Stephen Hardy grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where his first exposure to ballet was at the age of 12 when he saw Coppelia at PNB. Though his opportunity to see more ballet was limited, he never forgot the experience, and as an adult, ballet became and has remained his first artistic love.
His career of twenty-plus years as a fashion designer provided him with the opportunity to live and work in San Franciso and New York City and to travel throughout Asia. In New York City, where he met his husband, Addison, Stephen took advantage of the arts and culture available with relish. They were season subscribers to NYC Opera, NYC Ballet, The Joyce, Manhattan Theatre Club, and New York Theatre Workshop, among other arts organizations. In 2008, he left the Fashion industry to be a stay-at-home dad to his and his husband’s two adopted sons, raising them in rural Connecticut. In 2015, a job offer brought the family to Phoenix. Delving into the arts scene, they quickly became subscribers and donors to Phoenix Theatre, Arizona Opera, Stray Cat Theatre, Black Theatre Troupe, and, of course, Ballet Arizona, among others.
Stephen is currently developing his career as a novelist and has published several books of fiction.
