Payton Thompson ‘25

Payton Thompson is a junior at Harvard concentrating in Economics and Theater, Dance, Media. While she has trained in many styles of dance, her heart has always belonged to the ballet/contemporary ballet world. Payton spent her high school years training at International Ballet Academy. Following high school graduation, she was offered a trainee contract with Ballet West and spent the 2020-2021 season dancing with the company. While at Ballet West, she had the opportunity to perform soloist roles in Swan Lake, Pamela Robinson Harris’s Cinderella, and multiple contemporary ballets choreographed by Francisco Gella. Payton has spent summers training on scholarship with Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Francisco Gella’s Pre-professional Dancer Institute. Payton was invited to represent contemporary ballet and compete in the Judge’s Round of So You Think You Can Dance, seasons 13 and 17. This past summer, she worked with Dance Theatre of Harlem, performing repertoire by Robert Garland. Outside of HBC, she is a co-founder of Harvard Contemporary Collective.