Nicholas Ade is from Los Angeles, Ca. He trained at San Francisco Ballet School and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Mr. Ade joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1996 where he danced leading roles in George Balanchine's The Four Temperaments and A Midsummer Night's Dream; Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow; and Kent Stowell's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. He has also been featured in Balanchine's La Valse, Prodigal Son, Symphony in C, Symphony in Three Movements, and Who Cares?; and Peter Martins' Fearful Symmetries. Upon his retirement in 2006, Mr. Ade became principal of the Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s Francia Russell Center, PNB’s Eastside School.
Mr. Ade serves as permanent guest faculty at Ballet Academy East in New York City under Darla Hoover and Julia Dubno. He has taught throughout Europe and North America, including the Iliev Foundation in Bulgaria. Mr. Ade has also taught at Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet, Utah Regional Ballet, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He also has been on faculty at several national and regional festivals for Regional Dance America (RDA). Mr. Ade’s relationship with RDA has also extended into adjudicating in 2010; as well as serving as host to the Craft of Choreography Conference (CCC) and Summer Intensive from 2007-2009 and has been on the faculty of the CCC from 2004 through 2009. He has served as host of PNB's Eyes on Dance and Discover Dance outreach performances and has been Project Coordinator for PNB's NEXT STEP (formerly Choreographers' Showcase) since 2005. In 2012, Mr. Ade joined Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet as the school principal.
In November 2014, Mr. Ade was appointed chief executive officer of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.