ELIZA CRANTON

Eliza Cranton grew up in Cambridge MA, where, at age three she began her dance training with Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre. She had the opportunity to perform alongside the company in The Nutcracker starting at age six, performing in up to eighteen shows a season. She also had the opportunity to perform Jose Mateo’s original choreography as a member of the student company YouthWorks. In 2018, Eliza began training with The Brookline Ballet School under Trinidad Vives and Parren Ballard. While there she had the opportunity to perform soloist and corps de ballet roles in The Nutcracker, excerpts from Giselle, and original choreography by Parren Ballard. She was also a member of the Modern Dance Company at her public high school where she choreographed and performed in various student pieces. Over the years, Eliza supplemented her training by attending summer intensives including Kaatsbaan, Miami City Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet’s Collegiate Intensive. Eliza went on to attend Butler University where she graduated with distinction in 2025. While at Butler, Eliza trained in ballet, modern, and jazz, earning a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in mathematics. She had the opportunity to perform corps de ballet and soloist roles in multiple full length classical ballets including Butler Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Giselle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. In addition, she performed original pieces choreographed by David Ingram and Ramon Flowers. Eliza is excited to join Ballet Hartford as a trainee for her first professional season!