Chanelle Lagacé was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania where she trained with Erie Dance Conservatory and Lake Erie Ballet. She studied extensively in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap, and furthered her training at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, graduating cum laude with a BFA in dance performance in 2008. She has performed the works of Cloven Kingdom by Paul Taylor, Gloria by Mark Morris, and D Man in the Waters by Bill T. Jones.