MS. JESSILYN RAY

Jessilyn began dancing at age two in Cincinnati Ohio. Her middle and high school years were spent training & attending summer programs at Joffrey Ballet School in New York and Next Generation Ballet under the leadership of Peter Stark in Tampa, FL. At age 16 she toured with East Coast Ballet as a lead in their original work, “Spellbound”. She pursued her love for dance academically at Douglass Anderson School of the Arts, majoring in dance. At the age of 17, Jessilyn received a scholarship to study as a trainee with the Joffrey Ballet school in New York. Here, she trained under an array of instructors including Desmond Richardson, Michael Blake, and Era Jouravlev. She has performed in works by choreographers throughout the city such as Sekou Miller, Lane Gifford, and Bradley Shelver. Jessilyn danced with the Florida-based contemporary company, Unforced Rhythms, made appearances in commercial projects, & performed as a background dancer for Karen Hornsby, and most recently danced with Ballet East Dance Company. Today, Jessilyn is eager to channel her experience, passion, and knowledge into nurturing the next generation of artists.