ABOUT

Growing up in Connecticut, Kelsey received training in classical and contemporary dance at several studios, including Connecticut Ballet Company and Greenwich Ballet Academy, but she always felt a strong pull to New York City. At age 17, she ventured to Ann Arbor to attend University of Michigan's School of Music, Theater & Dance.  At Michigan, she had the best of both worlds- living the quintessential college life on a sprawling campus while simultaneously studying her craft in a niche and distinguished program. She had the opportunity to perform in many new works by Dance faculty and visiting choreographers, as well as inter-divisional projects by upperclassmen. However, her heart and mind remained on New York, and in particular The Juilliard School. As a result of her tenacious spirit, she auditioned and subsequently gained admittance into the prestigious program as one of 13 female dancers in a class size of 26.

While at Juilliard, under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes, Kelsey developed her interest in choreography and was handpicked to create work for Choreographers & Composers and Senior Dance Production, in which she commissioned original music by Juilliard students and alumni (see: Molly Joyce). Her work was also selected and showcased in Choreographic Honors at the Peter J. Sharp Theater in Lincoln Center.

Kelsey was avidly involved in educational outreach during her time at Juilliard.  She was a Gluck Community Service Fellow where she performed in various hospitals and nursing homes throughout New York City, and was a team member of ARTreach's New Orleans Service Project for three consecutive years, leading the trip in March 2014.

Kelsey graduated from The Juilliard School's Dance Division in 2015. At commencement, she was awarded President Joseph W. Polisi's Artist as Citizen, as recognition for four years of outreach, given to only one student in each division (Dance, Drama, Music). 

In her final year at Juilliard, Kelsey made her professional debut at the Joyce Theater with the Lar Lubovitch Company. Throughout her training and career thus far, she has had the privilege of working with and performing new works by Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton), Larry Keigwin, Brian Reeder, Emery LeCrone, and Monica Bill Barnes, among others.  She has also had the opportunity to perform the repertoire of George Balanchine, José Limón, Merce Cunningham and Murray Louis. She has attended summer programs throughout the U.S. and Europe, including, Juilliard, American Ballet Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, LINES Ballet (San Francisco), Henny Jurriëns Stichting (Amsterdam), Les Étés de la Danse (Paris) in conjunction with San Francisco Ballet, and Nederlands Dans Theater (The Hague).

Prior to Phantom, Kelsey was a performer at The McKittrick Hotel, as well as an ensemble dancer in Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes™.

Kelsey continues to teach through the Juilliard Nord-Anglia Education Performing Arts Programme in New York City and is a member of Broadway Hearts, a not-for-profit group of professional performers.