Biography

Kaila Carter was born in Washington D.C. and began dancing at a young age. In her youth, she took classes at various studios and spent her summers studying at intensives, including, but not limited to, The Rock School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. For high school, Kaila attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts where she majored in dance and was under the tutelage of skilled and dedicated teachers such as Charles Augins, Sandra Fortune-Green, and Katherine Smith. At Ellington, Kaila was given the opportunity to perform with artists Patti LaBelle and Smokey Robinson, among other exciting experiences. During this time, she was also given the opportunity to be a founding member of the pre-professional dance company Visions Contemporary Dance Ensemble, now known as Katherine Smith Contemporary Dance Ensemble.
Kaila is an alumna of Butler University, where she graduated in May of 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Dance/Arts-Administration and a minor in creative writing. At Butler, she participated in full length ballet productions, like The Nutcracker and Swan Lake and in contemporary roles such as Little Blue Devil by Susan McGuire and Catching Shadows by Cynthia Pratt. While pursuing her degree, she was also able to grow choreographically and was given many opportunities to showcase her work, including a piece of hers being featured on European stages. There, she was also the recipient of the Jordan College of the Arts Collaborative Grant for her choreography.
Soon after graduation, Kaila joined Ballethnic Dance Company, where she performed as a company member for two seasons and taught ballet to young students. She was also chosen as one of nine to participate in Dance Canvas’ 2019-2020 choreography showcase for emerging artists. Kaila then moved to Pittsburgh in 2021 to perform as a Company Artists with Confluence Ballet Company. She is also an instructor and administrative assistant at Hill Dance Academy Theatre, and received the YWCA Emerging Leader Award for her work there and in her community. While in Pittsburgh, Kaila has had many great opportunities, such as performing in the opera “Idaspe,” choreographed by Antonia Franceschi and directed by Claire van Kampen and performing as a guest artist with the Staycee Pearl Dance Project. She has also choreographed original works on Confluence Ballet Company, Vida Chai's "Somewhere Strange," and for the film “Origin” that captures different aspects of the Black experience.