Dancers

Sophie Taylor is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher from Franklin, MA. She has a strong background in ballet and contemporary dance and holds a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography from Elon University. Sophie has performed in works by Jen Guy Metcalf, Renay Aumiller, Courtney Liu, Virginia Dupont, and Ming-Lung Yang. Sophie currently teaches ballet, jazz, and lyrical at SC Dance Company in Wendell, NC. Sophie is excited to take the stage as a part of Violet Ballet!

Lelia Saffold is a dancer and choreographer from Raleigh, NC. She earned her BA in dance with a minor in English from Meredith College, having served as a company member in Meredith Dance Theatre and president of the Meredith Dance Association. Lelia began her training in 2004 at Carolina Dance Center and is well-versed in ballet, pointe, contemporary, modern, jazz, and tap. She has also trained with the Joffrey Ballet School, Dutch National Ballet, and Temple University. Lelia is a company member of Triangle Fusion Dance Company and is thrilled to be performing her first production with Violet Ballet. When not dancing, you can find her listening to Halsey, cooking, writing, and spending time with her dogs Franklin and Miracle.

Ashley White is a senior at Elon University majoring in Exercise Science with extensive training in ballet and modern dance through the Burlington Academy of Dance and Arts. She has broadened her artistry through a variety of workshops, summer intensives, and professional performance opportunities. As an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, Ashley specializes in blending dance technique with evidence-based strength and conditioning to enhance performance, build resilience, and support dancers’ long-term health.

Olivia Chester grew up in Burlington, NC and attended the Burlington Academy of Dance and Arts from the time she was 3 years old until she graduated high school. Her main focus throughout the years was Ballet but she participated in every other genre including Modern, Lyrical, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary. In college, Olivia was a part of Blank Canvas, a student dance company at UNC Chapel Hill as well as taking the university provided ballet classes for four years. In the fall, Olivia will be heading back to graduate school at the Denver Advertising School to pursue Art Direction in advertising. In her free time she is an avid rock climber, enjoys going to see live music, and loves to hang out with her cat. 

​Maeve Deltano is a NC based dancer who has taught and choreographed in the Triad. When not dancing you can find her on running trails, rocks, or on an ambulance (working as a paramedic not as an injured person).

Maren Rich is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Durham, NC. She graduated from UNCSA's high school program in 2014 and went on to dance as a trainee with the Louisville Ballet before earning her BSW from Appalachian State University in 2020. Maren's choreography has been presented at various showcases and festivals, including RDA-SE and the UNCSA Festival of Dance. She's excited to dust off the boots and come out of retirement to dance with Violet Ballet for their upcoming performance!