Reflection Series: Elle Ryder – Dancing Through the Waves
When we first visited Elle Ryder in 2020, she was cozied up in her apartment with her beloved cat, Mr. Bones. A dancer, teacher, and choreographer living in Los Angeles, Elle, like so many others, was navigating an unexpected stillness. The world had come to a halt, but within that pause, she found something meaningful: time.
"I don’t think I’d ever had a photoshoot with Mr. Bones before," Elle remembers. "That moment felt small, but it was big. Just me, him, and a keyboard I still can’t play."
Since then, five years have brought immense growth, heartbreak, career shifts, and resilience. In 2020, Elle was working a corporate job at a yoga studio that paid the bills but didn’t feed her spirit. She longed to return to dance full time, but like many artists in LA, stability often outweighed passion. When the city started reopening, she, like so many, jumped at every job she could find, falling into burnout masked as ambition.
"I went from having all the time in the world to having none," she says. "Work, commute, sleep, repeat. Everything felt drained except my bank account."
And yet, this season of overextension also opened new doors. Elle discovered Latin ballroom dancing, an art form that would soon transform her creative path and life.She began competing, teaching, and eventually carved out her own rhythm in 2024. Offering privates, coaching sessions, and teaching classes across several studios in LA. A studio without walls, built on community and movement, where she’s making Latin ballroom more accessible…one step at a time.
But not all stories of growth come without loss.
In the midst of chasing her passions, Elle faced a devastating goodbye. Mr. Bones, her loyal quarantine companion and "first son," fell ill. As his health declined, so did the support of a partner who claimed to care but disappeared when it mattered most. Elle made the painful but necessary decision to end the relationship, and just days later, she held Mr. Bones in her arms as he passed.
"I’ve always been strong, independent, even to a fault," she shares. "But losing Bones, and seeing who showed up for me and who didn’t, changed me. That was the moment I realized what really mattered."
Friends became anchors. Robiee, who had taken the original Making Waves photos, drove her to the hospital in the early hours of the morning. They cleaned up the apartment together. They made space for grief. And when Elle was ready, they made space for joy again.
Today, Elle is thriving. She is teaching dance, running her business, and helping others find confidence, joy, and movement through their own bodies. Dance, she says, has always been her constant. "It keeps me happy. It keeps me moving forward."
And when asked what making waves means to her, Elle says it best:
"It means leaving people, moments, and spaces better than how you found them. That’s what I try to do with every class, every interaction, every step."
Learn More:
Want to follow Elle’s journey or dance alongside her in real life?
Check out the links below to see what she’s up to and book a class. Your next favorite dance move might just start here.
Website: https://elleryder.net/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elleryder_/?hl=en
This post was created by Making Waves Project to share real stories of strength, resilience, and community. We believe that when people open up, it creates space for connection, healing, and collective impact and we’re here to keep that going.
If you or someone you know has a story worth sharing, we’d love to hear from you. And if you're looking to get involved whether that means submitting a story, donating, or simply spreading the word…your support helps us keep these stories alive and amplify the voices within them.
These stories aren’t just reflections of individual experiences…they're reminders of what it means to belong to something bigger. A growing community. A movement grounded in purpose and shared humanity.
We also partner with brands and organizations that are committed to making a difference. By creating thoughtful, story-driven campaigns together, we’re able to fund this work and extend its reach. If that sounds like something you believe in, reach out to us at hello@makingwavesproject.com.
-
Photography by Robiee Ziegler
