Ellie was born in New York City and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ellie began dancing at the late age of 10 years old as she bounced around from activity to activity, but when placed into a summer dance camp, she fell in love immediately. She was a student at a small studio in Malvern, PA, called Desiree Catania’s Dance Center, for eight years. There she was trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, improv, and acro. She was a member of the competition team, competing at multiple competitions a year and serving as team captain during her senior season. As a senior, Ellie had the amazing opportunity to teach and choreograph for a small group of younger dancers. She loved every minute of the process and enjoyed spending time with the younger generation at her studio. In addition to her training at her studio, Ellie attended multiple summer intensives. In the summer of 2021, she attended DeSales University summer dance intensive, and in the summer of 2022, she attended The University of The Arts pre-college summer dance program. Here, she trained up to 6 hours a day under highly qualified faculty with extensive resumes. After experiencing dance at the collegiate level, she made it her goal to attain a BFA in dance and to dive deeper into the art form. Ellie currently resides in Columbus, Ohio where she studies dance at The Ohio State University. At The Ohio State University, she is involved in Dance Connections, a student-led dance company where she participates in several performances throughout the year. Aside from dance, Ellie enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music, taking photos, and is an iced coffee connoisseur! She is excited to see what the future holds for her, as she aspires to keep sharing her love for dance through her choreography and performance as a means of expression.

Meet Ellie Espenshade

Ellie Espenshade