Jessica Payne

SOLOIST

Jessica Payne is from San Clemente, California. She received her training at Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy under the direction of Dmitri and Jennifer Kulev in southern California. In 2015, she joined Tulsa Ballet’s second company and was promoted into the main company the following year, where she continued to dance until joining Colorado Ballet in 2020.

Hometown:
San Clemente, California

Dance training and awards:
Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy
Youth America Grand Prix regionals- first place in the classical division 2010, 2011, 2012
Summer programs with Ballet West, American Ballet Theatre, and San Francisco Ballet

Joined Colorado Ballet:
2020

Promotions:
Promoted to Soloist in 2022

Selected roles and ballets:
Peasant Pas de Deux & Zulma in Giselle
Clara & Dew Drop in The Nutcracker
Crystal Fountain Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty
George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations
David Dawson’s Million Kisses to my Skin
Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort
Val Caniparoli’s Prawn Watching
Ben Stevenson’s Dracula
Adam Houghland’s Cripple and the Starfish
Annabella Ochoa Lopez’s Shibuya Blues
Alexander Ekman’s Cacti
Derek Deane’s Strictly Gerswhin
Ma Cong’s Glass Figures
Kurt Jooss’s Green Table
Garrett Smith’s Fading Figures
John Cranko’s Taming of the Shrew
Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free

More about Jessica:
In 2020, she graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in liberal studies and a minor in psychology.