Faculty and Staff

David Keary began his ballet training with the Jackson Ballet under the direction of Albia Kavan Cooper, and later the first professional dancer under the direction of Thalia Mara. He completed his training at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. Mr. Keary was invited by George Balanchine to join the New York City Ballet where he performed the extensive repertoire of the NYCB and performances on the PBS series Dance in America.

While a student at the School of American Ballet, he performed as a guest artist to honor Princess Grace of Monaco. Before joining NYCB, he performed with Natalia Makarova’s Company Makarova and Company at the Uris Theatre in New York. He also appeared in the film, Reflections of a Dancer: Alexandra Danilova.

Mr. Keary later joined the Fort Worth Ballet as principal dancer, where he performed ballets by George Balanchine including Allegro Brilliante, Concerto Barocco, Rubies (Emeralds), Scotch Symphony, Square Dance, Who Cares, and works by choreographers such as Lew Christiansen, Lambros Lambrou and many works of Michel Rahn.

Upon returning to Mississippi, he completed his undergraduate studies at Millsaps College and later received a Juris Doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law. He was the first legal intern at the Court and later served as a law clerk to Justice James W. Smith at the Mississippi Supreme Court. In 1994, Mr. Keary transitioned and restructured Ballet Mississippi from a professional company into a professional school. He was appointed Artistic Director of Ballet Mississippi. He choreographed the full-length production of The Nutcracker which has become a treasured holiday event for Mississippi. Ballet Mississippi presents an annual Spring Gala, which highlights the emerging talent in the school while presenting classical, neoclassical and emerging choreographic works. Guest artists from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet and many other companies have performed with Ballet Mississippi. Ballets performed include Le Jardin Animee from the ballet Le Corsaire, Act II from Giselle and Swan Lake, Act III Sleeping Beauty.

Mr. Keary has worked extensively with the USA International Ballet Competition since 1990, teaching competitor’s classes, assistant to the stage manager and served on the faculty of the USA International Ballet Competition (International Dance School) since the 2006 competition. In 2018 he became the Director of the USA IBC International Dance School. When time permits, Mr. Keary teaches throughout the United States for many ballet schools and dance festivals throughout the United States. He also works as a consultant for many ballet schools, performing artists and other arts organizations.

Aside from his work at Ballet Mississippi, he is a solo jazz and accoustic guitarist, having co-founded the Gypsy Jazz Band Swing de Paris with Tim Avalon, Jackson’s version of a Hot Club of France gypsy jazz music of Django Reinhardt. He has studied with some of the best musicians in the acoustic and jazz musicians including Tommy Emmanuel, Woody Mann, and currently with Brooks Robertson and Frank Vignola. He has performed with the Raphael Semmes Trio at Table 100, was a solo guitarist for the Sunday lunch/brunch at Anjou Restaurant and thoroughly enjoys working and studying with Barry Leach, one of Jackson’s finest guitarist.

In 2018, Mr. Keary was awarded the 2018 Mississippi Arts Commission Governor’s Arts Award for Leadership in the Performing Arts.