Caedence Sajdowitz is a Company Artist with Ballet 5:8, known for her radiant stage presence, disciplined technique, and emotional intelligence in storytelling. Since joining the company, she has made a strong artistic impact, most notably through her standout roles as Jacinta in La Llorona and Emma in Beyond the Nutcracker—each performance revealing her ability to convey depth, innocence, and transformation through movement.

Originally from Southern California, Caedence began ballet at age six in a homeschool class led by 16-year-old Leyna Woods (Doran), now the director of Ballet Hartford. While ballet didn’t initially come easily—she cried through many of her earliest classes—supportive instructors and steady encouragement helped her discover a love for the art form. At age eleven, she committed to pursuing dance seriously and began pre-professional training under Lauren Richter (Henry).

She went on to train at Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy and Richter Academy of Classical Dance, studying under acclaimed instructors including Dmitri and Jennifer Kulev, Sheri Giller, LJ Tashiro Nafarrete, and Stephanie Mehuys. Her technical foundation was further strengthened by intensive study with Bolshoi Ballet Connecticut, Maple Leaf School of Russian Ballet (Canada), American Ballet Theatre (New York), Ballet West (Utah), and BalletMet (Ohio).

At seventeen, Caedence was invited to join the Professional Training Division at Ballet West Academy in Salt Lake City, where she studied for three years under master teachers such as Peter Merz, Jeff Rogers, Chris Sellars, Cynthia Ridler, Catherine Batcheller, Katherine Lawrence, and Evelyn Cisneros-Legate. She was a recipient of the Shari Quinney Scholarship in 2020. While at Ballet West, she performed corps and soloist roles in Swan Lake, Raymonda, Coppélia, Don Quixote, and The Nutcracker, as well as Balanchine’s Western Symphony and Waltz of the Hours. She also participated in flamenco, contemporary, and ensemble performances at YAGP.

Caedence joined Ballet 5:8’s Second Company in 2022 and quickly rose through the ranks—becoming a Company Apprentice in 2023, a Senior Apprentice in 2024, and a Company Artist in December 2024. She continues to grow as a dynamic and expressive performer, bringing both artistry and integrity to Ballet 5:8’s diverse and socially engaged repertoire.