Kirsten Smith serves as MBC’s Development Director.  Kirsten danced professionally for the New England Ballet and the Long Island Ballet, where she performed 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 soloist roles for independent choreographers in Denver.  Ms. Smith performs regularly with Montana Ballet Company as Clara’s mother in the Nutcracker and was featured last season as Mala in MBC’s The Little Mermaid.

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 has taught ballet at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, the Colorado Ballet in Denver, Colorado, and Montana Ballet Company.

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

Ms. Smith is the principal at Bloom Consulting where she conducts project management, facilitation, strategic planning, policy research, program evaluation, and organizational development at local, state, and federal levels in disability, long term services and supports, early care and education, K-12 education, family stability, TANF, and Medicaid policy.

Ms. Smith has been an active volunteer with the Gallatin County Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem program and Montana Ballet Company for many years.