Introducing our next maker for Movers Make 2.0, Elena Hollenhorst! Elena Hollenhorst is a Minnesota-born dancer and choreographer based in San Jose, Costa Rica. Her choreographic work includes Searching for Giants, a collaboration with Amanda Sachs, which was awarded a FY2024 Creative Individuals grant from MSAB and premiered at MN Orchestra’s International Day of Music. With a career spanning more than 10 years, Elena has presented work internationally at venues and festivals including the The Southern Theater, MN Opera’s Bemis Hall, Jerusalem Art Festival, Givat Haviva Peace Campus, MN Dance Festival, Dances at the Lake Festival, and more. She choreographed Romeo and Juliet and A Tale of Two Cities for Twin Cities-based theater company, CB Productions. Elena has performed independently and with companies such as with Black Label Movement, HoneyWorks, Lil’luke Dance Co., and Jerusalem Dance Theater. She has performed works by Jacopo Godani, Crystal Pite, Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollak, Francesca Harper, Smadar Goshen, Barak Marshall, Ohad Naharin, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Bill T. Jones, Shapiro & Smith, and Marciano Silva Dos Santos. She was an original cast member of Essential by Randy Reyes, Nathan Keepers, and Berit Ahlgren, as well as in Invisible Cities by Ashwini Ramaswamy and Kevork Mourad, which premiered at Minnesota’s Great Northern Festival. In 2024, she joined Lil’luke Dance Co., premiering in Faces of Lilith by Luches Huddleston Jr. and Giovanni de Buono in Mannheim, Germany. She earned her BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and trained at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She furthered her studies internationally, including in the Gaga Teacher Training program at the invitation of Ohad Naharin. (fb)

We are excited to announce our Makers for Movers Make 2.0! Learn more about Jake below. Jake grew up in Minneapolis and started his dance journey when he was three years old. Over the years, he has had the privilege of studying and performing various styles, including tap, modern, jazz, hip hop, international styles, and ballroom. Jake earned his BFA in Dance and Kinesiology from St. Olaf College, which has allowed him to explore the physical and anatomical aspects of movement. His work as a performing artist, choreographer, and teacher in the Twin Cities is deeply rooted in a love for the art form and a desire to share it with others. Currently, Jake dances with Black Label Movement, Arena Dances, Ruby Josephine Dance Theatre, and Rhythmically Speaking and has had or continues to collaborate with several wonderful local companies, including Contempo Physical Dance, Concerto Dance, Mixtape, Threads Dance Project, Flying Foot Forum, Hatch Dance/Honey Works, Katha Dance Theatre, Buckets and Taps, Eau Claire Dance, STRONGmovement, and performed in Stephan Koplowitz’s Northfield Experience. He is grateful for each of these experiences, which have allowed him to grow as an artist and connect with talented individuals in the community. In addition to performing and choreographing, Jake enjoys teaching at Prairie School of Dance and Ballare Teatro Performing Arts Center. (fb)