Ballet West

Ballet West
Name	Ballet West
Founded	1963
Founder	Willam Christensen, Glenn Christensen
Artistic director	Adam Sklute
Headquarters	Salt Lake City, Utah
Venue	Maddox Theatre at the Capitol Theatre, Edwin W. and Carroll J. Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts

Ballet West Ballet West is a professional ballet company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 1963, the company has presented a wide range of classical and contemporary works and maintains a premier training institution and touring schedule. Ballet West performs regularly at the Maddox Theatre at the Capitol Theatre and collaborates with regional and international arts organizations.

History

Ballet West was established in 1963 by Willam Christensen and Glenn Christensen as a successor to companies associated with the San Francisco Ballet and the University of Utah. Early seasons featured repertory drawn from the traditions of Marius Petipa, Sergei Diaghilev, Anna Pavlova, and touring models like the Ballets Russes. Over time Ballet West engaged choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, John Neumeier, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Kenneth MacMillan, expanding its repertoire alongside peers including the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and Boston Ballet. Under directors like Bruce Marks, Jonella Weeniks, and current artistic director Adam Sklute, the company weathered financial challenges similar to those faced by Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and other arts institutions, while participating in initiatives with funders like the National Endowment for the Arts and local bodies in Salt Lake County.

Repertoire and Productions

The company’s repertory balances full-length classics—such as productions of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet—with contemporary pieces by choreographers including William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, Alonzo King, and Alexei Ratmansky. Ballet West has premiered new works commissioned from creators like Ben Stevenson, Douglas Wright, and Mark Morris, and staged narrative ballets with designs referencing collaborators from the worlds of Mikhail Fokine, Leon Bakst, and contemporary designers connected to institutions like the Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Opera House. Seasonal productions regularly feature guest artists from companies such as Paris Opera Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, and The Royal Ballet.

Company Structure and Leadership

The company operates with an administrative board modeled after governance practices seen at organizations like Juilliard, Carnegie Hall, and the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. Artistic leadership has included directors with pedigrees at New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and European companies; current leader Adam Sklute previously danced with American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, and trained at the School of American Ballet. Ballet masters, répétiteurs, and rehearsal directors have hailed from lineages tied to Balanchine and Vaganova methods, collaborating with guest instructors associated with Bolshoi Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, and conservatories such as the Royal Ballet School.

Training and Ballet West Academy

Ballet West Academy provides instruction across levels and links pedagogies from institutions like the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, the School of American Ballet, and the Royal Ballet School. Programs include pre-professional tracks, summer intensives attracting trainees from the San Francisco Conservatory, Juilliard, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and partnerships with higher-education institutions such as the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. Faculty and guest teachers have come from the ranks of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gelsey Kirkland, Martins Muntulis, and other figures associated with major companies. Alumni placement often leads to contracts with companies like Sacramento Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, and English National Ballet.

Tours and Outreach

Ballet West maintains touring schedules across the United States and internationally, appearing in venues tied to organizations like the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, and festivals including the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and the Spoleto Festival USA. Outreach initiatives collaborate with community partners such as the Salt Lake County Arts Council, local school districts, and cultural institutions like the Utah Museum of Fine Arts to present educational matinees, workshops, and residencies. Touring has included cultural exchange projects with ensembles from China, Japan, Canada, and European companies connected to the European Cultural Foundation.

Notable Dancers and Alumni

Artists who have danced with the company include soloists and principals who later joined companies such as New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Royal Ballet, and Dutch National Ballet. Prominent names associated with Ballet West’s stages or alumni lists encompass performers and choreographers who trained at School of American Ballet, Vaganova Academy, and the Royal Ballet School, and who have received awards like the Princess Grace Award, the Benois de la Danse, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Category:Ballet companies in the United States Category:Performing groups established in 1963