Kiersten Barriss was born and raised in Melrose, Massachusetts, and began dancing at age 8 at the Northeast School of Ballet. At 13, she joined NSB’s Conservatory Program, training under Denise Cecere and Joseph Jefferies, and in 2020 continued her training at Koltun Ballet Boston with Alexandra Koltun and Alex Lapshin. Kiersten was twice a Top 12 finalist in the Senior category at the Youth America Grand Prix Semi-Finals in 2021 and 2023.

She later joined the Texas Ballet Theater Studio Company in Fort Worth, performing in productions including Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker (Clara, Snow, Flowers), Dracula (Bride/Peasant), Cinderella (Waltz Couple), Alice in Wonderland (Rose Waltz), Lew Christensen’s Beauty and the Beast (Rose Waltz), Tim O’Keefe’s Giselle (Willis), and Peter and the Wolf (Bird), as well as featured studio roles such as Waltz Girl in Les Sylphides and the Napoli pas de six. In 2024, she performed in the Summer Dance Concerto under Margo and Webster Dean.

She is grateful to her teachers for guiding her journey and is excited to join the Florida Ballet.