Built From a Dream: Soloist Loren Walton
Newly-promoted soloist Loren Walton recognizes that the life he is living now was only a dream a few years ago.
“It was something I often imagined from far away, but it felt distant, almost out of reach. Now, when I look around, I pause and realize that this IS that dream; the long hours in the studio, taking class every morning with live music, and being surrounded by people who love this art as much as I do,” he said.
When Walton first started dancing at age 12, he didn’t plan to become a professional dancer. But he knew one thing for sure: he was in the right place. That same feeling continued when he left Austin, Texas to train at Ballet West Academy at age 17.
“It felt right, even if I couldn’t fully explain why. Finishing high school online and moving across the country alone was a leap into the unknown. Utah wasn’t always easy as a young Black man, but I came to build something, and Ballet West became my home."
Training at the Ballet West Academy shaped him in ways that went far beyond technique, teaching him discipline, awareness, and what it really means to show up in every aspect. Ultimately, Walton says, “That training taught me how to take everything I was given from the guidance to the environment and find my individuality within it all.”
'Wow,' This is Really Happening
Artistic Director Adam Sklute invited Walton to join Ballet West II in 2020 and promoted him to the Main Company in 2022. In 2025, Walton was promoted to Demi-Soloist and now to Soloist for the upcoming 2026-27 season. “There have been so many moments along the way where I’ve stopped and thought, ‘Wow, this is really happening.’ From walking into my first company rehearsal, to learning and performing dream roles, I am now part of something I had dreamed about for years.”
The dream almost slipped from his grasp after he was promoted to the main company in 2022. While preparing for Ballet West’s production of Onegin, he rushed to the hospital where it was discovered he had a small bowel volvulus, which then led to a blood infection, and fighting for his life. He defied the odds and returned to dancing with Ballet West in 2023.
“At that time, I wasn’t worried about if I was going to get a certain role, but if I was going to live,” Walton said. “But those moments made everything clearer. They reminded me how much dancing means to me, and how grateful I am to still be here, doing what I love.”