Elizabeth Valdes, born and raised in Westchester, New York, recently graduated from John Jay High School in May 2023. She now attends The Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio, as a first year, pursuing a degree in dance (BFA) and exercise science (BS) on the pre-physical therapy track. In her dance studies, Elizabeth is focusing on the combination of physical practice and creative work classes. Her interest in exercise science and physical therapy stems from her goal to prevent injuries from occurring and help treat dancers or other athletes. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, Elizabeth plans to apply to graduate school to get her doctorate degree in physical therapy and further her career as an artist.
Elizabeth is a hardworking and passionate artists with 16 years of dance training in a variety of genres: tap, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, ballet, musical theater. Elizabeth attended The Pulse Performing Arts Studio, in Bedford Hills, New York. Elizabeth was not only a competitive dancer in the genres listed above, but also attended charity events such as Making Strides Walk, where she danced on the sidelines of the path cheering on the walkers. Elizabeth was a team captain for a tap competitive group at The Pulse, in addition to being the captain for three years of the charity group, Nova Jazz. She has recently joined a student run dance group called Dance Connections that provides performance opportunities and gives back to the community. She worked as a camp music specialist for the last three years at Norwalk’s Recreation Camp in Connecticut, where she enjoyed teaching children dance moves and music technique. She also had the opportunity the past year to intern with Performance Optimal Health, shadowing a physical therapist as she diagnosed and treated patients. Elizabeth is very fortunate to have performance opportunities such as at Disney’s Imagination Campus at Disney World, as well as, dancing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC as part of the United States Tournament of Dance Group. Elizabeth’s opportunities, jobs, and internships have given her valuable insight to her future careers into the artist and medical industry. Overall, she would love to continue expanding her dance knowledge with others and save dancers from experiencing career-ending injuries.
Elizabeth Valdes 