Hometown:
Florence, SC
Education & Training:
Boston Ballet School’s Pre-Professional Program, School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet’ the Kennedy Center, Chautauqua Institution School of Dance, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Boston Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and the “ART of” intensives supported by William Forsythe in Zurich, Switzerland and Madrid, Spain.
My Friends Call Me:
Ashley
What is your favorite thing about the Dayton Ballet?
My favorite thing about Dayton Ballet is that our repertoire is always filled with exciting choreographers.
Who is your favorite choreographer?
So far, I have really enjoyed performing works by Gerald Arpino, and it is very exciting to be doing a Septime Webre production this year. I also love works by William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, and Kenneth MacMillan to name just a few.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
I am most looking forward to Peter Pan and Sleepy Hollow, and I always get super excited for the annual run of The Nutcracker.
Do you have pets?
Yes, Bella and Elsa! They are two of the happiest and sweetest pups and definitely a dynamic duo.
What do you want patrons to know about you?
It is wonderful to feel so much support for the arts in our community. As a dancer, you always feel so grateful to have that kind of support.
Read Full Biography:
Ashley Griffin grew up in Florence, South Carolina, where she joined South Carolina Dance Theatre under the direction of Susan Rowe and had the opportunity to perform in many leading roles. At the age of 16, Ashley moved to Boston when she was accepted to Boston Ballet School’s Pre-Professional Program on full scholarship. Ashley has attended summer programs at the School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell at the Kennedy Center, Chautauqua Institution School of Dance, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Boston Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and the “ART of” intensives supported by William Forsythe in Zurich, Switzerland and Madrid, Spain. In 2018, Ashley was invited to become a trainee with Orlando Ballet School on full merit scholarship, and she was promoted to Orlando Ballet II after one season. Throughout her time with Orlando Ballet II, Ashley had countless opportunities to perform with Orlando Ballet, while simultaneously completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science from Northeastern University with Summa Cum Laude honors in December 2019. She has also completed Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Teacher Certification. Ashley joined Dayton Ballet as a company dancer in 2020, and she is delighted about the opportunity to perform in Dayton Ballet’s exciting repertoire this season!
