Samuel Ainley-Zoll

Sam Ainley-Zoll was born in Sacramento, California. He started his ballet training at the Sacramento Ballet and Deane Dance Center before receiving a scholarship to study at the School of American Ballet (SAB). While attending SAB he performed various times with the New York City Ballet and attended classes at Professional Children School in New York City. In 2015, he danced with Boston Ballet as a member of their second company under the direction of Mikko Nissinen and Peter Stark. Sam graduated high school and enrolled in college classes while rehearsing and performing with the Boston Ballet. Continuing to balance his interest in school work and professional dancing, Sam then danced for six seasons with the Carolina Ballet. During this time he continuously enrolled in courses at a local community college and received his Associate of Science and state Emergency Medical Technician certification. With the Carolina Ballet, Sam was promoted to Soloist in 2019 and Principal in 2022. Some of his favorite roles included Apollo in Balanchine's Apollo, Romeo in Robert Weiss’s Romeo and Juliet, and Prince Siegfried in Robert Weiss’s Swan Lake.

After retiring from the ballet world, Sam set his sights on pursuing a medical degree to work in the field of sports and dance medicine. Sam attended North Carolina State University as a transfer student and received the Goodnight Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship for students in STEM. As a full-time student, he worked as an EMT and then as a Medical Assistant at a pediatric urgent care, further solidifying his passion for providing medical care and working with patients. Additionally, his love of dance led him to become a ballet teacher at various dance schools where he still teaches weekly.

Sam graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Human Biology and intends on applying to medical school within the next year. He is enthusiastic to work with anyone interested in pursuing a career in healthcare and hopes to assist anyone undertaking school and dance at the same time.