Reaching the Younger Generation: Dance Advance
Most kids grow up dreaming about the usual career paths: doctor, teacher, athlete, engineer. Becoming a ballet dancer isn’t usually on those lists, simply because it’s not always a visible option.
Ballet West Principal Artist David Huffmire knows exactly what that feels like. At 14, he envisioned dancing in movies or commercials, but it seemed very undefined as a career, until he attended a Ballet West Summer Intensive program and former Ballet West Artist Joshua Whitehead explained what a ballet career actually looked like.
“I remember calling my parents that evening and saying, ’This is an actual job that I could do,’” said Huffmire. “All of a sudden, I realized there are hundreds of people that just dance for a living. I was so excited once I knew that.”
From Trainee to Principal Artist
That conversation changed the course of his life. Huffmire went on to become a Ballet West Academy Trainee in 2014, joined the company in 2018, and was promoted to Principal Artist in 2024.
Dance Advance, Ballet West’s newest initiative, aims to give students that same moment of discovery. Director of Education and Community Outreach Peter Christie has worked toward this vision for nearly a decade, and the momentum is growing with three schools involved last year and 10 this year.
Changing the Landscape on Stage
The program goes directly into elementary schools with workshops for students in kindergarten through second grade exploring basic movements like jumping, flexibility, and footwork, while instructors look for the physical aptitude, musicality, and students that show genuine interest in the art form. Selected students are then offered scholarships to progress through ballet training and, hopefully, a career.
“If we want to change the landscape of what we see on stage, we have to teach students from all communities so that ballet is accessible for all,” said Christie. “We want to give students from different backgrounds an opportunity to experience dance training and the possibility of a dance career.”
A Chance of Discovery
While Huffmire’s path predates Dance Advance, it was made possible by the same principle at the program’s core: a Ballet West Academy scholarship.
“Receiving a scholarship was a branch of support for my family,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for that, I wouldn’t have had training and I wouldn’t have ended up where I am today as a Principal Dancer.”
As Ballet West Dance Advance Coordinator Joshua Trader says of his time teaching the students, “I have seen hundreds of wonderful children this year that are fueled by talent, energy, and imagination. And they all are here right in our own backyard just waiting for a chance to discover a new side of themselves.”
Dance Advance reached 600 students across 13 Utah schools, resulting in 100 scholarship invitations and 16 full awards.
If you would like to help, contribute HERE.