Serafina began dancing at age 3 near Chicago, Illinois. At age 10, she moved with her family to Michigan, where she enrolled at Grand Rapids Ballet School and joined their junior company. During her time there, she performed leading roles including Clara, Jasmine, Thumbelina, and Aurora.
Throughout her training years, she spent many summers at ballet intensives including Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Grand Rapids Ballet, and The Rock School for Dance Education.
At 17, Serafina was offered a traineeship with Grand Rapids Ballet Company, under James Sofranko, after performing with them in Val Caniperoli’s The Nutcracker and George Balanchine’s Serenade. After one year as a trainee, she was promoted to an apprentice for the following season, where she performed works such as Balanchine’s Who Cares? and Donald McKayle’s Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier. During her time at Grand Rapids Ballet, she worked with many choreographers including Andy Blankenbeuhler, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Devon Carney, Ilana Goldman, and others. She is excited to start this season as a Second Company member with Charlotte Ballet.
