was born and raised in Midlothian, Virginia. She started dancing at age 3, and by age 11 was performing for sold out audiences at Richmond’s acclaimed Landmark Theater (now known as the Altria Theatre). Primarily trained in Ballet, she enjoyed dancing with Martinique School of Dance and their resident Ballet company, Ballet Petit, both under the brilliant direction of Shannon Howell.
At age eighteen she studied dance for a year in Greenville, North Carolina at ECU. She studied closely with ballet teachers Timour Bourtasenkov (Bolshoi Ballet, Carolina Ballet) and Galina Panova (Kirov Ballet). She then traveled to Harrisonburg, Virginia to study at James Madison University, where she studied psychology and dance.
Upon graduation, Chelsea moved back to Richmond, Virginia to tour the country with the Virginia Repertory Theatre. After lead roles in three tours, Chelsea auditioned and was accepted to train in New York City with Broadway Dance Center’s Summer Professional Semester.
Upon completion of BDC’s professional program, Chelsea made the permanent move to NYC, where she taught Musical Theatre and Triple Threat classes at Broadway Dance Center’s Children and Teen Program, and worked at Broadway Dance Center in the Education Department as the Educational Programs Coordinator. She also worked directly with Tony Award Winner Lindsay Mendez and Award Winning Composer Ryan Scott Oliver as the managing director of their successful acting studio, Actor Therapy. In addition to assisting with the day to day administration at Actor Therapy, she helped create and teach their dance program, Dancer Therapy, and assisted with song rep and coaching.
Chelsea has studied and worked closely with Tony Award Winner Lindsay Mendez, Tony Award Nominee Erin Dilly, Broadway veterans Kirsten Wyatt, Sierra Boggess and Adam Chanler-Berat, writers Peter Duchan and Ryan Scott Oliver, and Broadway Directors Stephen Sposito and Sammi Cannold. She has performed the works of acclaimed choreographers like Richard J. Hinds, Mark Kimmelman, Bronwen Carson, Emily Maltby, Jamie Jackson, April Cook, and more, in such celebrated venues as Symphony Space, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Ellis Island, Green Room 42, and more. She also created and performed her own work, Are We There Yet, with fellow NYC actors Claire Valletta and Shelby Andersen at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.
Additionally, she studied as a musical theatre lyricist at the prestigious and competitive BMI Workshop, and trained at the exclusive Esper Studio with Suzanne Esper herself (both by invitation only, located in NYC). Chelsea is represented by the Dulcina Eisen Talent Agency in New York City. She recently founded Crafton Academy of Performing Arts in Midlothian, Virginia, while also teaching Ballet at Carrington Dance Studio and running CAPA 2 with BFF Molly Williams. In her spare time, she throws a lot of tennis balls for her insta famous rescue dogs, Lady Sybil and Pippa.