Lydia Payne 

Lydia Payne was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She began her classical ballet training at the age of nine with Le Jeune Dance under the direction of Steve Beirens and Hannah Dorfmueller. During her time at Le Jeune, Lydia performed in 12 full-length classical ballets and six neo-classical and modern works. She danced a variety of Corps de Ballet, Soloist, and Principal roles, with favorite performances including the Evil Queen in Snow White, Lise’s friend in La Fille Mal Gardée, Bathilde in Giselle, and Swanilda’s Wedding Variation from Coppelia. Lydia also performed in Le Jeune Dance’s production of The Nutcracker for ten years, dancing many roles. Her favorites being Clara, Columbine Doll, and Spanish Divert Pas de Trois. While at Le Jeune, Lydia discovered her passion for teaching and has been teaching Children’s Dance and Beginning/Intermediate Ballet for over four years. She loves sharing the art of classical ballet with young dancers and is excited to continue her journey as a ballet teacher. This will be Lydia’s first year participating in Ballet Under the Stars, and she is thrilled to be joining Kentucky Ballet Theatre as a Trainee this season, marking the beginning of her career as a professional ballet dancer.