Madeleine Purcell is from Connecticut, where she began her ballet training at the Connecticut Dance School, before being accepted to American Ballet Theatre’s JKO School under the direction of Franco DeVita. She attended summer intensives at the Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet on full scholarship. A highlight of her pre-professional training was performing in American Ballet Theatre's 75th Anniversary Gala at the Metropolitan Opera House.

A former professional dancer, her repertoire included corps and demi-soloist roles in works by George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, Yuri Possokhov, and Antony Tudor. Past company credits include Sarasota Ballet, Tivoli Ballet Theatre, and Oklahoma City Ballet, among other performance opportunities.

Madeleine is an American Ballet Theatre® Certified Teacher in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum, and holds her Bachelor's degree in psychology.