Nicole Denney | Photo by Cathryn Farnsworth

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Originally from San Clemente, California, Nicole Denney embarked on her dance journey at the age of 3 when she joined the Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy. Under the direction of Jennifer and Dmitri Kulev, she focused primarily on ballet, contemporary, musical theater, and jazz. Nicole attended various summer intensives on full merit scholarships, including the School of American Ballet, Harid Conservatory, and San Francisco Ballet. She performed in several works by renowned choreographers, most notably George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie and Serenade, in which she portrayed the ‘Russian Girl.’

In 2018, Nicole was a Grand Prize Finalist in the Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight for Classical Dance and a Semifinalist in the Non-Classical Dance category. At the age of 18, Nicole joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet as a guest artist for their ‘Bold Moves’ tour, where she performed alongside the corps de ballet in works such as George Balanchine’s Serenade and William Forsythe’s Artifact II.

Nicole is currently pursuing her BFA at the USC Kaufman School of Dance with a minor in Advertising at the USC Annenberg School of Communication. She has had the privilege of performing works from choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham, Hope Boykin, and Paul Taylor. Her driving force is her sheer love to move, express herself, and entertain. Upon graduation, Nicole hopes to join a company that performs extensive classical and contemporary repertory. She strives for technical excellence while remaining available for growth as a constantly evolving artist. 

Nicole Denney | Photo by Lawson Chew

Nicole Denney | Photo by Hannah Doerr

*This performance reel requires a password. Please contact Elliott Scher at elliotms@usc.edu for access.