Leah Wetterling has followed her passion for dance since the age of three, when she began training in ballet with the Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble. She performed with them for 12 years before moving into the modern, contemporary, and jazz world of dance with Midwest Dance Collective for three years. She served as Artistic Director and choreographer for four years with her Barrington High School Orchesis Dance Company, as well as dancing in the Beauty and the Beast and Hello Dolly musical productions put on by the high school. Through the Orchesis and Midwest Dance Collective companies, she worked extensively with Giordano Dance Chicago.

As a Santa Clara University student Leah studied Communication, Spanish Studies, and International Business, and was highly involved in the dance department. After choreographing pieces for Choreographer’s Gallery and SCULive, she partnered with classmate and friend Natalie Duong to apply for an SCU Presents Arts for Social Justice Grant in the hopes of using dance to address the issues of socially constructed gender roles and expectations. Upon receipt of the grant, they co-choreographed a five piece, 30-minute show with 12 dancers, and led discussions with the audiences after each performance.

In addition to nurturing her love of dance in collaboration with fcdc, Leah Wetterling works as an Online Marketing Associate for Brilliant Earth, an ethically and sustainably sourced diamond company in San Francisco.