Dress rehearasal of THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS - Lindsay Duerfeldt, Aidan DeYoung and Sayaka Ohtaki
Former New York City Ballet dancer Sandra Jennings has been here to put George Balanchine’s THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS on the stage. She has also been teaching company class!
Sandra Jennings correcting company artist Alex MacFarlan
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Richmond Ballet’s Artistic Associate and Ballet Master Malcolm Burn is with us to put John Butler’s Carmina Burana on the stage.
Malcolm Burn is a native New Zealander and in his 24th year on the artistic staff of Richmond Ballet. During his 25-year career, he danced leading roles in the standard classic repertory as well as numerous creations of contemporary ballet. Prior to his coming to Richmond Ballet as a principal dancer, Mr. Burn was co-director of Ballet Arizona. He has performed with the London Festival Ballet, and was a principal dancer with The Royal New Zealand Ballet, The National Ballet of Zimbabwe, Ballet West, and P.A.C.T. Ballet in South Africa, where he won the Ivan Soloman Award for Best Male Dancer in 1973, 1976, and 1980. Mr. Burn’s choreographic achievements include A Christmas Carol, The Traveling Players, Walpurgis Night, Classical Symphony, Pas Glazunov, Romeo and Juliet, Complete Trust, Cinderella, and most recently, The Sleeping Beauty and A Tribute.
Thomas Mattingly, Katherine Lawrence, Malcolm Burn, Annie Breneman, Michael Bearden in Carmina rehearsal
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The Jessie Eccles Quinney Center for Dance
Ballet West and The Salt Lake County Center for the Arts today announced a public private partnership to renovate the Capitol Theatre and build the Jessie Eccles Quinney Center for Dance – home to Ballet West and the Ballet West Academy. This addition to the Capitol Theatre will be built on the lot just west of the existing facility, located at 50 West 200 South in downtown Salt Lake City.
“We’re excited about this project,” said Ballet West Executive Director Johann Jacobs. “In addition to it being a boon to Ballet West, we believe it will become an important anchor in the Salt Lake Cultural Core, attracting new businesses and audience members, and increasing the level of economic development in the area.”
Renovations to the Capitol Theatre include improved sightlines and an updated, energy efficient heating and cooling system. Features of the construction project include an expanded lobby, increased restroom facilities, and improved concessions and merchandise sales areas. There will also be a beautiful new banquet and meeting space, suitable for local arts groups to hold fundraisers, board meetings, dinners, and other development activities.
Ballet West’s Jessie Eccles Quinney Center for Dance will include an increase in the number of rehearsal studios, Academy office space, and technical support areas. The new space will allow the Ballet West Academy to increase their existing programs and enrollment by four-fold and improve the quality of educational programs for pre-professional dancers. The program expansion will support new outreach opportunities, which will help the Company reach a larger audience. The facility also enables Ballet West to bring its wardrobe and costume shop in-house, improving efficiency.
Construction is set to begin in Spring 2012 and to be completed in Fall 2013, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Capitol Theatre’s and Ballet West’s 50th anniversary.
If you’d like to participate in helping us build our new home, please click here for more information and to make an online contribution.
Pictured, from left to right: Mike Vela, Director, HKS Architects, Inc., Salt Lake City; Phil Jordan, Director, Salt Lake County Center for the Arts; Ralph Becker, Salt Lake City Mayor; Nichole Dunn, Salt Lake County Deputy Mayor; Shari Quinney, Ballet West Capital Campaign Chair; Adam Sklute, Ballet West Artistic Director; David Quinney, S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation Board Member; Johann Jacobs, Ballet West Executive Director
We just got back from a 5 day tour to Las Vegas. There we performed Jiri Kylian’s Sinfonietta for 3 nights. Also on the program were Nevada Ballet Theatre, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. The performances were a great success and on the final night Ballet West received a standing ovation. The four company collaboration was meant as a tribute to Robert Joffrey, since all of the companies performing are directed by former Joffrey dancers. A highlight of the tour was getting to meet the mayor of Las Vegas for a photo shoot at the “Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas” sign. We all had a great time and are looking forward to more touring in the future.
Artistic Directors Adam Sklute - Ballet West, James Canfield - Nevada Ballet Theatre, Glenn Edgerton - Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Tom Mossbrucker - Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Company Artists, Directors and the Mayor of Las Vegas
For Owen Gaj
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The cast of Sinfonietta in Vegas.
photo courtesy of Allison DeBona
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This Wednesday, the cast of Jiri Kylian’s SINFONIETTA will travel to Las Vegas to preview the ballet before it’s Utah premiere this spring. Adam Sklute and Roslyn Anderson will accompany the dancers and Ros will put the ballet on stage.
Ballet West: On the road again | The Salt Lake Tribune
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Balanchine Ballerina Maria Calagari is back to work on Mr. B’s CHACONNE. Wonderful teacher. We’re happy the Balanchine Trust let us have her.
Maria Calagari in Balanchine's "Mozartiana"
Maria Calagari teaching the 'Dance of the Blessed Spirits' from Balanchine's CHACONNE
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