After a year in Paris, though she was graded first in her class, she returned to New York to train privately and continued to study at Nightingale-Bamford.

[1] [2] As a National Training Scholar at American Ballet Theatre she danced in Kevin McKenzie's Sleeping Beauty.

She danced with dancers from The Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet, including Leanne Benjamin, Edward Watson, Wendy Whelan, Maria Kowroski and Tiler Peck, and continued her schoolwork.

[1][2][3] Stix-Brunell met Monica Mason, then-artistic director of The Royal Ballet, when Morphoses toured in London.

[4] She made her principal debut while still an Artist, dancing the title role in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, replacing an injured Marianela Nuñez.