Director / Faculty

Kelly Sneddon Walker

School Director

Kelly Sneddon Walker, originally from Baltimore, MD, began her dance education under the direction of her mother, Susan Joines, before attending North Carolina School of the Arts. Kelly continued her dance education as a trainee at The Joffrey Ballet School in NYC where she performed as a member of the Joffrey Ballet Touring Company.  

Notable accolades include being named a Maryland Distinguished Scholar for Dance and a ballet finalist for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts.  

In 2012, Kelly joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet, later becoming a soloist in Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles LOVE show in Las Vegas. Recognized as a Capezio athlete in 2015, her artistry has graced the pages of prestigious publications like The New York Times, Dance Informa Magazine, and Dance Magazine. Kelly returned to Complexions in 2017. She shares her expertise as an adjudicator for national dance competitions and as a teacher across the United States. 

Beyond dance, Kelly is a certified Integrative Health Coach, holding a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Maryland.  

Melanie Doskocil

Faculty

Melanie directs The School of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet in Aspen and teaches the advanced divisions from Level 1A through Level 5. She brings over 20 years of professional dance and teaching experience to the students of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Ms. Doskocil danced professionally with ballet companies such as the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, the Oakland Ballet Company, Ballet Arizona and Nevada Ballet Theatre. She continued her career transitioning into contemporary and modern dance with Odyssey, in Utah, A. Ludwig Dance Theatre in Arizona and the internationally acclaimed Mia Micheal’s R.A.W. Ms. Doskocil began teaching in 1995, for the City Ballet of San Diego, under the direction of Steven and Elizabeth Wistrich. She continued her professional dance career while teaching at the nationally recognized Center Stage Performing Arts Studios in Utah, where she created a pre-professional ballet program that she directed. Melanie is thrilled to now call Aspen her home and cherishes every moment she spends teaching.

Laurel Dye

Faculty

Born in the Roaring Fork Valley, Laurel grew up studying dance with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Now, as a faculty member, she shares her passion for dance with her students. An avid lover of dance and musical theater, Laurel has choreographed and performed in over 30 productions.

Candace Sipsey

Faculty

Candace is originally from Barre, Vermont where she began dancing at age 3. She earned her B.A. in dance from Dean College in 2007. Candace moved to Aspen in 2008 where she lives with her husband and young daughter. She finds great joy in continuing her own dance education and is thrilled to work with students to develop strong dance technique. Outside of dancing Candace enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.