Jaison McClendon began dancing when he was fourteen at the Patel Conservatory. The following year, he joined Conservatory’s Next Generation Ballet Pre-Professional Company under the direction of Peter Stark, and subsequently Philip Neal, both of which McClendon was privileged to train with before joining Sarasota Ballet as an apprentice in 2016. During his time at Sarasota Ballet, McClendon was fortunate to perform in several works by renowned choreographer George Balanchine, including Stars and Stripes, Jewels, and Theme and Variations, as well as Frederick Ashton’s Two Pigeons and The Dream.

In 2018, McClendon joined BalletMet 2, followed by Ballet Idaho in 2019, where he worked with choreographers like Ricardo Amarante, Penny Saunders, and Dani Rowe. In 2020, McClendon joined Nashville Ballet as a Patricia and Louis Todd Family Foundation apprentice. During his first year with the company, Jaison performed in several large scale productions, including Paul Vasterling’s Seasons at Ascend Amphitheater and the broadcast premiere of Nashville’s Nutcracker. After a successful first season with Nashville Ballet, he was promoted to a full Company Member in the spring of 2021.