outreach leader. She is currently a Paralegal and Executive Assistant to Principal Attorney at Mudd Law Offices and sits on the council of the Fine Arts Ambassadors for the University of Utah.