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Elizabeth Updegraff
The South Carolina School of the Arts
The South Carolina School of the Arts
Adjunct Dance Faculty
eupdegraff@andersonuniversity.edu
Athletic Campus Building A-127A
Academic Background
Elizabeth Apgar Updegraff started taking ballet at age eight at the San Diego School of Ballet, and then in high school she moved to San Francisco to train at the San Francisco Ballet under full scholarship. She spent the bulk of her professional career performing classical and contemporary roles with the San Diego Ballet. She has taught at numerous ballet schools and professional companies in California and the Midwest for twenty years. She loves teaching at AU and spending time outdoors in the Upstate with her husband and three daughters.
San Francisco Ballet School
San Diego Ballet Company
Fast Facts
I encourage and foster a passion and love for the art of ballet through challenging and inspiring movements. I hope to bring out each student’s unique gift of artistry and creativity.
I want to glorify the Lord through dance and celebrate with others who do as well! I enjoy learning from my students as well as coaching and shaping their unique technical abilities and artistry.
I studied under full scholarship as a student with the San Francisco Ballet School.
I was a principal ballerina with the San Diego Ballet for 13 years.
I danced in the West Coast Emmy Awards.
I was a featured ballet dancer in an NBC movie.
I was the first ballet dancer to be on the cover of Baryshnikov’s dance wear catalog.
The level of dedication and excellence the students give to every ballet class is phenomenal. I am also in awe of the gifts my colleagues bring every day to the department. It is so inspiring to me as an instructor.
Classical Ballet and Pointe for the Beginning to Advanced student.