Leigh Grant is a ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Hi, Friend. I'm Leigh. I have been dancing ballet for nearly four decades. I dance, and I teach the art of dance, because I want to put beauty in the world. I want a dance space free of harmful practices: one that is joyful and is an environment that fosters humanity through artistry.
​
Cadenza Ballet is my love letter to the non-traditional dancer community. Building on all the tools I cultivated trough auditing the American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum Teacher Training Program in New York City in 2019, I am developing my own curriculum that encapsulates everything ballet is: purpose, passion, joy; a movement meditation that cleanses the soul. Cadenza is a a sanctuary for those who want to dance ballet, discover its magic, and see how much a dance education transforms one's life.
​
Dancing since age 5, I turned professional (as a freelance ballet dancer) at age 13, and I "retired" at age 23 from injuries. I returned to ballet at the end of my college days, craving an artistic outlet.
​
In 2018, I wholly immersed myself in ballet training again. I've since had the opportunity to continue learning from major ballet dancers and master teachers including: Runqiao Du, Kathryn Morgan, Allison Debona, Skylar Brandt, and so many more. It has truly been a highlight and invaluable experience for me. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to meet and work with each them. I later found a home at Berks Ballet Theatre. There, I was invited to get back on the stage in The Nutcracker.
I've gone through many emotions and experiences in my dance life: all the highs and lows. These experiences make me uniquely poised to be a ballet teacher. I understand firsthand the physical demands, emotional complexities, and courage it takes to step into the studio. I teach from a trauma-informed position, ensuring that each of my students feels respected and cared for. A life-long learner, I'm continually honing my understanding of technique, building better modalities to implement in my classrooms, more effective descriptors, all rooted in the current dance science and medicine.
​
​
Welcome, Friend. I can't wait to dance with you.
​​