demi-soloist
Jessica Skinker
Jessica Skinker was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She began her early training at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) under the direction of Christine Kardell, as well as Antonio and Kirven Douthit-Boyd of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She spent her summers training at Nashville Ballet, Joffrey Ballet Texas, and on full scholarship at Missouri Contemporary Ballet. With both dance and academic scholarships, Skinker graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pre-Health Sciences. There, she studied under the tutelage of renowned instructors Jennifer McNamara, Matthew Christensen, Tauna Hunter, Solveig Santillano, Mark Santillano, C. Noelle Partusch, and Lesley Bories-Scalise. She performed with the Mercyhurst Dancers in Giselle as Myrtha, Michael Gleason’s Symphonie Italienne, Catherine Meredith’s Aftermath, and in several newly choreographed classical and contemporary works. She has also performed with SoMar Dance Works and as a guest artist with Erie Contemporary Ballet Theater in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
Skinker began her professional career with Central Illinois Ballet, where she performed roles such as Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables. She joined The Tallahassee Ballet in 2024 as a Corps de Ballet member, performing in works by Caleb Mitchell, Hope Eltomi, Meagan Helman, and Madeline Luzarraga, as well as full-length productions, such as Snow Princess in The Nutcracker and Winter Fairy in Cinderella. Skinker has been promoted to Demi-Soloist for the 25-26 Season.
