Kat
Kat Nejat-Thompson joined Gotta Dance in 2022. Her multifaceted performing career has taken her from the professional ballet world to the bright lights of Broadway…with a few other stops along the way!
Growing up, her first love was ballet and she started rigorous training very early on. She attended the year-round program n the professional division at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, PA. She trained extensively in the Balanchine technique (repertoire included Symphony In C, Who Cares?, Serenade, Western Symphony, Stars and Stripes, and more.) She moved on to performing professionally with the Philadelphia Ballet, formerly known as the Pennsylvania Ballet in productions of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (Columbine Doll, Snow, Flowers, Marzipan), Coppélia, Ben Stevenson’s Dracula, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
During this time, she also completed a B.A. in Journalism (minors in French, History, and Classical Voice) from Temple University. Upon graduation — at the insistence of her voice teacher — she started auditioning in NYC for musical theatre and made her made her Broadway debut in the 2009 revival of WEST SIDE STORY, directed by Arthur Laurents, where she became the only person in history to perform both roles of “Maria” and “Anita” on Broadway. She went on to star as “Cleonice” in LYSISTRATA JONES on Broadway, a role she originated Off-Broadway with the Transport Group. Her National Tour credits include Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, the 50th Anniversary tour of WEST SIDE STORY, and JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. Regionally, she has starred as “Mawish” in Ayad Aktar’s play, THE WHO AND THE WHAT at Kansas City Rep, as “Rosie” in BYE BYE BIRDIE for the Lyric Theater of Oklahoma, and multiple shows at Paper Mill Playhouse, Berkshire Theater Group, The 5th Avenue Theater, and more. On television Kat has appeared on LAW & ORDER: SVU, HIGH MAINTENANCE, INDOOR BOYS, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT, LIMITLESS, SUBMISSIONS ONLY, and ONE LIFE TO LIVE, and performed on PBS’ SONDHEIM: THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT, THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, DANCING WITH THE STARS, THE 63rd ANNUAL TONY AWARDS, and GREAT PERFORMANCES: DANCE IN AMERICA (PBS). Miss Kat teaches upper level ballet and pointe.
