Elisa Monte

Elisa Monte (born May 23, 1946) is an American artistic director, choreographer, and dancer who founded Elisa Monte Dance in New York City. Monte’s first choreographic work, Treading (1979), defined her as an important innovator and contributor to contemporary dance. Her signature style, recognized as "daring, intense, and passionate, is classical and highly athletic."

Monte was born in Brooklyn, New York to Anthony Montemarano, a bookkeeper, and Elisa Montemarano. Both Monte and her older sister, Barbara, now a personal fitness trainer, later shortened their surname to “Monte.”

Monte started her dance training in 1955 at the age of 9, studying ballet under the tutelage of Russian classical dancer Vladimir Dokoudovsky. Monte continued her ballet training through high school, taking classes at the School of American Ballet while attending the Professional Children’s School for her formal education. Years later, Monte joined the professional dance world, beginning her modern dance studies with the Pearl Lang Dance Theater.

Monte made her professional debut dancing with Agnes DeMille in the 1957 Broadway revival of Carousel, but her modern dance debut was not until the late 60s when she performed with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. In 1974 Monte joined Martha Graham Dance Company, performing as a principal dancer in such classics as Seraphic Dialogue, Clytemnestra, Appalachian Spring, and O Thou Desire Who Art About to Sing. In 1977, Moses Pendleton, a founding member of Pilobolus Dance Theatre, invited Monte to join the company for their 1977-78 season, during which Monte created Molly’s Not Dead with Pilobolus, foretelling her future career as a choreographer.

...
Wikipedia