Madelyn James is a dance educator, choreographer, and entrepreneur with a passion for creating meaningful dance experiences for students of all ages. As the founder and Artistic Director of Elev8 Dance in Clinton, North Carolina, she is dedicated to providing quality dance education in a positive, encouraging, and technique-focused environment.

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Madelyn graduated from Lakewood High School in 2018 before attending Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in Private Studio Teaching and a minor in Entrepreneurship. During her time at Meredith, she performed with Meredith Dance Theatre and Fierce International Rhythmic Experience, served as co-manager of the Meredith Jazz and Tap Company, and gained additional experience in choreography, stage management, and production work through both Meredith College and the American Dance Festival.

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Before opening Elev8 Dance, Madelyn spent five seasons teaching and training dancers at Carolina Dance Company in Clinton, North Carolina. During that time, she founded and directed the Premier Dance Teams, leading dancers to regional competitions across North and South Carolina where students earned numerous overall awards and scholarships.

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In 2024, Madelyn officially opened Elev8 Dance with a vision of creating a studio that prioritizes strong technical training, confidence-building, creativity, and community. Under her direction, Elev8 Dance has quickly grown into a thriving program offering both recreational and competitive dance opportunities in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, clogging, hip-hop, acrobatics, and tumbling.

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Madelyn is deeply passionate about helping dancers grow not only as performers, but as confident and disciplined individuals. Through her teaching, she strives to create an environment where every dancer feels challenged, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.