Allison Rae Ellis

Allison Rae Ellis is an Omaha native, with over 25 years of experience teaching dance and creative movement. She is the former owner/director of Dance Inspiration Studio, where she taught recreational and competitive dance for 24 years to students of all ages. She is currently a Teaching Artist for WhyArts, Inc and Omaha Performing Arts, and an instructor/choreographer at Dance Dynamics in Papillion.

Allison attended Oklahoma City University where she studied Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Theatre dance, and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Dance Management. While attending OCU, she was a member of the American Spirit Dance Company and danced in major productions such as 'Yuletide Magic' put on in conjunction with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra. She also performed across the United States in a USO tour, and abroad in the 'International Broadway Review Show,' which took her to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Singapore. Other credits include dancing at the prestigious Flo-Bert Tap Awards in New York City.

With a natural ability to connect to students and a desire to share her love of dance, teaching has always been her number one passion. In 1999, Allison opened Dance Inspiration Studio with the mission of providing top quality dance instruction in a positive, structured, and inspiring environment. Former students have gone on to join college dance teams, professional ballet companies, and perform on cruise ships and in Las Vegas shows. Her choreography has been awarded on a local and national level, in multiple dance styles. In 2023, she made the decision to resign from being a business owner and focus solely on teaching. She currently enjoys teaching recreational and competitive dance at Dance Dynamics in Papillion.

As a Non-profit Teaching Artist, Allison has found new ways to share the benefits of dance and movement with the local community. She currently leads movement classes for older adults through WhyArts, Inc, and is proud to witness firsthand the physical, social, and emotional benefits gained by these senior students. Allison is also a Teaching Artist for Omaha Wolf Trap – Early Learning Through the Arts, which integrates arts-based lessons into Pre-K classrooms which support current curriculum goals. These opportunities to reach new audiences, in new and inclusive ways, supports Allison’s long held belief that dance is for everyone, and has provided her with some of the most fulfilling experiences of her career.

Allison believes strongly in the power of dance to educate, enrich, and inspire, and strives to help her students grow both physically and emotionally. Her classes provide a warm and supportive environment that allows each participant to embrace their unique inner voice, and feel purpose and pride as they express their personal gifts through movement. Allison’s main goal for her students is not performance driven, but that they are “feeling joy and having fun.” She understands music choice is an important component to movement classes, and encourages participants to share requests which she gladly adds to the wide-ranging playlist. She offers a variety of modified movement options to ensure everyone feels comfortable while participating. Allison values connection, and spends time getting to know her students as unique individuals. That, along with her energetic personality and ability to cater to a diverse range of learners, allows her to deliver classes enjoyed by all.