About Us: History

Garden City Ballet is Built on Family, Community, Ingenuity, and High Standards

 

Kitty van der Linde, a local dance teacher in Missoula, founded the Garden City Ballet Company (GCB) in 1984. The first Nutcracker was held at the University Theatre for four nights in December of that year; the entire show cost less than $5,000 and featured approximately 60 performers.

 

"Garden City Ballet had (at that time) the wooden shoe dancers—this was my way of holding onto my heritage—I taught them to dance in real wooden shoes…I choreographed the dances, shortened the outfit (they were in the colors of the Dutch flag), had my parents send me the real wooden shoes, and we were off The original GCB Company Productions were the creative outlet for my choreography and direction. It was my baby." - Kitty

 

After Kitty began this labor of love, it was taken over by Jan Snow, during which time GCB became a non-profit corporation.

 

"As a child growing up in Montana there was little in the way of training and performing opportunities in classical ballet at a professional level. As the Artistic Director of Garden City Ballet I had the opportunity to develop a company rich in the classical ballet tradition which enabled our young dancers to both experience the joy of dancing and the ability to compete on a national level." - Jan

 

In 1999 Michele Antonioli, long-time Missoula ballet teacher and faculty member at the University of Montana, took the reins and brought her brand of unique sensitivity to the production.

 

“My most poignant memories have to do with standing backstage during a performance and watching young and mature dancers on stage–doing what they do so beautifully and with such commitment…and at the same time observing the dancers and parents off stage eagerly watching the action from another perspective. This kind of intense creative adventure offers opportunities to weld families, friends and communities together in a common cause that fosters incredible memories for everyone. I love that.” - Michele

 

Michele passed the baton to Artistic Director Pam Copley in 2002, and Pam continued our mission of giving the young ballet dancers of Missoula the opportunity to grow in their craft while nurturing them through the family experience that is The Nutcracker.

 

"I love every second of being at the theatre during that final week of rehearsals. Watching the younger children’s faces glow with excitement and the seasoned dancers count down the weeks until they perform yet another Nutcracker provides memories I will never forget. It is a magical experience for a child to grow up dancing in The Nutcracker each Christmas. What a treasure the Garden City Ballet has been for myself and the people of Missoula." - Pam

 

In 2008 Michael Murphy came on board as the Producing Director. Michael’s background in directing for the theatre and acting was a wonderful addition to the creative team. He restructured the Nutcracker script, as well as worked with set designers to raise the level of production to an all-time high.

 

“I am a huge believer in creating opportunities in the arts for our children, particularly in those areas that involve collaboration and a focus on excellence. The energy generated by inspiring each other is much greater than any of us can muster alone.” - Michael

 

December 2009 marked our 25th anniversary, and The Nutcracker has grown in ambition and stature to have a budget of approximately $90,000 and over 100 performers. The 2010 Nutcracker featured choreography by Pam Copley, Nutcracker guest star and Ballet Arts Academy teacher Colleen Rosbarsky, and former American Ballet Theatre dancer Matthew Murphy, who played Fritz in GCB’s 1992 production.
 
This holiday favorite has touched the lives, young and old, of more members of our community than can be counted — who continue to find the magical blend of Tchaikovsky’s music and ballet irresistible. The show’s evolution and increasing professionalism have been made possible by a continually active volunteer Board of Directors that embraced these changes and initiated a relationship with the University of Montana design faculty.

 

As we look forward to the 2011 production, GCB is pleased to announce the Mike Verdon will take the reins from Michael Murphy. Mike's acting career with GCB goes back 19 years, including his unforgettable role as Herr Drosselmeyer for the past few seasons. His background in theater combined with his intimate knowledge of The Nutcracker makes him an ideal choice for this new leadership role.


Garden City Ballet has come a long way since Kitty first dreamed about producing a Christmas ballet for her students and Missoula audiences. The 25th Anniversary gave us a chance to celebrate with our audiences, and unveil our new set of goals for the next twenty five years. Thank you for joining us on the journey.