Ballet West continues to surprise and delight its audiences this year with a triple-bill performance celebrating diversity in dance—paying tribute to tango, square dancing and the techno dance club scene. “I choose to put these three works together because in subtle and unique ways they are all explorations into the melding of classical ballet and … Read more
Before Taylor Swift wore the Swan Lake costumes in her Shake It Off video, Tchaikovsky composed the heart-wrenching score for Swan Lake 138 years ago and Ballet West’s founder Willam Christensen created the first full-length American production in 1940. Swan Lake is the ultimate classical ballet. Filled with more than 50 dancers including ballerinas in … Read more
Often billed as ballet’s original ghost story, Giselle is the haunting love story of a young peasant girl and a noble who deceives her. The performance kicks off the 2014-15 Ballet West season and runs through November 16, 2014. Newly conceived by Ballet West’s Artistic Director Adam Sklute, this classic and well-loved drama includes more … Read more
Salt Lake City’s professional dance scene is extensive and nationally respected, a significant accomplishment in a city of this size. In additional to Christopher Ruud’s works premiere commission which will be performed by members of Ballet West, four dance companies are performing at this year’s Utah Arts Festival. Ririe Woodbury, June 27, 6 p.m., Festival … Read more
Japanese taiko drums, a collection of frying pans, mixing bowls and blenders, and a small Scottish island called Jura might appear to be a curious, even odd list. However these have become inspirational elements for this year’s world premiere commissions in chamber music, jazz, and dance at the Utah Arts Festival. The trio of artists … Read more
“We act as a conduit for the observers’ unexpressed desires, the silent appreciation they may contain for anything; a lover, a river, a building even.” ― Author Guy Mankowski on the ballet dancer Ballet West’s spring 2014 program includes three pieces: Jirí Kylián’s “Forgotten Land,” set to Benjamin Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem; George Balanchine’s “Divertimento … Read more
Ballet West is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year with a favorite classic during the month of February—The Sleeping Beauty. Ballet West typically stages a romantic-leaning performance in it’s first ballet of the calendar year and the timeless tale of The Sleeping Beauty is always a hit with audiences young and old. The ballet is … Read more