Juliet Good

Instructor/Owner

Juliet was born and raised in Florida with her two siblings. She had a passion for dance from a very young age, resulting in years of Classical Russian ballet training and ultimately ending in an apprenticeship with the Sarasota Ballet Company.

When Juliet moved to NC to attend college at Appalachian State University she became a member of the A.S.U. Dance Team and remained on it during all four years of college. In her senior year she decided to try out for the Carolina Panthers Cheerleading Team (the Topcats) and made it! She was a proud member of the Topcats for 3 full season.

Although her professional dance career subsided at that point she continued to enjoy her passion as a hobby with many different class types. One of those happened to a Pole class. After her very first class she was HOOKED and knew it was something she wanted to continue. She finds the workout intense, challenging, and empowering to women which is why she wants to share the art with the women of Hickory! Juliet is currently a certified Pole Instructor with the Pole Fitness Alliance Organization.

Brittany Rose

Instructor/Owner

Brittany grew up in Hudson, NC after moving from West Virginia. She has had a passion for dancing her entire life and anyone who knows Brittany, knows this. Although she loves twerking and dancing silly with friends, she particularly enjoys sensual movements and pole tricks that require extreme flexibility. While she loves the strength and confidence pole has given her, she finds even more fulfillment in teaching women to fall back in love with themselves, watching them succeed in their pole goals, getting stronger and growing more confident in each class. She wants every woman to feel the way she felt leaving her first pole class.

Brittany is Pole Fitness Alliance certified and when she isn’t at Elevate Hickory teaching, Brittany’s two teen boys keep her on her toes.

Merritt

Instructor

Merritt was born and raised here in North Carolina and while dance was never part of her childhood, Merritt found her passion for it here at Elevate! What started out as “a few classes to support her friends” turned into what she hopes to be a lifelong hobby. She started as a member here at Elevate when the doors opened and has been an instructor since February 2023.

Merritt is a certified pole Instructor with Pole Fitness Alliance and loves teaching just as much as she enjoys still being a student! Pole fitness has encouraged Merritt to find a new confidence and love for herself and she hopes she can encourage other women to find the same!

In her free time Merritt enjoys spending time with her husband and son.

Sarah

Instructor

Sarah grew up in Chapel Hill and started dancing at a young age. She went off to Stanford for college and was a member of Cardinal Ballet Company, meanwhile taking classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop. Later while studying to become a Physical Therapist, Sarah was a member of Dance Lab adult performance company in Charleston. There, she was able to train in new styles such as contemporary and sassy/sexy hip hop and jazz.

After graduate school, Sarah moved to New Orleans, where she was introduced to bounce, twerk, pro-style dance; she danced in Mardi Gras parades and with Artivism Dance Theater until Covid hit. With everything shut down, Sarah decided to do some travel work and eventually ended up settling in Hickory, NC. Over the last couple years, she has continued to dance in Charlotte and was a member of Pro Force Cheer team. Currently, Sarah teaches “Art of Seduction” at Elevate and she is so excited to share her blended style with the ladies of Hickory!

Becki

Instructor

Becki grew up in Colorado, where she developed a passion for creativity and music, leading her to explore various forms of expression. Although she didn’t start with formal dance training, aside from a few years in color guard, Becki’s love for performing arts has always been a driving force in her life.

After moving to North Carolina, Becki discovered pole fitness, and it was a game changer. She began taking classes just over a year ago and was immediately hooked. The combination of strength, grace, and empowerment drew her in, and she quickly realized this was more than just a workout—it was a way to transform both body and mind.

Now, as the newest member of the Elevate team, Becki is pursuing her certification through the Pole Fitness Alliance. Known for her impressive flexibility, ever-changing pole fashion, and sensual combos, she’s excited to bring her supportive teaching style to the women of Hickory.

In addition to her passion for pole, Becki is a proud mom of five and the owner of Foxie Salon and Studio in downtown Hickory, where she has been a hairstylist for over a decade. Empowering women is at the heart of everything she does, whether she’s creating a stunning new hairstyle or helping students build confidence through pole fitness.

Josie

Instructor

Josie is a little bit from everywhere growing up in a military family. She has always enjoyed dancing and trying different styles from cheerleading to tap dancing to hip hop. When she attended college in Florida she wanted to try to find that passion and fun again so she tried pole classes. She LOVED it!

After leaving Florida she stopped taking pole classes for a few years until she discovered Elevate. She has been with Elevate for 1.5 years. She loves the combination of strength and play when it comes to pole. She is never afraid to try new moves or tricks, she loves being a daredevil. This had lead to adding confidence and trust in herself and body. She loves the open and positive community that Elevate has created and embraced her in.

Josie loves spending time with her cats and when she isn’t swinging from a pole you can find her hiking (probably swinging from a tree). 

Shelby

Instructor

Shelby’s creative journey began in East Texas, where her love for performance first came alive through choir and theater in middle and high school. After graduation, performance paused — but creativity didn’t. Instead, Shelby discovered a passion for hair, spending eight years honing her skills and bringing vibrant transformations to life.
Around six years ago, Shelby moved to North Carolina — a move inspired by love and adventure after meeting her wife, Violet. There she joined Foxie Salon & Studio, working under our other instructor Becki, who quickly became not only mentor but also her best friend.

Shelby’s favorite work? Painting rainbows and diving into all the fun, trendy hair colors. About two and half years ago, Becki introduced her to Elevate, and Shelby started taking classes. Since then, she’s never looked back. Performance isn’t just something from her past — it’s what she lives for again. She’s shown up, even through obstacles, always pushing herself and cheering others on along the way. Shelby loves low flow and spinny combos most but doesn’t mind a splitty move here and there.

When she’s not creating bold color or spinning around the pole, Shelby is most likely at home curled up watching scary movies with Violet — plus their three cats and two dogs. Family, fur, and fright films are her happy place.

Christina Lee

Instructor

Christina Lee is a versatile dancer originally from Illinois, with over 12 years of competitive dance experience. She has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and modern, earning multiple scholarships, national titles, and numerous choreography awards along the way.

Her career has led her to a wide range of exciting opportunities, including modeling for photographer and Dancers Among Us author Jordan Matter, performing as a featured dancer at the Clay Cooper Theatre, and dancing with Redding City Dance Company in California. Christina has also performed with Epiphany and Di Mossa Dance Company in Nashville, further expanding her artistic range and performance experience.

While working at Millenium Dance Complex, Christina discovered her passion for heels and the confidence, power, and edge that come with the style. She is thrilled to bring her training, experience, and love for movement to Elevate Hickory, and looks forward to inspiring dancers to step boldly into their artistry.