The Ailey School

Solenn Etienne was born in Guadeloupe, surrounded by her generous Caribbean culture from which she inherited a profound, yet pure connection to nature and spirituality. She was first introduced to dance by her home studio Espace Danse Wargnier, where as a young artist, she was familiarized with ballet, jazz, belly dance, dancehall and tap dance. During her first encounter with the vibrating energy of New York City in 2017, she had the chance to interact with members of the dance community including Elizabeth Roxas, Ingrid Silva, and Ashley Nicole Mayeux. In an effort to transcend her own limits, she moved to Paris to train at the Institut de Formation Professionnelle Rick Odums, where she deepened her jazz technique, obtained her EAT diploma, and joined the Jeune Ballet Jazz. Solenn enrolled in the Ailey School Certificate Program in fall 2021, and she was mentored by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater member, Caroline Dartey.  Solenn attended various contemporary Summer Intensives where she learned the repertory of the Hofesh Shechter Company and choreographers such as Juliano Nunes, Florian Lochner, and Alice Klock. As a student in The Ailey School Certificate Program, she was invited to perform in Mauro Bigonzetti's Festa Barocca, and in Mr. Ailey's ballet Memoria during the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2022 and 2023 New York City Center seasons. Solenn joined the Ailey Student Performance Group (ASPG) in fall 2022 and is a 2024 graduate of the Certificate Program.  Solenn aspires to evolve and to assert herself in the modern dance world, by freeing her unique expression while transcending her physical limits.