Kelly Yankle

Kelly Yankle was born in Canton, Ohio. Over the past 20 years, she has made a career as an internationally recognized professional dancer, teacher, coach, and choreographer. Kelly began studying ballet at The School of Canton Ballet on scholarship at the age of ten, training in Vaganova, Cuban and Balanchine techniques. She received scholarships to prestigious ballet schools such as; Pacific Northwest Ballet, The School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and The Chautauqua Institution, in addition to training opportunities in Cuba under international master teacher, Laura Alonso.

Kelly was recognized and awarded at a young age for dramatic, artistic performances, and often reviewed as a “dynamic powerhouse.”

As an international guest principal artist, and member of the Cincinnati Ballet, and Sarasota Ballet, she danced a wide range of repertoire by George Balanchine, Rudolph Nureyev, Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe, Christopher Bruce, Trey McIntyre, Jorma Elo, Amedeo Amodio, Alonzo King, Stanton Welch, Victoria Morgan, Devon Carney, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Adam Hougland, Matthew Heart, and Jiang Qi. 

While dancing professionally, Kelly also studied at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music on full dance scholarship and was featured in Dance Teacher Magazine. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance performance and pedagogy, with an emphasis on anatomy and physiology, in addition to being bilingual in Spanish and English (and working on French!)  Kelly offers personal mentorship for aspiring professionals, and is well versed in teaching all age ranges, ballet technique, pointe technique, variations, pas de deux, contemporary, modern (Horton Technique), choreography, as well as pilates and injury prevention.  Kelly served as a faculty member at The School of Canton Ballet, The Cincinnati Ballet School, The Sarasota Ballet School, and was heavily involved with outreach programs that focused on bringing ballet to struggling areas, as well as fundraising and grant writing.  

Upon retirement from full time professional dance, Kelly founded and directed Ballet Academy North, an award winning pre-professional training program in Leander, Texas. She is widely credited for her generous commitment to the arts and integrity of formal dance education, and bringing her full length productions to the community; The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere, and Cinderella. She led the Ballet Academy North program and its dancers to international acclaim, receiving “Outstanding school” awards, and “Outstanding Choreographer” awards. Dancer’s trained by Kelly have received top ranking placements and awards for all soloists and ensembles, in addition to multiple scholarship offers and international invitations, college dance scholarships and professional contracts.

She served as the Principal of The Vitacca Vocational School for Dance in Houston and The Woodlands before becoming the Executive Artistic Director of The Austin Dance Conservatory and continues to promote the love of arts and collaboration wherever she goes.