Long Island, NY
Company Member since 2019

Elena holds an Associate in Arts (AA) degree from Suffolk Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Education (BSE) from SUNY Cortland, a Master of Science in Elementary Education (MSE) from CW Post, and a Master of Professional Studies in Health Care Administration (MPS) from The New School for Social Research. She worked as a Recreation Therapist for 27 years at a psychiatric hospital, taught college courses in Recreation Therapy and Community Recreation, and later served as Supervisor of Vocational Rehabilitation Services until retirement.

Relocating to the Wilmington/Leland area was an easy fit for her and her husband. Growing up on Long Island, with its beaches, the upstate New York mountains, and New York City, they both have a bit of everything. She is a volunteer usher at Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts and a member of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), a sisterhood that helps educate women through scholarships, loans, and Cottey College, a private women's college in Nevada, Missouri. Besides dancing, Elena likes to cook, bake, craft, sew, knit, crochet, garden, and read historical fiction. She enjoys swimming, cross-country skiing, Barre classes, weightlifting, cycling, and walking a lot with her dog. She loves to travel, especially to national parks, and believes everyone should see how truly beautiful our country is. Elena and her husband are avid campers and love visiting different parks. They even camped on their honeymoon!

She didn’t take dance as a child, but she always loved to dance. When she started working, she took ballet and jazz classes, along with a few tap classes with friends. She loved the way the teacher taught and fell in love with tap. When Elena joined the Hi-Steppers in 2019, she had recently moved to the area and was taking ballet at the Leland Cultural Arts Center. Annette welcomed her into the group, but little did she know they competed in the senior games; had she known, she would have had doubts about joining. “I never considered myself a good tapper, and the thought of competing terrified me at first. Truthfully, it still does, but we are so supportive of one another that it just makes it so much fun.” Of course, winning a medal is the goal; however, Elena says she really enjoys sitting around before a performance, just enjoying everyone's company. “We laugh, tell stories, and get to know one another. I hope to continue dancing for a very long time. It's my happy place.”