Caitlin Elledge is a Progressing Ballet Technique certified and Vaganova trained professional ballet dancer and instructor who grew up in Hattiesburg, MS. Caitlin was trained by Henry Danton (Royal Ballet, Sadlers Wells), Yvonne Bergeron (New Orleans Ballet), Arkadiy Orohovsky (Kiev State Choreographic School, National Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Ballet El Paso, Houston Ballet), and Katya Orohovsky (Kirov Academy, Nutmeg Conservatory).
During their time in Mississippi, Caitlin performed principal and soloist roles such as "Clara" from The Nutcracker, “Swanilda" from Coppelia, "Pas de Trois" from Swan Lake, "Aurora" from Sleeping Beauty and "Sugarplum Fairy" from The Nutcracker.
In 2015, Caitlin moved to Nashville, TN to join the Professional Training Division at Nashville Ballet. During their time there, Caitlin had the opportunity to learn and train with renowned choreographers and instructors such as Chris Stuart (Artistic Director of Alabama Ballet), Paul Vasterling (former Artistic Director of Nashville Ballet), Victoria Simon (Balanchine Trust), Maniya Barredo, Denise Eason, Guenchen Fu, and Nick Mullikin (Artistic Director of Nashville Ballet). Caitlin performed soloist and corps de ballet roles in the School of Nashville Ballet's Showcase Performances, including "Peasant Pas" from Giselle, "Pas de Trois" from La Bayadere, “Spring” from The Four Seasons, “Swan Corps” from Swan Lake, “Wilis” from Giselle, “Shades” from La Bayadere, and was featured in contemporary works by Shibaz Ujima and Chris Stuart. Additionally, Caitlin was one of three students from the Nashville Ballet Professional Training Division invited to take the First Company and Second Company classes, and perform alongside the company in “Waltz of the Flowers Corps de Ballet” and “Snow Corps de Ballet” in Paul Vasterling’s Nashville’s Nutcracker. After 2 years in the Professional Training Division, Caitlin earned a competitive spot in the Second Company. They were awarded 2 full scholarships to Nashville Ballet's Summer Intensive in 2016 and 2017, a company offer and 75% scholarship to Cincinnati Ballet’s Summer Intensive in 2017, and a full scholarship to Texas Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive 2017.
In 2019, Caitlin founded and directed their own 501(c)(3) nonprofit dance company in Nashville, X-Contemporary Dance. XCD had 3 successful seasons, multiple sold out performances, and received the MetroArts THRIVE Grant, which allowed XCD to provide free ballet classes via Zoom to people across the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Caitlin moved to Austin, TX where they have performed soloist and corps de ballet roles with Ventana Ballet, and have also choreographed for the 5x7 Dance Fest, the Barefoot Ball, Earth Night, Ballet Academy North’s production of The Nutcracker in 2022, Central Texas Youth Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker in 2023 and 2024, and most recently presented a piece at the Henny Jurien Studio in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Currently, Caitlin is Faculty and Business Operations/Program Development Manager at Central Texas Youth Ballet, and Faculty at Austin Community Ballet.
Their teaching experience includes guest teaching at the award-winning school The Ballet Institute of San Diego, the Austin Dance Conservatory, Ballet Academy North, Cedar Park Dance Company, Millennium Dance Complex, Columbia Dance Center, DancEast, Soles Dance Center, and Alabama Youth Ballet. Caitlin’s students have been awarded scholarships to Houston Ballet, Alabama Ballet, The Rock, The Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive in New York, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and College of Charleston’s Performing Arts Program.
