Richard

Richard Elszy is passionately dedicated to training the next generation of dancers through his technical expertise and to inspiring them with inventive and picturesque choreography.

With 23 years of teaching experience and as technical director for a nationally ranked dance studio for the last 15 years, Richard has been able to hone his craft of building dancers from the ground up one block at a time. At a very young age, dancers are expected to perform so many complicated tricks, steps, and skills. It is Richards mission to build the foundation of proper posture, alignment, focus, stretch and strength to prepare them ahead for the demands of today’s dance trends and styles. Richard’s unique concepts and way of teaching has made him sought after internationally. He has taught all over the United States and in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Richard is the creator of “Building Blocks of Dance”, an online dance technique program for teachers. BBD provides strategies and tips on how to make complex concepts relatable to young dancers. The key fundamentals of Building Blocks of Dance, posture and placement are what makes a dancer’s body safer, stronger, builds longevity and creates a better canvas for building technical skills and style. This program has successfully inspired teachers throughout the US and across the globe.

As a Los Angeles-based choreographer, Richard was on faculty at the esteemed Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. He has presented numerous works of choreography at Club Jeté – LA’s Premier Dance Showcase, as well as coaching and choreographing dance concept videos featuring Nia Frazier of Dance Moms titled “Young Love”, Chelsie Hill and the Rollettes “Be Boundless” and “We Can Together” campaigns. He has also choreographed a TV pilot “Sizzle” Reel for TV star and Emmy-nominated actress Shanti Lowry of Family Time. Richard’s choreography was seen on So You Think You Can Dance with the first wheelchair dancer to appear on the show. Richard’s choreography has earned several national awards and other accreditations.

In his IAX classes, Richard combines his extensive understanding of technique with an innovative choreographic style to create a unique class and coaching experience for dancers of all levels across America and abroad. He is proud to say that he has been a part of IAX since Season 1, and loves training all of the dancers!