Nicola Leahey was born in Adelaide, South Australia. She began her movement training as a gymnast at age 7, then went on to train in contemporary dance and classical ballet, attaining the RAD Solo Seal at age 16. Nicola graduated from the New Zealand School of Dance in 2009. She joined Queensland based company Dancenorth, collaborating with Ross McCormack ([SIC], Nowhere Fast), Rob Tannion (FreeFall) and Raewyn Hill (MASS, The Cry). 

In 2011 Nicola relocated to Belgium and has since performed extensively in Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s works: Faun, Puz/zle for the premiere season at the Festival d’Avignon, 3S, Pure and Sin in 4D+,  in the operas Les Indes galantes, Satyagraha and Shell Shock, A Requiem of War for the Armistice Centenary at La Philharmonie de Paris, in the music video Valtari (Sigur Ros), Icon and Stoic in conjunction with GöteborgsOperans Danskompani and Nomad with 420PEOPLE. She has performed with Compagnie Thor (Revolt), Damien Jalet (Vessel), Stephanie Lake Company (Skeleton Tree), Ross McCormack/Muscle Mouth (AGE), Elie Tass ([SIC]) and Lauren Langlois (Twenty Forty Six). 

Nicola has worked with film directors Joe Wright (Cyrano), Christian Larson (Valtari), Ramy Fouad and Carl Erik Rinsch. 

Nicola has taught Faun repertory to the Royal Ballet of Flanders and the Bolshoi Ballet, Eastman repertory at Artesis Hogeschool Antwerpen and choreographed Axiomatic for the Kunsthumaniora Wilrijk. Nicola is a certified yoga teacher.