MADISON KEESLER began her dance training at the age of six with Nancy Derby Dance Arts in Colorado Springs, Colorado learning musical theater, jazz, tap, and ballet. By eight she focused her studies on ballet at the International Ballet School in Colorado. She trained for the next two years with German Zamuel, Valentina Moukhanova, and Mark and Sandra Carlson.
At the age of ten Madison moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania so that she could train at the renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the tutelage of Marcia Dale Weary. While with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet she worked with a number of teachers including Laszlo Berdo, Leslie Hench, Alan Hineline, Darla Hoover, Melinda Howe, and of course Marcia Dale Weary.
Madison was CPYB’s Princess Grace Award Nominee in 2007 and a National RDA Festival Scholarship recipient. She was presented the Prestige Scholarship Award by Pointe Magazine in 2006 and was a gold medalist at the US National Youth Ballet Competition in 2004. Madison received the Outstanding Artistry Award from Russian Pointe and the Future Star Award from Dance Spirit Magazine. At the age of 10 she was a top 12 finalist in the New York City Finals of the Youth America Grand Prix.
Madison spent three summers studying with the San Francisco Ballet School. She had also been privileged to spend part of two summers studying with Ethan Stiefel in Martha’s Vineyard where she performed select roles in the Stiefel and Stars benefit performances. Other summer programs include Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C., Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Miami City Ballet School.
After finishing her training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet she received a full scholarship to train with the San Francisco Ballet School. During her final student showcase she was considered “the irrepressible star here, moving with easy graciousness” by the San Francisco Gate. After her final, and successful year of training she chose to start her professional career at 17 with John Neumeier’s company The Hamburg Ballet in Germany. A year later she came back to San Francisco Ballet as a corps de ballet member.
Today Madison continues her professional career with San Francisco Ballet, and will be joining them for her fourth year as a professional dancer. During her short career Madison has already learned principal roles such as “Juliet” in Romeo and Juliet, and the “Princess” in The Little Mermaid, and hopes to perform such roles in the near future. Her professional performing repertoire is vast and includes corps and soloist roles in full length productions such as Coppelia, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet , Swan Lake, and The Little Mermaid; in Balanchine works such as Serenade, Theme and Variations, and Symphony in C; as well as more modern works including Helgi Tomasson’s “Haffner” Symphony and Trio, Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony, and many of John Neumeier’s works including Nijinsky, Lady of the Camellias, Le Sacre, and The Seagull.
