“Only one who knows English in its Elizabethan fullness, who can ride with gusto the Elizabethan winds of rhetoric, lyric, and vituperation, who puts no bounds to the theater’s mirroring of nature and release of imagination, can bring to Shakespeare’s plays their merited acceptance with open arms and heart,” the American historian Will Durant wrote, … Read more
The historical significance of Ballet West’s 62nd season opener, Romeo & Juliet, for the company cannot be overstated. As early as the late 18th century in Italy, ballet versions of Shakespeare’s famous play were being staged and in the first decades of the 1800s, versions cropped up in Denmark and Russia. But it was Sergei … Read more
Choreographic works encompassing a tongue-in-cheek reflection upon the sacred and profane cultural dimensions of the many representations of Maria in Latin America, an inspired commentary on sancocho through the story of a 17th-century Afro-Hispanic painter who was an enslaved artisan to a Spanish master artist and a balletic celebration of Cuban music and dance styles … Read more
Marking its tenth anniversary season, UtahPresents, a major performing arts presenter at the University of Utah, has a blockbuster slate for the 2025-2026 season. This includes a phenomenal four-concert jazz series, a trio of internationally acclaimed dance companies on tour, several intriguing theatrical productions touching on contemporary social issues, programs featuring some of Utah’s best-known … Read more
Ballet West’s inaugural Works from Within program proved to be an excellent showcase for highlighting the choreographic strengths of five of the company’s dancers. While the program featured worthy pieces by two dancers who already have carved out solid niches as choreographers, the three newcomers delighted the audience with choreography that produced some of the … Read more
When Adam Sklute joined Ballet West as artistic director in 2007, it had been nine years since the company had last produced any new work. But, that would change dramatically. For example, between 2011 and 2016, Ballet West presented 16 Utah premieres of works by past and present choreographers. By 2016, the company’s Innovations program … Read more
Stories such as Aladdin are timeless and great for all ages but the best opportunities to judge how interpretations of these classic tales in the performing arts resonate with young audiences is to ask them to take the reviewer’s seat. Recently, The Utah Review, with the assistance of Christal Jackson, an English teacher and ELL … Read more
If there was an overarching theme to the astonishing triple bill in Ballet West’s production that culminated in the riveting performance of The Rite of Spring, it would be contemplation, continuity and connection for humans living in a largely symbolic world. The opening night performance of works by three choreographers featuring the music of Stravinsky … Read more
The facts about the revolutionary character of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring are well known. Capitalizing upon the triumphs of The Firebird (1910) and Petrushka (1911), Sergei Diaghilev commissioned The Rite for The Ballets Russes. A dream team had been assembled for its premiere and rehearsals had proceeded without incident: Vaslav Nijinsky developed the … Read more
For this weekend’s Ballet West revival of Aladdin as part of the company’s Family Classics Series, audiences will have an excellent opportunity to see some of the rising stars of ballet’s newest generation. For example, in 2018, when Aladdin was last presented, it featured many current Ballet West artists in early roles, including Principal Artist … Read more