Paris Chanel was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. At twelve years old, she began her formal dance training at Open Door Studios, where she took weekly classes in classical ballet. Alongside her training at Open Door, Paris also trained in Hip-Hop at Fuzion Force (now known as XLNC Dance Studios). After a few months, she joined Precision Dance Center, participating in regional and national competitions for two years. After finishing middle school, she continued her dance education at Northwest School of the Arts, graduating in 2021 as a modern dance major.
Paris currently attends the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she has trained under notable faculty such as Dean Endalyn Taylor Outlaw, Juel D. Lane, Brenda Daniels, Ashley Lindsey, Ming-Lung Yang, Wesley L. Williams Jr., Fernando Carrillo, and Emily Nicolaou. At UNCSA, her studies include styles such as Classical and Contemporary Ballet, West African, Cunningham, Limón, Countertechnique, Horton, and Graham technique. Also a part of the UNCSA curriculum, Paris has studied composition, improvisation/contact improvisation, floorwork, and partnering. She has performed original works by Catherine Meredith, Juel D. Lane, Jaka Pearl Porter, Kira Blazek Ziaii, Ashley Lindsey, and Brenda Daniels. Outside of UNCSA, she has continued her training in Hip Hop, Musical Theater, Jazz, and Heels. With efforts to broaden her commercial dance training Paris has had the privilege to learn from choreographers such as Tia Rivera, Kiira Harper, Aliya Janell, ShéMeka Ann, Taylor Perymon, Ebony Williams and more. Beyond the stage, Paris also has experience in dancing for film. She had the pleasure to dance in three films, Like Sugar, The Way Back, and Next, all choreographed and directed by Ashley Lindsey and Grady Bowman. She was recently featured in music videos for Cashavelly's new album, Meditation Through Gun Fire. After graduation, Paris strives to combine all she learned in her varied training and continue performing in concert and commercial dance! As she furthers her career she aspires to explore how innovation and authenticity shape her artistry.