Sam Ainley

Born in Sacramento, California, Sam Ainley began his ballet training at Sacramento Ballet and Deane Dance Center. He received a scholarship to study at the School of American Ballet in New York City, where he performed with New York City Ballet while attending the Professional Children’s School.
In 2015, Sam joined Boston Ballet’s second company. He later danced with Carolina Ballet for six seasons, earning promotions to soloist in 2019 and principal dancer in 2022. His favorite roles include Apollo in George Balanchine’s Apollo, Romeo in Robert Weiss’s Romeo and Juliet, and Prince Siegfried in Weiss’s Swan Lake.
Alongside his dance career, Sam studied biological sciences at North Carolina State University. He is currently attending the UNC School of Medicine and hopes to bring his experience as a dancer to a career in sports and dance medicine.