Dance
Ballet West’s “Nutcracker” works its holiday magic once again – Dec 07, 2025
Jenna Rae Herrera as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Jordan Veit as the Cavalier in Ballet West’s The Nutcracker. Photo: Ross Richey/BW
Ballet West kicked off the holiday season with (surprise!) The Nutcracker Friday night at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. This annual classic with historic choreography, accomplished dancers, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score continues to delight families throughout Utah.
This holiday tradition, originally choreographed in 1944 by Willam Christensen, was first performed in Utah in 1955. Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s novella The … Read More
Ballet West shows what love’s got to do with it in high-contrast “Midsummer” double-bill – Nov 09, 2025
Jonas Malinka-Thompson as Bottom in a scene from Frederick Ashton’s The Dream, presented by Ballet West Friday night. Photo: Ross Richey
Love—its presence, absence, and manipulation through wedding preparations, courtship, and devotion—dominated Ballet West’s double-bill Friday night at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre.
The program opened with Bronislava Nijinska’s Les Noces (The Wedding). Originally created in 1923 for the Ballets Russes with music by Igor Stravinsky, Ballet West first staged this work two years ago. Rather than a warm, joyful celebration, this piece … Read More
A rich and exuberant “Romeo and Juliet” opens the season for Ballet West – Oct 25, 2025
Hadriel Diniz and Amy Potter star in Ballet West’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo: Ross Richey
Ballet West opened their 2025-26 season at the Capitol Theatre Friday night with Romeo and Juliet, a retelling of William Shakespeare’s tragic romance of star-crossed lovers from feuding families, choreographed by Michael Smuin with Serge Prokofiev’s iconic score.
Rather than foreshadowing the eventual misfortune, Smuin’s take on Romeo and Juliet explores the spark and attraction of infatuation and the comedy and friendship of the characters before leading … Read More
BW dancers show impressive choreographic chops in “Works from Within” – May 15, 2025
Lilian Casscells and Adrian Fry in Ballet West’s Lingering Echoes. Photo: Ross Richey
Ballet West is finishing its season with “Works From Within,” which opened Wednesday night at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
This program, which alternates yearly with the company’s “Choreographic Festival, has long been an incubator for new works by Ballet West dancers and an important part of the season since Adam Sklute was hired as artistic director in 2007. This year’s program includes premieres by returning choreographers Emily … Read More
Ballet West delivers a varied and exquisite Stravinsky feast – Apr 05, 2025
Ballet West performed Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring Friday night. Photo: Beau Pearson
Ballet West continues its season with “The Rite of Spring,” Friday night at the Lawson Capitol Theatre. This triple-bill program explores the music of Igor Stravinsky while also examining the commonalities and differences of works created over the span of a century.
The program opened with the Utah premiere of Jiří Kylián’s Symphony of Psalms. Kylián’s choreography is kinetic, requiring … Read More
Ballet West II takes the spotlight for a light-hearted family “Aladdin” – Mar 29, 2025
Ballet West II presents two more Aladdin performances on Saturday. Photo: BW
Ballet West II and the Ballet West Academy have their moment to shine in the company’s Family Series production of Aladdin.
Ballet West II is the small pre-professional corps that often performs smaller roles in mainstage Ballet West productions like The Nutcracker, but they get to perform the leads in Aladdin. Ballet West Academy is the school for training future ballet dancers of all ages and levels.
Choreographed by Pamela … Read More
Ballet West serves up humor and visual splendor with a fresh “Cinderella” – Feb 08, 2025
Amy Potter and Hadriel Diniz in Ballet West’s Cinderella. Photo: Beau Pearson
Ballet West’s Cinderella is a timely work for February, both brightening up the winter gloom, and adding a touch of romance for Valentine’s Day.
Cinderella is the story of a mistreated young woman who, through help from a fairy godmother, goes in secret to a royal ball, falls in love with a prince, and lives happily ever after. Many versions of Cinderella focus on the romance, but Sir Frederick … Read More
Ballet West’s beloved “Nutcracker” remains spirited and delightful at 80 – Dec 07, 2024
Katlyn Addison and Adrian Fry in Ballet West’s The Nutcracker. Photo: Beau Pearson
Ballet West’s Nutcracker marks the beginning of the holiday season for many Utahns, and this year the company is celebrating the 80th anniversary of Willam Christensen’s historic production. Christensen’s The Nutcracker premiered in 1944 with San Francisco Ballet and was the first full-length production in America. Christensen brought his version to Ballet West in 1955, where it has been performed ever since.
The story of The Nutcracker opens … Read More
Ballet West exults with color and joy in “Pictures at an Exhibition” – Nov 09, 2024
Emily Adams and Victoria Vassos (above) in George Balanchine’s Serenade at Ballet West. Photo: Beau Pearson
Ballet West opened its season two weeks ago with a dark Jekyll and Hyde. The company’s second program of the season, Pictures at an Exhibition is its polar opposite, with three ballets that, in their own way, explore movement and feelings of playfulness and joy.
The program opened with George Balanchine’s Serenade, a work that has been popular at Ballet West for decades. On opening night, … Read More
Ballet West mixes it up madly with “Jekyll and Hyde” – Oct 27, 2024
Katlyn Addison and David Huffmire in Ballet West’s Jekyll and Hyde. Photo: Beau Pearson
Ballet West opened its 2024-25 season with Jekyll and Hyde, a retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic novella, choreographed by Val Caniparoli. This production is an exploration of opposites, not just in the dichotomy of the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but also presented through the details of the sets, costumes, music.
Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is an allegory for man’s … Read More
