Name: Ayla Marie Kell

Introduction: Ayla Kell is an American actress and former ballet dancer. She is widely recognized for her lead role as Payson Keeler in the ABC Family (now Freeform) gymnastics drama series Make It or Break It.

Date of Birth: October 7, 1990

Height: 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Family:

• Parents: Information about her parents’ names is not widely publicized, though she has mentioned that the actors playing her parents in Make It or Break It were very much like her actual parents. Her mother is reportedly named Jane Kell.
• Spouse/Children: She was previously engaged to actor Sterling Knight (from October 2018), but their relationship ended in 2019. There is no public information indicating she is currently married or has children.

Profession: Actress, dancer.

Nationality: American

Religion: No specific religious affiliation is publicly stated.

College or University Attended: Information not readily available about university attendance. She began studying ballet at a young age.

Biography and What Famous For:
Ayla Kell began her performing arts journey at a very young age with ballet. She trained extensively in ballet, completing 15 years of Royal Academy of Dance ballet training at the Los Angeles Ballet Academy. She performed with the American Ballet Theatre at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood as Greta in The Nutcracker and competed in the finals at the Youth America Grand Prix in New York City. She was also a featured dancer at Valentino’s International Carousel in Tokyo, Japan.

Her transition to acting started early as well, with appearances in commercials for major brands like Disney, Sony, Mattel, and Pringles. She made her film debut in 1999 in The Omega Code.

Ayla Kell became widely famous for her role as Payson Keeler in the ABC Family (now Freeform) series Make It or Break It, which aired from 2009 to 2012. Her background in ballet significantly contributed to her convincing portrayal of a dedicated and disciplined aspiring Olympic gymnast. The show gained a strong following and made her a recognizable face among young audiences.

Since Make It or Break It, she has continued to work in television and film, appearing in various projects including:

• Melissa & Joey (2014) in a recurring role as Lilah.
• Television films such as Missing at 17 (2013) and SnakeHead Swamp (2014).
• Guest roles on popular shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Weeds, and Leverage.
• More recently, she has appeared in films like Terror Eyes (2021) and Four Cousins and a Christmas (2022).

Ayla Kell is most famous for her lead role as Payson Keeler in Make It or Break It, which leveraged her real-life dance background, and for her consistent work in television and film since then.

Have participated:

• Television Series:
  • Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story (1997, TV film) as Young Barbara Mandrell
  • Malcolm in the Middle (2004) as Kylie
  • Weeds (2005) as Chelsea
  • Without a Trace (2007) as Young Mia Jones
  • Just Jordan (2008) as Jade
  • Make It or Break It (2009–2012) as Payson Keeler
  • Leverage (2011) as Olivia Livingston
  • Melissa & Joey (2014) as Lilah
• Films:
  • The Omega Code (1999) as Maddie Lane
  • Rebound (2005) as Cute Girl / Cheerleader
  • What Just Happened (2008) as Mary #1
  • Rosemont (2015) as Lisa
  • Walt Before Mickey (2015) as Bridget
  • Sable (2017) as Sable
  • Terror Eyes (2021) as Lisa
  • Four Cousins and A Christmas (2022) as Millie
  • Please Don’t Feed the Children (2025 – upcoming)
• Ballet/Dance:
  • American Ballet Theatre (performed in The Nutcracker)
  • Royal Academy of Dance ballet training
  • Youth America Grand Prix (competitor)
  • Featured dancer at Valentino’s International Carousel (Tokyo, Japan)
• Commercials: Disney, Sony, Mattel, Pringles.
• Awards: Information on specific acting awards is not widely publicized. She attended several awards events like the Teen Choice Awards and Variety Power of Youth events during her Make It or Break It era.