The Joffrey Ballet Promotes Three New Artists from Grainger Academy to Professional Company
This Year Marks the First All-Grainger Academy Class of New Company Artists
The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE is pleased to announce the addition of three dancers to the Joffrey roster for the 2025-26 season: Dayla Bowman
The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE says, "This moment proves the strength of a fully integrated Academy and Company. Dayla, Seehyun, and Laila arrive already steeped in our repertoire, having performed in The Nutcracker, Atonement, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I’ve witnessed their growth in the Grainger Academy—the refinement of their technique, the depth of their artistry, and the resilience they bring. With Abbott Academy Director Suzanne Lopez's leadership and the momentum from the Grainger endowment, we are building the Company from within. This is precisely the pipeline we set out to create, and what sets the Joffrey’s model apart.”
Wheater has overseen the growth of the Grainger Academy since its inception. The success of Wheater's vision to advance the next generation of artists is realized through the roster of Grainger Academy students who have accepted contracts at The Joffrey Ballet, as well as respected international ballet companies including Paris Opera Ballet, English National Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and San Francisco Ballet.
"For the first time, every new dancer this season is promoted from Grainger Academy. That’s an extraordinary milestone. These artists have created world premieres through Winning Works, performed in full-length productions, and fully lived in the Joffrey's culture," says Abbott Academy Director Suzanne Lopez. "For a relatively young school, this speaks volumes to the strength of our programs, the vision of our curriculum, and the transformative support of the Grainger endowment. We are training artists of the highest caliber, and to see Dayla, Seehyun, and Laila rise to the Company is a clear sign of what's ahead: versatile dancers, well-rounded programs, a stronger Joffrey."
Strategically thinking about the lifecycle of a dancer, from early training to pre-professional development in the Grainger Academy, to securing a Company contract, the Joffrey offers pioneering programs that transition ballet trainees to Company Artists, reinforcing its position as one of the nation’s premier ballet companies.
The Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet annually trains nearly 80 full-time students in professional training programs. Various opportunities for artistic development include participating in Winning Works, performing alongside Company Artists, touring, and more. Since the inception of the Academy in 2010, 30 Grainger Academy graduates have been promoted to the Joffrey Company.
In 2024, The Joffrey Ballet received a historic $5 million gift from the Lake Forest–based Grainger Foundation to endow and rename its Academy, now the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet. This transformative support strengthens Joffrey’s commitment to cultivating the next generation of dancers and expands one of the nation’s most comprehensive scholarship programs, attracting talent from around the world.
Dayla Bowman
Tasmania, Australia |
Seehyun Kim
Seehyun Kim began her ballet training in her hometown of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, before joining the Korea National University of Arts Gifted Program at age nine. She continued her studies at Seoul Arts High School, leaving early to train with the San Francisco Ballet Trainee Program for one year, followed by a year with the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet’s Studio Company. Kim has an extensive competition history, both in Korea and internationally. While at the Korea National University of Arts Gifted Program, she won first place at the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (2017) and the Sicilia Barocca International Dance Competition (2018). While attending Seoul Arts High School, she was a semi-finalist at the 2022 Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, and placed fifth at the 2023 Prix de Lausanne, where she also received the Audience Favorite Award.
Laila Madison
Los Angeles, California | Ballet Trainee from 2022-2023
Laila Madison began ballet at age three in Los Angeles, studying at local studios before expanding her training at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, where she explored ballet, modern, jazz, tap, flamenco, Graham, and character dance. She later trained at the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, focusing primarily on classical ballet. After graduating from both high school and the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, Madison joined the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet as a trainee for the 2022–2023 season under a full tuition scholarship, performing in Grainger Academy productions including Raymonda, Winning Works, and Don Quixote. From 2023 to 2025, she was a trainee with Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company, performing in all Company and Second Company productions, including George Balanchine’s Jewels, Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde, Septime Webre’s Alice (in Wonderland), and Anna Marie Holmes’ Don Quixote.
About the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet
Founded in 2010 as the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet provides students of all ages, levels, and backgrounds with a world-class education built on a foundation of classical ballet.
Based in the heart of Chicago’s theater district, the 20,000-square-foot Exelon Education Center at Joffrey Tower, home to the Academy, boasts four state-of-the-art studios and facilities. In 2021, The Joffrey Ballet acquired two more state-of-the-art studios in the South Loop of Chicago. In addition, the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet received the Boeing Game Changer Award in recognition of its efforts to make dance accessible to everyone.
The Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet, located in Chicago, Illinois, is the only school that follows the organizational mission, training syllabi, and artistic vision of The Joffrey Ballet. No other program, including those holding the Joffrey name, is sanctioned by The Joffrey Ballet.
For more information on the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, please visit joffrey.org/academy.
About The Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies in the world today, with a reputation for boundary-breaking performances for 70 years. The Joffrey repertoire is an extensive collection of all-time classics, modern masterpieces, and original works.
Founded in 1956 by pioneers Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, the Joffrey remains dedicated to artistic expression, innovation, and first-rate education and engagement programming. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE and President and CEO Greg Cameron.
The Joffrey Ballet is grateful for the support of its 2025–2026 70th Anniversary Season Sponsors: The Abbott Fund, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, Gallagher, The Florian Fund, Anne L. Kaplan, and Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.
Live Music Sponsors Sandy and Roger Deromedi, Sage Foundation, and The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music. The Joffrey also acknowledges our Season Partners: ATHLETICO and Chicago Athletic Clubs.
For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit joffrey.org. Connect with the Joffrey on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.