Payton Primer is from Dallas, Texas, where she trained at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. While there, she was named a Contemporary/Modern Dance Finalist in the 2018 YoungArts National Arts Competition. Payton graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University/The Ailey School with three BFA degrees—in dance, anthropology, and international studies with a concentration in global affairs. She has performed works by Paul Taylor, Robert Battle, Lar Lubovitch, Peter Chu, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Omar Román de Jesús, among others. Payton has danced internationally in Armenia, Georgia, and Germany, as well as throughout the United States. She has also performed as a member of Gaspard&Dancers, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Adams Company Dance, and the Taylor Outreach Ensemble. She joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in winter 2025.

Photo credit: Nir Arieli