Caianda Handley was born on June 23rd, 1978 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child, she studied classical ballet and performed in "The Nutcracker" with the Milwaukee Ballet for 4 years. This garnered the attention of the artistic director, and she was awarded an Alvin Ailey Scholarship at the age of 14. She quickly went on to pursue a career in musical theater, performing in community theater shows such as "Into The Woods", "Pippin", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Fiddler on the Roof". But it wasn't until she attended Emerson College, where she would be nominated for an EVVY Award for Singer of the Year. After graduating from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, she moved to Los Angeles and has been actively involved with the Robey Theater and current independent film projects.
