Kelsey Smith - Instructor
Kelsey began her ballet training at the age of four at St. Louis Ballet, and at nine, upon moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, she continued her training with Charlotte Ballet Academy.
At 16, she was invited to join Charlotte Ballet’s Pre-Professional Trainee Division under the direction of Laszlo Berdo, Kati Mayo, and Kennedy Center Honors Recipient Patricia McBride.
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As a trainee, Kelsey had the opportunity to perform numerous coveted works, including George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht Ballet (Faust) as well as Alejandro Cerrudo’s Lickety Split.
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In addition to academy and trainee performances, she has danced numerous corps and soloist roles with Charlotte Ballet, including Chris Stuart’s Peter Pan, Matthew Hart’s The Sleeping Beauty, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s The Nutcracker, and Sasha Janes’ Wuthering Heights.
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Kelsey went on to train with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago as a Trainee under the direction of Katlin Bourgeois, OÄŸulcan Borova, Raúl Casasola, and Karin Ellis-Wentz, and was invited to perform as a guest artist with the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.
She has spent summers training at the Chautauqua Institution, the HARID Conservatory, Next Generation Ballet, Indiana University, the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, Ballet Austin, Philadelphia Ballet, BalletMet, and most recently Orsolina 28, training with Akram Khan.
Now in her second season with Canyon Concert Ballet, Kelsey has performed in Michael Pappalardo’s Romeo and Juliet, Rite of Spring, and The Nutcracker.
She also performed in contemporary and neo-classical works by company members Abby Morgan, Binyamin Salzano, and Conner Horak-Flood.
In addition to performing, Kelsey enjoys teaching ballet and contemporary dance in North Carolina and Colorado. She serves as the Resident Choreographer for South Charlotte Ballet Company.
She is also pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Applied Positive Psychology, Leadership and Communication, and Digital Strategies.
When she’s not in the studio or studying, Kelsey enjoys exploring Northern Colorado and caring for her two beloved kittens.
Kelsey is excited to teach at Northern Colorado Dance Fusion this year.