Claire M.Cordano, originally from Connecticut, started dancing at The Ridgefield School of Dance under the direction of Nancy Andrews and Jessica Boelts where she performed featured roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Odette, and Paquita. Claire then went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase College in NY with a BFA in Dance Performance, concentration in ballet, and a Minor in Arts Management. There she performed in works by Michelle Thompson Ulerich, Bettijane Sills, as well as in George Balanchine’s Four Temperaments. She also had the privilege of studying abroad for a semester at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where she performed choreography by Kim McCarthy and Danielle Hunt. Upon returning, Claire danced with the Connecticut Ballet in their 2018 production of Petrushka as well as their 2018 Nutcracker season. Since joining Ballet Quad Cities in 2019, she’s had the honor of performing August Bournoville’s Flower Festival Pas de Deux, the Paquita Pas de Trois, and the Odalisque Pas de Trois from Le Corsaire. Claire's featured roles also include Dorothy in Dorothy Goes To Oz, the Butterfly in The Nutcracker, the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, and a soloist in Courtney Lyon’s Dumbarton Oaks and Glassworks. She has also performed with BQC for the Iowa Dance Festival at the Englert Theater in Iowa City. The past three years in the Quad Cities have opened Claire’s eyes to the breadth of talent and creativity that flourishes on either side of the Mississippi. As she enters her fourth season with BQC, Claire is thrilled to continue her professional ballet career with such a wonderful company, in such a wonderful place.