Payton St. John, born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1999, began dancing at age 3, training in various competition dance styles at a local dance studio. She graduated in May 2022 from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City with a BFA in Dance, focusing on Choreography and Modern dance. After graduation, she moved to Tel Aviv, Israel, to work with Fresco Dance Company. Payton has performed and explored works by renowned choreographers like Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal + Gai Behar, Tom Weinberger, Andrea Costanzo Martini, and Crystal Pite, and participated in a choreographic residency with Ben Green’s HIND LEGS. She also performed pieces by johannes wieland, Kelly Ashton Todd, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Peter Chu, Andrea Miller, and Sean Howe.

At Marymount, Payton created three dance films, including the solo piece “Anima,” and two live works, such as the ensemble piece “Engorging,” which won the 2022 Dean’s Award for Excellence. Passionate about the endless possibilities of movement research, she finds freedom in the ability to express and experience everything or nothing. In April 2024, Payton joined the ICK Ensemble, excited and grateful for this new journey.