Payton was raised in Fort Wayne and started dancing at the age of four. She grew up through the Auer Academy of Fort Wayne Ballet and trained under the direction of Karen Gibbons-Brown, Eleonora Pokhitonova-Hartung, and Tracy Tritz. She has attended Kaatsbaan Extreme Ballet summer program. Some of her favorite roles have included Wilis in Giselle, Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and Edward Stierle’s Empyrean Dances. Payton is excited to begin her fourth season with the Fort Wayne Ballet.