Academy of Ballet/Tucson Regional Ballet Founder

Linda Walker began her dance training at the age of six in California. She studied with many ballet schools throughout California, Robert Joffrey in New York, and San Francisco Ballet on full scholarship.

She founded the Academy of Ballet (formerly Tucson School of Ballet) in 1981, and founded and became the Artistic Director of Tucson Regional Ballet in 1983.

From 1988 through May 2002, Ms. Walker instructed students from St. David, Sierra Vista, Dragoon, Pomerene, Benson, and Wilcox at her Benson site.

Ms. Walker’s dedication to quality ballet led the Tucson Regional Ballet to audition for, and gain membership in, Regional Dance America/Pacific (1994), and her innovative creativity has brought TRB to new heights with the original production of A Southwest Nutcracker. 

TRB also premiered Ms. Walker’s original ballet adaptations of Susan Lowell’s best-selling children’s books, The Three Little Javelinas and The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit. 

Ms. Walker has served on the board of Regional Dance America/Pacific and as a panelist for Tucson Pima Arts Council.

Ms. Walker retired from active teaching in June of 2019. She is the proud mother of four, and grandmother of lots and lots. Ms. Walker may still be found operating her boutique, Arabesque Dancewear, and caring for her three rescue dogs, trapping to spay/neuter and release feral cats, she feeds dinner to every night.

To contact her directly, please call (520) 351-2531 or email lwalker@academyofballetintucson.com.

The Academy of Ballet and TRB continue to operate as a non-profit through oversight by its dedicated Board of Directors.