Ballet Technique | Pointe | Repertoire | Contemporary | Flexibility & Conditioning
Killian received her early training with Suzanne Stalley-Katsarsky of the San Francisco Ballet and the Ballet West Academy. At 14, she concurrently joined the University of Utah Department of Ballet. Under the guidance of Sharee Lane, Deborah Dobson, and Attila Ficzere she performed with Ballet West and was a principal with the Utah Ballet. During the summers, Killian continued her training as a scholarship student with the Boston Ballet School, The Harid Conservatory, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, and American Ballet Theater. Killian’s contemporary dance training includes The Juilliard School, Ballet British Columbia, and ODC/San Francisco. At 17, Killian returned to California to train on scholarship with Margaret Swarthout of the Marin Ballet Theater.
Killian was a Youth American Grand Prix New York City finalist. In 2007, she was the first ballerina awarded the prestigious Silver Level commendation by Mikhail Baryshnikov for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts YoungARTS competition.
Killian danced professionally with Ballet Arizona (soloist), Nova Ballet (soloist), Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (guest artist), and the Allegro Ballet Theater. She has worked with noted choreographers Val Caniparoli, Julia Adam, Michael Smuin, Adam Hougland, Ib Anderson, Robert Dekkers, Olga Evreinoff, David Palmer and Yanis Pikeris.
Her repertoire includes Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote, Giselle, La Esmerelda, La Sylphide, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Paquita, Swan Lake, Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Stravinski Violin Concerto, Theme and Variations, and Las Sonnabula.
Notable coaches include Margaret Swarthout, Maria Vegh, Sharee Lane, Bene Arnold, Deborah Dobson, Atilla Ficzere, Joanna Berman, Alexandra Wells, Rebecca Wright, Edward Ellison, Nadia Kovtun, Sibylle Acatos, Yuri Possohkov, Alexi Zubiria, Svetlana Osiyeva, Melinda Darlington-Bach, Olivier Pardina, Daniel Baudenistel.
As an instructor/private coach, "Miss Killian’s" ballet students have been accepted to and received merit scholarships to ballet summer intensives including Ellison Ballet, Bolshoi NY and CT, American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet School, Ballet West Academy, Joffrey Ballet School, School of American Ballet Young Dancer Series, Kirov Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Boston Ballet School, Master Ballet Academy, City Ballet School, Kansas City Ballet, Sarasota Cuban Ballet, Marin Dance Theater, and Alonzo King’s LINES.
University dance programs include the University of Utah Department of Ballet, UC Irvine, the University of Arizona, and the Dominican College of California (LINES).
Her students have won top honors at National Ballet Competitions, including Top 3, Top 6, and multiple Top 12 placements at Youth American Grand Prix. As a choreographer, Killian has choreographed award-winning pieces for several regional and national competitions.
Killian is also a skilled International Latin dancer, performing with her brother throughout California.
Killian graduated Cum Laude from Saint Mary’s College of California Liberal Education for Arts Professionals (LEAP) program designed for dance professionals with a BFA in Dance Performance/Liberal Arts.
