Caianda Handley

Caianda Handley, also credited as Cai Handley, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child, she studied classical ballet and other forms of dance, which garnered the attention of the artistic director at the Milwaukee Ballet, where she was awarded an Alvin Ailey Scholarship at the age of 14. Her passion for dancing combined with her talent for singing, quickly opened doors for new opportunities to perform leading character roles in musical theater high school shows such as "Into The Woods", "Pippin", and "Fiddler on the Roof". While attending Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, she was nominated for Singer of the Year at the EVVY Awards. After graduating college, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting; studying at Playhouse West, Second City, and taking on supporting roles in independent film projects. With rave reviews by the Los Angeles Times for debuting at the Knightsbridge Theater in the musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth called "Macbeezy the Hip-Hopera", Caianda was able to get back in touch with her musical theater roots combining her singing, dancing, and acting abilities.