As I’m sure you’ve read in the Salt Lake Tribune, our Gala on November 1st was a smashing success!  Not only was the audience twice as big as last year but about 18 Joffrey board members flew in from Chicago. Adam Sklute told the Artists of Ballet West on stage, ” Our Chicago friends came here last year to support me, this year to support Ballet West!”  Our thanks to the Utah public for supporting us in such big numbers and congratulations to all at Ballet West!

Capitol Theatre Marquise      Ashlee Christofferson, Jami Michael Vieneau, Tamara Lindsey

New York City Ballet Stars Bart Cook and Maria Calegari, Newlyweds Carol Wood (in a Keith Bryce original) and Darrell Hensleigh

Ballet West Academy in Peter Christie’s DEFILE

Christiana Bennett & Hua Zhuang with Members of Ballet West  in Balanchine’s CHACONNE

Ballet West 2 – Lindsay Duerfeldt & Alexander MacFarlan in Heather College Gray’s DISSOLUTION

Christopher Ruud & Romi Beppu and Members of Ballet West in Twyla Tharp’s BRIEF FLING

Guest Artist Sara Webb with Beau Pearson in Ben Stevenson’s THREE PRELUDES

The Gala program closed with DANSE GENERAL from Michael Smuin’s THE TEMPEST

THE TEMPEST will have it’s Ballet West Premiere in 2 days.  Don’t miss it!

This Gala was dedicated to Gerald Arpino, Cofounder of The Joffrey Ballet.  Mr. Arpino passed away last week after a very long and productive life.  He was Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute’s mentor and Mr. Sklute chose a solo from Mr. Arpino’s KETTENTANZ to be danced by Ballet West’s Prima Ballerina Christiana Bennett for “Mr. A”.

I’ve got to get to work so after performance party pictures will have to wait for another blog entry.

-Mark