Mahalia Zellmer, an Iowa native, received her dance training at Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance studying ballet, modern, jazz, tap, contemporary, African, and Indian dance. As a young student, she performed in Artistic Director Courtney Lyon's The Nutcracker, eventually earning corps de ballet roles with Ballet Quad Cities in Alice in Wonderland, Peter and the Wolf, and Paris en Pointe while still in high school. After graduating, she joined BQC as a company trainee for two seasons. She has received additional training in improvisation, choreography and performance at the Glenda Brown Choreography Project in Kansas City, MO. Notable BQC performances include The Red Queen and March Hare in Lyon’s Alice in Wonderland, Meghan Phillips’ solo Reverie at the Figge Art Museum, Emily Kate Long’s Four Square, Lyon's Benny's Gig, and as the Cowardly Lion in Emily Kate Long's Dorothy Goes to Oz. During the 2022-2023 season she was featured in Long’s solo Letters and restaging of Napoli and Lyon's Rite of Spring. She is very excited to start her third season as a professional company dancer and can't wait to see what the year brings!