Missoula's Ballet Arts Academy
Our Faculty
Michele Antonioli, Artistic Director
Ms. Antonioli is an Associate Professor in the University of Montana School of Theater and Dance, teaching ballet, pointe, kinesiology, and pedagogy. She studied professionally with the Harkness Ballet School and the School of American Ballet before dancing with the Houston Ballet and the Frankfurt Opera Ballet. She has a B.A. in Geology and an M.F.A. in Ballet from Texas Christian University. She has directed the Garden City Ballet’s productions of Cinderella and The Nutcracker.
Instructors
Pam Copley (ballet)
Ms. Copley has been teaching ballet for over 30 years. Her transition from dancer to teacher began with the Hartford Ballet teacher training program, where she completed a year-long study on the pedagogy of teaching ballet. She also has a BA in Education from the University of Montana and served as Artistic Director of Garden City Ballet for 5 years, where she continues to be part of the artistic staff. Many of her former ballet students have successfully found careers as professional dancers.
Lindsay Combs (hip-hop)
Ms. Combs is a junior at the Universityof Montana, and has studied ballet, hip-hop, and jazz throughout herlife. After dancing many years at BAA, she co-taught both advancedand beginning hip-hop in the spring semester of 2008, and also held aweek-long hip-hop camp for students at Sussex School. Ms. Combs isstudying German and Linguistics at UM, and is enjoying learningBreakdance from friends.
Jeanette Comstock (tap)
Ms. Comstock has studied tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary, and modern for ten years. As a member of the Missoula Youth Tap Ensemble she studied under Linda Murphy for three years. She has danced with world renowned artists in Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York, Italy, and China. Ms. Comstock was a member of the Garden City Ballet Company in 2010, performing solo roles in The Nutcracker. This past summer she traveled to New York City to work as an intern for the American Tap Dance Foundation and to dance for Tap City: The New York City Tap Festival. Ms. Comstock is a student at the University of Montana majoring in Pre-Med and Physics.
Jordan Dehline (ballet, modern)
Ms. Dehline graduated from the University of Montana in 2008 with a BFA in Dance Education and Choreography/Performance. While at UM, Ms. Dehline received the Theatre/Dance Talent Scholarship, the 2008 Outstanding Senior in Dance Award, and an Undergraduate Research Award. She performed as a company member with Headwaters Dance Company, the CoMotion Dance Project, and Plateau Ballet Repertory Theatre of Washington. Ms. Dehline currently teaches in Missoula County Public Schools as part of the Montana Model Dance Education Program (MoDE), and is adjunct faculty at UM.
Katherine Matthews (hip-hop)
Ms. Matthews is a junior at Hellgate High School and is currently studying ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, and hip-hop at Ballet Arts Academy and Downtown Dance Collective. She trained with Summer Dance Lab for two summers, North Carolina School of the Arts, and was accepted into Boston Ballet. She was awarded a full scholarship to Kansas City Ballet through MDAA. Ms. Matthews has been a teacher’s assistant for Michele Antonioli and Colleeen Rosbarsky throughout her high school career and assisted Pam Copley in the production of the Nutcracker.
Linda Murphy (tap)
Ms. Murphy received a BFA in Dance from Southern Methodist University, and has been teaching dance in Missoula for the past 15 years. She has studied tap dance with master teachers such as Diane Walker, Josh Hilberman, Derick Grant, and Brenda Bufalino, and regularly attends Tap City (New York City tap festival). Ms. Murphy was awarded the teacher fellowship from Montana Dance Arts Association in 2004 and 2008, and she also teaches tap at the University of Montana.
Colleen Rosbarsky (ballet, jazz)
Ms. Rosbarsky has been teaching ballet and jazz locally for the past 14 years. She received a BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah, which she attended on a full tuition scholarship. She has additionally trained at Ballet West Conservatory and on MDAA scholarships at Stage 7 San Diego and Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago. She performed as a company member with Utah Ballet, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Garden City Ballet and Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre. In 2001 Ms. Rosbarsky was awarded the MDAA teaching fellowship.
Jessica Shontz (ballet)
Ms. Shontz has a BFA in Dance with an emphasis in Studio Teaching from the University of Montana. She trained in ballet, modern, jazz and tap at Allegro School of Dance and Creative Arts Center in Helena. She has been teaching for BAA since 2007.