Kaelyn Lefferts - Class of 2018

If you knew Kaelyn Lefferts (’18) as a student at Overlake, you would be convinced she actually was part owl, floating from building to building with grace so evidently characteristic of a lifelong dancer. Fast forward many years later and you can find Kaelyn on stage at Ballet Idaho, a nonprofit dance company that promotes classical and contemporary ballet. 

Kaelyn began ballet dancing at a young age, first taking classes from her mother and then at her local studio, Seattle’s Emerald Ballet Theater, where she performed iconic roles such as Cinderella and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Kaelyn then danced at Ballet West, an opportunity that came from winning first place at the Youth America Grand Prix competition. Her performances at Ballet West earned her acclaim that led to an exchange program with Berlin State Ballet. After Ballet West, Kaelyn retuned home where she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Professional Division where she performed in Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. In 2020, Kaelyn left the PD program to spend her pandemic year as a Ballet Idaho trainee. Over the years, Kaelyn attended summer programs at Ballet Met, LINES Ballet, Hubbard Street, Grand Rapids Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, ArtEmotion, Ballet West, Ballet Austin, and Ballet Chicago. 

As of 2024, Kaelyn had been dancing as a Company Artist at Ballet Idaho for their last four seasons, performing in some favorite shows including Alejandro Cerrudo’s Extremely Close, Ricard Amarante’s Carmen, and Johan Inger’s Walking Mad. A lifelong lover of dance and storyteller through movement, Kaelyn embodies the risk-taking and creativity values of an Overlake graduate every day. If you happen to be in Boise, check out Ballet Idaho’s lineup and catch Kaelyn on stage!