Russell Schmidt was born and raised in Chicago, where he began dancing at Hyde Park School of Dance at the age of 6 under August Tye. He then moved on to train at Ballet Chicago under Daniel Duell and Patricia Blair. After graduating high school, Schmidt furthered his training in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Professional Division under Peter Boal. He has attended summers at The Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Chicago, The School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and The Henny Jurriëns Studio. Schmidt joined Carolina Ballet in 2023 and is a member of the Corps de Ballet.
