About Me
Photo by James Jin
Early Life
Born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Courtney began her dance journey in a musical theater class at the age of five. She instantly fell in love with performing and dancing. Her instructor recognized her potential for ballet and suggested she audition for the Northwest Florida Ballet. After her grandmother saw an advertisement for auditions, Courtney successfully enrolled in the school’s third-grade class, where she would go on to train for nine years.
Northwest Florida Ballet
2014-
While a student at Northwest Florida Ballet, Courtney distinguished herself, earning scholarships to summer intensives at Boston Ballet, Next Generation Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. In 2014, she placed third in both the senior classical and contemporary divisions at the Youth America Grand Prix semi-finals. At 15, on the advice of her teacher, Courtney shifted her focus from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s high school program to a more ambitious goal. With just two weeks to prepare, she traveled alone to New York to audition for American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company and Summer Intensive and was successfully accepted.
American Ballet Theatre
2015-
Courtney joined the ABT Studio Company in September 2015, and since then, she swiftly ascended the ranks within the company, becoming an apprentice with the main Company in 2016 and a member of Corps de Ballet in 2017. Her repertoire includes the Aya and Lead D’Jampe in La Bayadère, Helena in The Dream, Sugar Plum Fairy and the Spanish Dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Harlot in Romeo and Juliet, a leading role in AFTERITE, a featured role in Deuce Coupe, among others. Beyond her performance career, Courtney is also a choreographer, and she participated in ABT’s Incubator 2022.
As a professional, a defining moment in my career was after four knee surgeries and the process of getting back to dance. It helped me find my identity outside the studio and inside the studio, finding gratitude in every moment of this career and being grateful for every opportunity that comes my way.
Beyond the Stage
Courtney’s work goes far beyond the stage. As an ABT National Training Curriculum (NTC) certified teacher, she shares her passion by coaching and mentoring the next generation of dancers. She has also built a successful modeling career, with features in publications such as Pointe Magazine, Dancers and Dogs, and New Religion. Always a creator, Courtney founded Studio VIII L.L.C., a fun clothing line inspired by ballet. She also hosts a podcast, Court’s Corner with Courtney Shealy, where she connects with listeners on all major streaming platforms.
I started these different projects because I can’t help but be creative in any aspect I can. Being able to express myself in different mediums helps me be a better dancer and also grow my own brand for my future life when I retire from dance. I really enjoy sharing my experiences to help other people and or dancers that are young and up-and-coming.
Photo by Tom Klein
