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Jayda Hazelett didn't follow the traditional pre-professional boarding school path to a ballet company. The Ballet Hartford corps member grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, trained locally at Project Ballet, attended summer intensives, and chose to pursue college at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music before entering the professional world.

In this Dancer Story, Jayda shares why she chose to stay home for training, how summer intensives supplemented her education, and what the college ballet experience gave her. We also discuss the challenges of pursuing a professional career, the importance of mentorship, pivotal moments that shaped her path, mental health in ballet, and her future aspirations including dreams of Broadway.

After graduating in 2024, Jayda joined Ballet Hartford as an apprentice and was recently promoted to the corps for the 2025-2026 season. If you're wondering whether staying local or choosing the college route means giving up on a professional career, Jayda's story proves there's more than one path forward.

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