Olivia Arizmendi grew up in San Francisco, California. She trained in tap and jazz from a young age, although she never considered dance as a full-time career until moving to London on a whim. In 2019 she joined London Contemporary Dance School and subsequently Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, attaining her BA (Hons) degree in dance in 2023. Through performing works by Thick and Tight, Matsena Productions, Jessica Nupen, and New Adventures, Olivia developed an interest in the interrelationship between dancing and acting. She dances with zest and emotion both onstage and in everyday life. 

Olivia is delighted to have joined Scottish Dance Theatre on NSCD’s Professional Placement Scheme, and hopes to learn from the diverse skillsets and personalities within the company. She is excited to be living in Scotland for the very first time and to explore Dundee in her spare time.