Artistic Direction

Deanna Doty founded the Champaign Urbana Ballet in 1998 and has since served as the company's artistic director. Her ambition was to create a self-sustaining ballet company that would bring cultural enrichment to the community through the art of ballet; certainly, that goal has been surpassed as CU Ballet's growth and impact have expanded geographically and artistically since its inception. Ms. Doty has led the transformation of the company from modest beginnings to its position of artistic significance today. In addition to staging and choreographing classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Coppélia and The Sleeping Beauty for Champaign Urbana Ballet, she has created original works like Arensky Variations to demonstrate the company's versatility.

Ms. Doty trained at the Evanston School of Ballet, Ruth Page School of Dance, Ellis-Du Boulay, and with Kirsten Simone of the Royal Danish Ballet. At age sixteen she moved to New Orleans where she completed her training with Harvey Hysell and joined Ballet New Orleans. There she danced corps, soloist, and principal roles. After Ballet New Orleans, Ms. Doty joined the Robert Ivy Ballet in Charleston, S.C. and then the Lexington Ballet in Kentucky, where she also danced corps de ballet and principal roles. Ms. Doty has appeared as a guest artist with Ballet Alaska, Piccolo Spolato Festival, Ballet Mississippi; her credits include other festivals, television appearances, and educational programs.

Ms. Doty is owner and director of Champaign Ballet Academy in Champaign, IL which offers classes at all levels of technique for children, adults and aspiring dancers. Although most of her students train in ballet while pursuing academic excellence at regional schools, her instruction is credited for preparing others for professional careers in ballet, including Devon Teuscher of American Ballet Theater Studio Company.