Laina Mae Kirkeide

Laina Mae Kirkeide is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. She was born in Miami, Florida and started her dance training locally at age 6. In 2017, she began training at The Art of Classical Ballet in Pompano Beach, Florida, and later attended The Ballet Clinic under the direction of David King. She attended the School of American Ballet’s California Workshop for Young Dancers in 2017 and summer courses at SAB, the official school of NYCB, in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, before enrolling full-time at SAB for the 2021 winter term. As a student at SAB, she performed in George Balanchine’s Serenade at NYCB as part of a celebration of SAB’s 90^th anniversary. Kirkeide became an apprentice with NYCB in August 2025 and joined the corps de ballet in August 2026. As an apprentice with NYCB, she originated a corps de ballet role in Tiler Peck’s Symphonie Espagnole.

_{Portrait © Erin Baiano}