Leah McFadden

Principal • Joined Colorado Ballet in 2016

Hometown: Dowagiac, Michigan

Leah Rose McFadden grew up in a small town called Dowagiac, MI. At age 11, she began training with Southold Dance Theatre, a pre-professional ballet school in South Bend, IN. During Leah's six years at Southold, under the direction of Erica Fischbach, she participated in YAGP and received a number of awards. Leah also attended summer intensives at Gelsey Kirkland Academy, Grand Rapids Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Colorado Ballet.

In 2015, she joined Miami City Ballet's Pre-Professional program year-round. During her time there, Leah also performed with Miami City Ballet's company, as well as touring with them to New York and Chicago performing various works. Leah joined Colorado Ballet's Studio Company in 2016 and was promoted to the main company as an Apprentice in 2018. Leah was promoted to the Corps de Ballet in 2019, Soloist in 2021 and to Principal in 2024. 

Leah's selected roles and ballets include Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, Clara and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Amore in Don Quixote, Mina in Michael Pink's Dracula, Swanhilde  in Coppelia, Dorothy in Septime Webre's Wizard of Oz, Olympe in Val Caniparoli's Lady of the Camellias, Pink in Clark Tippet's Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, Russian Girl in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Yoshihisa Arai’s Bolero and Jirí Kylián's Petite Mort.

Leah coaches students for YAGP competition and has taught master classes, repertoire workshops, and Academy classes since 2023.