Ecem Yuksei

I began my ballet journey at the age of four at Istanbul University State Conservatory. My early training led to opportunities as a child ballet dancer with the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, where I gained valuable professional stage experience from a young age.

I later transferred to Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory, where I continued my training until 2016. During this time, I further developed my technique through prestigious summer intensives at the Royal Academy of Dance in London and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Connecticut and New York. I performed in numerous national and international ballet festivals, including the Bodrum Ballet Festival and the Dance Open Ballet Festival. I also had the opportunity to perform at the Hermitage Theatre in St. Petersburg as part of the Young Stars Gala.

I was awarded second prize in the classical ballet category at the Anna Pavlova Ballet Competition in The Hague, Netherlands. I then joined the Bolshoi Ballet Academy (Московская государственная академия хореографии) as a full-time student in Moscow, Russia, where I continued my professional training. I also completed my pedagogical formation in the Russian system, focusing on the theoretical and methodological foundations of classical ballet education, which qualified me to teach ballet.

Alongside my artistic career, I pursued academic studies at Kansas State University, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Health. During this time, I volunteered with dietitians across the United States, gaining experience in sports nutrition, pre- and post-natal nutrition, clinical nutrition, diabetes care, multicultural nutrition, gut and immune health, startup company management, and social media and SEO content creation for dietitians.

I then began my MS-RDN in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at Teachers College, Columbia University. While at Columbia, I served as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Columbia University Ballet Ensemble, a mentor at Second Act New York City, and the NYC Chapter Leader for the Bridge Dance Project. Through these roles, I mentored the next generation of dancers, helping them pursue longer, healthier careers. I was also involved in a research study at Teachers College examining blood vessel function and balance in dancers.

In 2025, I transferred back to Kansas State University, where I completed my Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics while working as a guest ballet teacher in the dance department. I am currently an incoming dietetic intern at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where I look forward to further integrating my expertise in clinical nutrition, performance, and dancer health.