Born in Mississippi, Bailess began studying classical dance at the age of four and competed in gymnastics, dance and cheerleading. At age 11, she began performing live on television as a dancer in the Miss Mississippi Pageant where she continued for 7 more years. After attending ballet workshops across the country, Katherine won a scholarship with the Broadway Dance Center in New York and at Ann Reinking's Broadway theatre Project in Florida. After focusing on dance and musical theatre at Marymount Manhattan College, Katherine went on to study at the William Esper Studio's two-year intensive program.
