Faculty

Elizabeth DeFanti
Elizabeth DeFanti is currently Co-Artistic Director of Montana Ballet Company and Director of The Academy. Ms. DeFanti danced professionally for the Festival Ballet of Rhode Island where she was noted for her principal roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Eaters of Darkness. She was also a member of the Cleveland/San Jose Ballet where she danced soloist roles and received critical acclaim for her portrayal of "Maria" in The Nutcracker. Ms. DeFanti made guest appearances with the Mobile Ballet, the Sea Coast Ballet in New Hampshire, and with the Worcester Youth Ballet. She performed in Charleston, South Carolina's Piccolo Spoleto Festival where she received praise for her portrayal of "Kitri" in the wedding pas de deux of Don Quixote and "Juliet" in the balcony pas de deux of Romeo and Juliet. She also appeared as a principal dancer in two nationally broadcast television commercials.

Ms. DeFanti brings to the Academy a wealth of knowledge about training dancers in the classical style. Ms. DeFanti herself, began her classical dance training at Festival Ballet with her parents, Christine Hennessy and Winthrop Corey, and subsequently studied at the National Ballet School in Toronto and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Following her career as a dancer, Ms. DeFanti returned to Rhode Island and assumed the role of Artistic Director of Festival Ballet. She also assumed ownership of The Dance Center, School of Festival Ballet, taught extensively in the school and served as Adjunct Faculty for Rhode Island College's Dance Department, where she specialized in ballet technique.

In addition to her artistic background, Ms. DeFanti has expertise in educating dancers about psychological aspects of dance and performing. She graduated with honors from Brown University with a degree in Psychology. She also holds both a Master of Arts and Masters of Education in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University's Teachers College, and had the privilege of working as a primary therapist in the department of psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Ms. DeFanti now resides in Bozeman with her husband and two children and is delighted to be a part of the dance community here.

Amy Lynn Stoddart
Amy Lynn Stoddart is currently Co-Artistic Director of Montana Ballet Company, a faculty member of The Academy, and owner of Bridger Pilates. Ms. Stoddart began her performance career with the Lake Erie Ballet in 1990 and throughout her professional career has danced principal roles with the Empire State Ballet, Ballet Caravan, Opera Colorado, Boulder Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Oregon. She has toured both nationally and internationally while performing varied repertory from Romantic and Classical Era Ballets as well as contemporary works by George Balanchine. Ms. Stoddart has also performed contemporary modern works by Bella Lewitzky and was a principal dancer with Rita Honka Dance.

Ms. Stoddart holds a BA in ballet from Mercyhurst College, and an MFA in dance performance and choreography from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is a STOTT Pilates Certified Instructor, bringing a wealth of knowledge about the human body and injury prevention to The Academy. She has trained at professional organizations such as Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Conservatory, and was a full-scholarship student at Tulsa Ballet Theatre and the David Howard Dance Center in New York City.

Ms. Stoddart has actively choreographed for universities, professional organizations, and ballet companies throughout the United States. Her 2003 commissioned work Night Divides The Day was created for the Illinois Ballet and resulted in a feature article in the Chicago Tribune. She has also created original works for Empire State Ballet, Youth Ballet Colorado, Eugene Youth Ballet, Boulder Ballet, University of Colorado, Boulder, University of Oregon, The UO-Repertory Dance Company, and most recently the Montana Ballet Company.

Ms. Stoddart served as a professor of dance specializing in ballet technique and dance history at the University of Oregon from 1998 – 2008. She also served as the School Director of Youth Ballet Colorado. Additionally, Amy has presented and published her scholarly research through the Society of Dance History Scholars, the National Dance Education Organization, the Congress On Research in Dance, and Dancing in the Millennium organizations.

Ms. Stoddart is happy to be back in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and two children and to be co-directing the Montana Ballet Company again this season.

Melinda Delgado
Melinda Delgado is currently a faculty member of The Academy. Since early childhood, Ms. Delgado has had a passion for classical ballet, beginning with the simple joy of dancing and later progressing into the study of technique. As a child, Ms. Delgado studied ballet at the Lake Oswego School of Ballet and at the Portland Ballet School. At the age of 14, she won a scholarship to the San Francisco Ballet School and later joined the Portland Ballet Company where she performed professionally for 12 years. While with the Portland Ballet, she was featured in an array of original classical and contemporary works.

During this time Ms. Delgado also earned her BA in Art and Dance from Portland State University and taught ballet at the Portland Ballet School and Portland State University. She was Director of Ballet at the Portland Gymnastic Center and also taught adult classes for the Portland Park Bureau. Costumes, prop design and production have also been an important part of her dance career.

Since moving to Bozeman with her family, Ms. Delgado has taught at Montana Ballet School, Main Street Dance Theatre, Montana State University and The Dance Center. She has also worked with Montana Ballet Company as both a teacher and choreographer for its annual Nutcracker and other productions.

Ms. Delgado loves teaching the foundation of classical ballet technique. It is her belief and experience that anyone can learn to dance, and love the experience, when they understand the construction and execution of each move—from the very first plié to the fullness of dancing on pointe. Being accomplished and doing well at anything takes an understanding and knowledge of the details. Through knowledge one gains freedom – in dance, that freedom is the ability to “fly”.

Kirsten Smith
Kirsten Smith is currently a faculty member of The Academy, a board member of Montana Ballet Company, the director of Montana Business and a management consultant for Public Knowledge.

Ms. Smith danced professionally for the New England Ballet and the Long Island Ballet, where she danced soloist roles, including the Dew Drop Fairy and Snow Queen in the Nutcracker. She also performed as the Sugar Plum Fairy with Ballet South and danced soloist roles for independent choreographers in Denver. 

Ms. Smith received classical ballet training with Stamford City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet School, where she performed a principal role at the Joffrey School summer gala.  She taught ballet at Broadway Dance Center in New York City and the Colorado Ballet in Denver, Colorado.

Ms. Smith received her BA in political science from the University of Georgia and her Master of Public Affairs and Master of Arts in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. 

She is looking forward to joining Montana Ballet Company for its 28th Annual Season.

Krista Gazy
Krista Gazy is currently a Faculty member at The Academy. Ms. Gazy is a highly experienced dancer and teacher, having performed and trained for several years with Sidewalk Productions of Lakeside, Montana.  She has also served as adjunct faculty for dance in physical education at public schools in multiple US States and provinces of Canada.  Ms. Gazy is an accomplished instructor and coach in Ballet, Creative Movement, Modern, African and Lyrical Dance, Theatre Performance, and Choreography. She has taught students in pre-ballet, primary ballet and contemporary movement technique in over 23 dance programs across the United States and internationally in countries such as Italy and Croatia as well as Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. She is excited to join the Montana Ballet Company faculty.

Special Guest Faculty

Winthrop Corey
Artistic Director Mobile Ballet, Former Principal Dancer with the National Ballet of Canada and Royal Winnipeg Ballet

Katie O'Neill
Former MBC Managing Director