Ellen Oliver is from Blackstone, MA. Her research explores the intersection of rock climbing, dance, and digital media. She studied dance at UNC School of the Arts, holds a BA from Hampshire College, and is currently an MFA Candidate in Dance at the University of Iowa. During her time in graduate school, Ellen focused on digital technologies including Isadora and motion capture. With support from Digital Arts, Ellen turned a 12-foot rock wall into a green screen climbing wall for projects in 2022 and 2023. 

Ellen’s collaborative and professional dance work has been performed in New England, New York, and India. She was a 2020 White Mountain National Forest Artist in Residence in Gorham, NH, and she has performed in projects including “OceA Wilderness” at The Yard in Martha’s Vineyard, Todd T. Brown's "Teobi's Dreaming" at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco, Greta Gerwig's film "Little Women", and Arc Iris's sci-fi rock concerts “iTMRW.” Ellen has been teaching dance since 2016, and she enjoys performing as a living statue at TEN31 Productions in Pawtucket, RI. After graduation, Ellen hopes to continue working with motion capture while teaching and making interdisciplinary collaborative art that offers new perspectives of rock climbing through interactive technologies.