Julie Wittenberg grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida where she studied ballet at the European School of Performing Arts for 13 years. During her time there, she performed as the Snow Queen, Spanish soloist, the Nutcracker, Arabian soloist, and Flowers soloist in the Nutcracker, Myrtha in Giselle, and a Big Swan demi-soloist in Swan Lake. Additionally, she trained at Orlando Ballet School for two years. At the age of 16, she was among 18 dancers invited to travel to Shanghai, China, and perform over ten days in a variety of venues at the Shanghai International Arts Festival. 

Julie attended summer intensives with Florida State University, American Ballet Theatre, and Ellison Ballet in New York City. In 2014, she was invited to train with Gelsey Kirkland at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy in TriBeCa, New York where she performed in the studio company’s productions of The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Harlequinade. Julie spent the summer of 2015 training in Amsterdam with the Dutch National Ballet and was invited to stay on as a trainee for the following season where she performed original choreography by David Dawson, a selection of variations at the company’s annual gala in front of the Dutch Royal Family, and studied other classical ballets by European choreographers such as August Bournonville. Finally, she spent a season as a trainee at Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Utah before spending a final season where it all began at the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet. 

Today, Julie holds a Bachelor’s in English with a minor in Psychology from the University of North Florida and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Julie is also a mentor and the legal coordinator for the Second Act Network, a nonprofit created to provide community and mentorship for professional and pre-professional dancers planning their secondary careers. Julie is sitting for the New York Bar Exam in July 2026 and will practice art and entertainment law in New York City after receiving her license.