Madison Keesler

Madison Keesler is a professional performing artist. She has been a professional ballet dancer since the age of 17 and is extremely grateful for everything her career has given her. While she looks forward to continuing a long and successful career in the dance world, she also has a passion for many other forms of artistic expression. While in San Francisco she began studying guitar, singing, and acting. In 2012 she was cast in her first feature-length film, "TEST", and hopes to have more opportunities to participate in the film world as an actress. Learning about the film world has become a stronger and stronger passion, and Madison views it as a powerful art form. She hopes to continue studying acting, writing, directing, documentary film making, the guitar, and singing over the following years; however, ballet will always be the most important form of artistic passion in her life. Madison Keesler began her dance training at the age of six with Nancy Derby Dance Arts in Colorado Springs, Colorado learning musical theater, jazz, tap, and ballet. By eight she focused her studies on ballet at the International Ballet School in Colorado. She trained for the next two years with German Zamuel, Valentina Moukhanova, and Mark and Sandra Carlson. At the age of ten Madison moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania so that she could train at the renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the tutelage of Marcia Dale Weary. While with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet she worked with a number of teachers including Laszlo Berdo, Leslie Hench, Alan Hineline, Darla Hoover, Melinda Howe, and of course the world-renowned Marcia Dale Weary. Madison was CPYB's Princess Grace Award Nominee in 2007 and a National RDA Festival Scholarship recipient. She was presented the Prestige Scholarship Award by Pointe Magazine in 2006 and was a gold medalist at the US National Youth Ballet Competition in 2004. Madison also received the Outstanding Artistry Award from Russian Pointe and the Future Star Award from Dance Spirit Magazine. At the age of 10 she was a top 12 finalist in the New York City Finals of the Youth America Grand Prix. Madison spent three summers studying with the San Francisco Ballet School. She had also been privileged to spend part of two summers studying with Ethan Stiefel in Martha's Vineyard where she performed select roles in the Stiefel and Stars benefit performances. Other summer programs include Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C., Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Miami City Ballet School. After finishing her training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet she received a full scholarship to train with the San Francisco Ballet School. During her final student showcase she was considered "the irrepressible star here, moving with easy graciousness" by the San Francisco Gate. After this final, and successful year of training she chose to start her professional career at 17 with John Neumeier's company, The Hamburg Ballet in Germany. After this extremely important and inspiring year she headed back to San Francsico Ballet to join the company. She spent four more important years continuing to develop in Helgi Tomasson's incredible company. Today Madison continues her professional career as a First Artist with The English National Ballet under their new and inspiring artistic director, Tamara Rojo. During Madison's professional career over the past six years she has already learned principal, soloist, and corps roles in full-length productions such as Coppelia, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, and The Little Mermaid; roles in George Balanchine works such as Serenade, Theme and Variations, and Symphony in C; more modern works including Akram Khan's DUST, Liam Scarlett's No Man's Land and Variations on a Theme, Helgi Tomasson's "Haffner" Symphony and Trio, Yuri Possokhov's Classical Symphony; and many of John Neumeier's works including Nijinsky, Lady of the Camellias, Le Sacre, Othello and The Seagull.