Board and Staff
Bios
Charlene White, Executive Director
Charlene White has been proudly serving as Executive Director of the Montana Dance Arts Association since 2011 and has been a MDAA member since 1985. She began her dance training at the age of twelve in Rhode Island, but her interest in choreography began before that age. Her first "works" were seen on neighbors' lawns and were performed by the many children who attended a daycare across the street from her parents' home. She gives credit for her pursuance of dance to her parents for supporting her interests and to those children who needed something to do on long summer days.
In high school, she was a member of Project Talent, a school program for talented dancers. She later became a member of the New England Ballet Company, under the direction of Myles Marsden. Her desire to teach led her to the School of the Hartford Ballet's Teacher Training Program in Connecticut where she received her Teacher's Certificate in Dance.
Charlene has been teaching in Helena since 1985 and has been the owner and director of the Creative Arts Center since 1987. The Montana Dance Arts Association, Premiere Dance Company, Keys and Frets Music Studio, Music Makers’ Conservatory, and YogaBeyonda utilize the Center for their classes, rehearsals, and office space. Charlene founded Premiere Dance Company in 1987 sensing there was a need to give young, talented Helena area dancers more opportunities to perform and to experience the workings of a dance company.
Charlene’s talent as a choreographer has delighted Helena audiences over the years both in classical and contemporary dance. Her work has been seen on just about every stage in Helena including works with the Grandstreet Theater, Helena Chamber Singers, Helena Theater Company, Musikanten, and with the Helena high schools’ theater productions.
Barbara Otey, Member at Large
Barbara Otey began ballet training at age nine and was a founding member of the Littleton Ballet Academy and Littleton Youth Ballet in Colorado. After relocating to Montana, she continued her studies at the School of Classical Ballet in Billings and remained active in community and school theatre productions, including Seussical the Musical, The Wizard of Oz, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
In 2008, Barbara attended the 5-week Summer Dance Lab in Walla Walla, WA, and in 2009 received a partial scholarship to the Kansas City Ballet five-week summer intensive. She began her collegiate studies at Colorado State University, and taught at the Colorado Academy of the Arts, before transferring to Alma College in Michigan, where she continued training in ballet and modern dance.
Barbara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Integrative Physiology and Health Sciences from Alma College and has pursued additional higher education in Early Childhood Education. Her teaching experience includes Venture Theatre (Billings), Miss Linda’s School of Dance (Great Falls), the Academy of the Performing Arts (Kalispell), and nearly five years at Northwest Ballet School. A longtime participant in MDAA workshops, Barbara is proud to serve on the board and to continue attending workshops alongside her students.
Ricki Feeley, Member at Large
Ricki Feeley was born in Red Lodge, and raised in Lewistown, where she began her dance training at the age of 4, with the three basic styles of dance: Ballet/Pointe, Jazz, and Tap. As a dance major at the University of Montana, Ricki discovered modern dance, which became her main focus of study. Ricki was trained in a wide range of dance techniques and dance related studies such as Ballet, Modern Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Caribbean, African, Balinese, Pilates, Yoga, Choreography and Performance, Anatomy and Physiology, Dance History, Contact Improvisation, Laban Theory and Notation, Drama, Stage Management, Teaching dance to People with Disabilities, Teaching Dance to Children, Class Preparation, and trained meticulously in Advanced Modern Techniques.
Summer scholarships lead Ricki to perform and study in Seattle and San Francisco. Receiving Awards of Excellence in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, Ricki graduated from the University of Montana in 2005 with a BFA in dance with an emphasis in choreography and performance. She has been teaching dance to children and adults for over twenty-five years. Ricki is the co-founder of children's company Motion Arts Dance Company. She also founded and directed her own professional dance company, Terpsichore, which performed for 9 years in Montana until her departure to North Carolina, where she taught advanced Contemporary Dance classes for 5 years.
Ricki recently moved back to Billings, MT, and is proud to be setting choreography and teaching classes and workshops in this beautiful community. She currently teaches modern and creative movement, in which she incorporates her training from the Children’s Dance Center in Seattle, called Brain-Compatible Dance Education, at the School of Classical Ballet and at Studio 38. She is a current member of ARC: a Montana Dance Collective. Ricki is also currently serving as co-director for children’s dance company Motion Arts Dance Company, which she co-founded. She and her husband are busy raising three beautiful children and a crazy goldendoodle.
Darby Rubino, Member at Large
Darby Rubino started dancing at age 3 in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Hip-Hop, and more recently, Tap. Prior to college, Darby’s dance experiences were vast and fun. She performed at the 2010 Orange Bowl Halftime Show with many other dancers from the country. She danced in countless studio recitals, shows and Nutcrackers and even performed principal roles. She was invited to perform on a cruise ship and had the best time! She has also traveled to New York to take Broadway Dance workshops from a dance captain and swing from Matilda. In 2016, she had the opportunity to dance at Disney in Orlando, FL. Darby has also traveled to Johnson, VT, where she worked as a counselor at Burklyn Ballet Theater and performed in Giselle, Swan Lake, and new works from professional choreographers and Master Teachers such as Helen Starr of the Louisville Ballet, and Arthur Leeth of the Boston Ballet.
In 2019, Darby achieved her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Education from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. Her certifications include Texas Educator Certification, 6-12 as well as Pilates Suspension Method. During her time at Texas State, she had the opportunity to perform in the faculty-run show Opening Door Dance Theater, and a Choreographers’ Showcase of newer choreographers also seeking a degree in Dance. She performed in a traveling troupe called CIMTEYA (Creation in Motion, Touring Ensemble for Young Audiences) that exposed young students to academic, emotional and social concepts through the art of dance. She also was part of a student lead organization, Orchesis, which is an ensemble performing Jazz, Modern and Hip-Hop to diverse audiences. Additionally, Darby had the opportunity to work with kids in the community during a summer program teaching them Creative Movement at the local library. She has also substituted at a dance studio in Leander, TX, with the Elite Jazz Group and Baby Ballet. Darby currently works at Miss Linda’s School of Dance in Great Falls, MT where she is skilled in teaching Ballet, Modern, and Jazz.
Leigh Schanfein, Secretary
Leigh Schanfein is a dancer, choreographer, instructor, former researcher at Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, and former lecturer at Barnard College. Leigh has trained and performs in modern, ballet, and contemporary dance, having performed with companies such as Indelible Dance, CCDC, Yoo and Dancers, and the Park Avenue Armory, in commercial productions including Oddball Comedy Tour, Fashion Week NYC, and for brands including Xerox, Suave, Oreo, and Estee Lauder. She received her M.S. in kinesiology with a specialization in biomechanics, and her B.S. in animal physiology and neuroscience with a minor in dance. Since moving to Billings, MT, she founded an artist residency, dances and choreographs for Arc: a Montana Dance Collective, collaborated with band Gilda House, and presented at the Berlin Music Video Awards 2021, TEDxBillings 2023, and westFEST 2025. In 2022, she co-founded Billings Ballet Company, a non-profit student ballet company she directs with Tiffany Wardell. She is also an instructor and private coach in Billings at School of Classical Ballet.
Diadra Goldes, Treasurer
Diadra Goldes is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher living in Helena, MT. Originally from the Greater Seattle Area with a background in competitive dance, she began teaching and dancing professionally as a teen before completing a BFA in Dance from Western Washington University in 2011. She has since focused her career on dance education, using Brain-Compatible Dance Education as one of her most prominent teaching influences. Diadra is also a Mental Wellness Certified Dance Educator and strives to provide safe, stimulating, high quality instruction for her students.
Since moving to Montana in 2022, Diadra has been moved by the lengths the Montana dance community goes to provide training and opportunities for our young artists. She is honored to work with multiple Helena-based organizations to provide dance education to all ages in the studio and in public schools. Diadra sees immense value in MDAA, where our students, leaders, and educators can connect, inspire, and uplift each other. As part of the MDAA Board of Directors, she strives to help the organization to grow and continue to provide these valuable opportunities to our community.
Jordan Dehline Burt, President
Jordan Dehline Burt is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and author based in Missoula, Montana. She has a BFA in Dance Education and Choreography/Performance from the University of Montana and has taught dance in a variety of environments, including private studios, public schools, and university settings. Jordan teaches dance integrated with the K-5 core curriculum in Missoula County Public Schools and is the co-author of the textbook Dance Integration: 36 Dance Lesson Plans for Science and Mathematics.
Jordan has performed as a company member with Bare Bait Dance, Headwaters Dance Company, and The CoMotion Dance Project. She has attended teacher training programs at American Ballet Theatre and the Paris Opera Ballet, as well as arts integration workshops at the Kennedy Center. In addition to teaching dance, Jordan is a Comprehensively Certified Pilates instructor. Jordan has taught at Missoula’s Ballet Arts Academy since 2009.