Deanna McBrearty was born in Ashland, Pennsylvania. She began her ballet training at the age of 11 with the Wilkes-Barre Ballet. She attended summer courses from 1987 to 1990 at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, before enrolling full time in 1991. Ms. McBrearty was invited to become a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet in the spring of 1992.
Since joining the Company, Ms. McBrearty has been seen in a wide variety of corps roles. She has danced a principal role in Peter Martins’ The Waltz Project.
In addition to her dancing for New York City Ballet, Ms. McBrearty danced in the "Polovtsian Dances" for the New York City Opera’s production of Prince Igor, choreographed by NYCB Principal Dancer Damian Woetzel in the fall of 1994. In the spring of 1996, she appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman." Ms. McBrearty is one of eight New York City Ballet dancers featured in the "New York City Ballet Workout" book released in January, 1997. She is also a featured model for Geoffrey Beene and appears on greeting cards by Jeff Melstean, released by Paper House Productions.