Jarrod Harrell was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, but grew up around the Metro-Atlanta area. He would begin his dance training at Georgia Dance Conservatory at the age of nine in a summer hip hop class. He would then go on to join the Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre (GMDT) company two years later, training in classical ballet, partnering and contemporary dance year-round.
Along with his passion for performing in shows like "The Nutcracker," "Coppélia," "Dracula" and "Jump Jive Boogie" for GMDT, Jarrod would also discover a love for choreography, becoming the student choreographer for Marietta High School’s Theatre Department as well as choreographing for GMDT’s Dancing with the Stars of Marietta. Professionally, he has performed in shows such as "Jukebox Giants Motown & More" and "ABBA/BeeGees Musical Revue" for the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre.
Over the years Jarrod has studied at The Nutmeg Conservatory, The Dance Theatre of Harlem and UNCSA, where he currently attends college. Graduating in May of 2024, Jarrod will have earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Contemporary Dance and performed in works such as Robert Battle’s "Mass" set by Elisa Clark, Merce Cunningham’s "Travlelouge" set by Andrea Weber and Marcie Munnerlyn and José Limón’s "Concierto Grosso" set by Sean Sullivan. During his time at UNCSA, he has also worked with the likes of Grady Bowman, Amiya Burrell, Ming-Lung Yang, Andrew Harper, Antony Lee Bryant and Wesley Williams. After school Jarrod hopes to continue exploring his artistry while performing and traveling the world.