Marlee Hightower is a professional dancer, choreographer, and visual artist Based in Orlando, Florida.

Marlee Hightower was born in Bakersfield, CA on December 2nd, 1999. 1 year later, Marlee and her parents married and moved to Indianapolis, IN to be close to her mother’s side of the family. This is where her dance journey would begin. 

Even as a baby, you could find Marlee dancing. So, at the age of 3, Marlee’s mother decided to enroll her in a combination ballet/jazz/tumbling class. While the other kids seemed to be there for play, Marlee took it all very seriously. 

In 2004, at the age of 4, Marlee and her family relocated to Orlando, FL. It was here she would discover hip hop dance and eventually make her way on to a dance team called, “Studio One”.

In 2010, the team’s coach, Julie Johnson, took the top 8 dancers from Studio One, ranging in age from 10-21, (4 boys and 4 girls, including Marlee) and formed “Studio One, Young Beast Society”. They went on to make America’s Got Talent history, as the first dance group ever to reach the top 48 — and eventually the top 5. It was the show’s highest rated season, to date. 

After the subsequent AGT Live tour, Marlee decided to try her hand at choreography. With the help of her parents, she made her first YouTube dance video -- a freestyle to Jesse J’s “Do It Like A Dude”. After the video received over 1 million views, promoters and studio owners began to take notice, requesting she come and teach class.

At age 11, Marlee began making solo appearances, as a headliner on the World of Dance tour, as well as teaching dance workshops across the country.

In 2013, World of Dance nominated Marlee for, "Teen Choreographer of the Year", alongside Chachi Gonzales (IaMmE, ABDC 6) and powerhouse Kaelynn "Kay Kay" Gobert-Harris (8 Flavahz, ABDC 7, Usher).

2013 also marked the year Marlee signed with Bloc, a prestigious dance/talent agency in Los Angeles. Marlee has been blessed to work on several national commercials and videos for companies such as Samsung, Mattel, TJ Maxx, Party City, Motorola, and Puma. Another highlight was landing a cameo in Pharrel William’s star-studded “Happy” video, and even dancing with Janet Jackson on select stops of her “Unbreakable” Tour. 

In 2015, Marlee’s family opened Orlando’s first open-class hip hop/choreography studio, called Motiv Dance. In 2016, Marlee started a dance team of her own called, Motiv Crew; which she now co-directs with fellow dancer/choreographer, Dario Boatner. In 2018, Marlee and Motiv Crew appeared on NBC’s World Of Dance, Season 3. In 2020, Marlee became co-owner and artistic director of Motiv Dance Studio. 

Marlee’s passion for art is not exclusive to dance. From an early age, Marlee was driven and inspired by the human experience and ways in which dance, art, and even film were used to express one’s inner world.

In 2019, Marlee began to create visual art as a form of therapy. She believed that this additional expression would help make sense of all that lived within her. That notion is still the driving force for her work today, both as a dancer and an artist. Marlee has immersed herself fully into creating art and dance art pieces that are rooted in emotional honesty. She hopes to be an example and an inspiration for others to be able to express their truest self.