Elia Mrak graduated from Pomona College in 2006 with a degree in Mathematical Economics and a Minor in Dance, and the following year was awarded the prestigious Watson Fellowship, given to only 50 graduating seniors annually in the USA.
From 2009 to 2010, he served as assistant to David Zambrano, creator of the Flying Low and Passing Through contemporary dance techniques, in which he became certified.
Between 2012 and 2025, Mrak created six evening-length pieces and toured them extensively throughout the USA, Mexico, South America, and Europe. He served as an Emerging Choreographer for Springboard Danse Montreal under Alexandra Wells' artistic direction in 2016 and 2017, and choreographed and taught at the Hubbard Street Professional Program under Alexander Wells' direction in 2018 and 2019. From 2016 to 2020, he co-created and toured Performance and a Party, an evening-length improvised show and afterparty, in Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. From 2022 to 2023, Mrak worked as a choreographer and teacher at the Gibney Professional Program in New York.
In 2017, he founded amovementmovement®, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing movement-based healthcare programs to communities worldwide. In 2012, 2016, and 2017 he designed and implemented the first community-building health/wellness/art program of its kind, called The 40/40™. This 40-day movement program helped people with lifestyle changes through movement classes, dance, and social bonding.
His extensive training includes certification as a Full Instructor in the Universal Healing Tao program in Qigong and Chinese Healing Arts from Mantak Chia, certification in Daria Fain's 3-year Contemplative Action program integrating Qigong and Dance Improvisation, certification in the Touch Training for Trauma Therapist course taught by Kathy Kain, and he is on track to complete certification from the School of Body-Mind Centering as a Somatic Movement Educator in 2026.
From 2013-Present, he has collaborated with Irene Lyon in Vancouver, Canada to lead intensive movement retreats that blend Feldenkrais, dance, Somatic Experiencing, and playful movement in a safe and supportive environment. They have offered their unique workshop “Up & Down" internationally - in Canada, USA, the UK and Sweden.
From 2010-2014 and 2016-17, he led workshops for movement professionals and non-professionals at Club ZUM in Seattle, a boutique movement gym. He was a personal trainer, a professional development director (teaching trainers), workshop leader, manager, and directed projects combining community with fun and movement to make dance and fitness accessible to all.
The 40/40 was offered at Meadowbrook Community Housing in San Diego in 2016, and at a community of elderly and differently abled residents in Atlantic City in 2017.
He has spent time on Nantucket in 2023 and 2024 as part of the opening and ongoing programming as a guest teacher at MAST.
