Lisl Vaillant-McDonald received her ballet training at George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet in New York City. Upon graduation she apprenticed for a year with Washington Ballet under the direction of Mary Day. The following year Lisl joined Pennsylvania Ballet where she danced for eight years under the direction of Ricky Weiss. During her tenure with Pennsylvania Ballet Lisl took a year of absence to dance with Pacific Northwest Ballet under the direction of Kent Stowell and Francia Russel. She performed in their film production of Maurice Sendak’s “The Nutcracker” as a snowflake. After returning to Pennsylvania Ballet and rising to the position of soloist, Lisl moved back to New York, and as a freelance artist toured for two years as a soloist with Robert LaFosse and “Stars of the American Ballet,” and Heather Watts with “Stars of the New York City Ballet.” Lisl completed her dance career by joining the national tour of “The Phantom of the Opera” with whom she toured for eight years as a member of the ballet chorus and understudy to the principal role of ‘Meg Giry.’
Lisl’s teaching credits include faculty member at Ballet Austin, The Rock School of Ballet, guest teacher and outreach program recruiter for Eliot Feld New School of Ballet, guest teacher at: Steps on Broadway, Raleigh School of Ballet, Rutgers University, Westside School of Ballet and Longmont Ballet of Colorado.