Ballet West shares a not-to-be missed program during a timely moment of current affairs across the globe with their final main-stage production of “Love and War,” running April 12-20 at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. 

Featured in the program is one of the world’s greatest ballet masterpieces, Kurt Jooss’ 1932 work “The Green Table,” returning to the Ballet West stage with a spellbinding score for two pianos by Frederick Cohen.

In eight profoundly moving scenes, Jooss and Cohen depict the futility of war, its tragedy and the redemptive power of humanity. 

The 1932 antiwar piece was entered into a festival in 1939, where it won first prize, earning an invitation by Adolf Hitler for Jooss to become the national choreographer for Germany, but only if he dismissed his Jewish company members.

Jooss refused and chose to escape Germany, along with his family, company and fellow collaborators. 

“‘The Green Table’ is a masterpiece and in many ways one of the greatest theater works of all time.” said Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute.

“Presented in a series of stark, but emotional tableaux based on medieval wood cuts, it is the epitome of German Expressionism from the early 20th Century. It is about war, but its genius lies in the fact that the ballet never picks sides; it never preaches right or wrong, simply that the ultimate winner in war is always only death. The ballet is a profoundly moving experience for artist and audience alike.”

The program will also feature Ballet West’s revival of fiery and dynamic “Red Angels,” choreographed by Ulysses Dove with music by Richard Einhorn.

The production includes four dancers accompanied by an electric violin and played by the original interpreter, Mary Rowell, one of only two people in the world to perform the score, presenting a nonstop outpouring of energy and passion.

The “Love and War” program will open with the Utah Premiere of William Forsythe’s “Blake Works I.”

Set to the tuneful and moody songs of British singer songwriter James Blake, “Blake Works I” is filled with Forsythe’s unique blend of hyperextended classical vocabulary and distinctive, unexpected directional changes, while always maintaining a classical purity.

Forsythe is recognized as one of the greatest living choreographers in the world, creating this elegant and sensual work on the Paris Opera Ballet in 2016. And to date, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet and now Ballet West are the only American companies given permission to produce the work.

“This is a spectacular full-company work that really extends our dancers abilities,” said Sklute. “Forsythe’s way of moving demands a great deal of athleticism and speed. His work requires dancers to change direction in an instant and extend movement beyond what they are physically used to. This is what makes the work exciting both for the artist and the audience. But ‘Blake Works I’ also surprises us with its unexpected purity of line and approach. It may be one of Forsythe’s most stately works, and its elegance is what, to me, makes it such a good fit for Ballet West’s artists.”

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Ballet West’s first Ballet Mistress, Bené Arnold, passed away at 88 years of age on Jan. 25. 

Recognized as one of Utah’s women pioneers of dance, Arnold influenced the lives of hundreds of dancers through Ballet West’s history and the University of Utah’s dance program. 

Arnold joined the San Francisco Ballet School in 1948 where she rose to the rank of Soloist before joining Ballet West as Willam F. Christensen’s first Ballet Mistress in 1964.

In 1975, she joined the Department of Ballet faculty at the University of Utah, but still remained involved with Ballet West, serving as rehearsal director for young dancers in “The Nutcracker” and directing the Ballet West Academy.

In 1984 Arnold received a citation from the Utah State Senate recognizing her contribution to the state. In 1997 she received the Chamber of Commerce Award and the Governor’s Award for the Arts. She was given the College of Fine Arts Excellence award in 2001 and upon her retirement was name Distinguished Professor Emerita.

Arnold was Christensen’s representative and staged his works for Ballet West and the Cincinnati Ballet.

She choreographed works for the Utah Opera and the Arizona Opera, including “The Merry Widow,” “Aida” and “Carmen.”

In 1985 Arnold re-created the role of Fatme in BW’s historic reconstruction of “Abdallah,” which began her career as a guest artist in various character roles with the company, most notably Carabosse in “Sleeping Beauty” and Gremios Bride in “The Taming of the Shrew.”

“She was instrumental in guiding and shaping the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of dancers through Ballet West’s history and University of Utah Dance Department,” said Ballet West Director of Education and Outreach Peter Christie, who has been with Ballet West for 40 years. “The amount of passion that she brought to sharing and developing dancers and the art form, was uniquely remarkable.”

Retired Dance Educator Sharee Lane reflects on her experience with Arnold.

“She inspired a lifelong learning in me and to many of her students, not because we adhered to any prescribed teaching method, but because we saw what she loved to do with her life,” she said. “She dared courageously to take risks, some that succeeded and some experiments that failed. However, these risks were innovated and made me rethink how to nurture growth in challenging and diverse students.

“Having a deep, deep, unending passion for the art of ballet, Bené made it important to me, and I’m sure to many others, that real study goes on when a student dives in, gets immersed, starts swimming and just keeps going,” Lane continued. “That was my inheritance from knowing Bené for 54 years … as a devoted teacher and family member she undoubtedly sparked my journey as a professional dancer at Ballet West for 10 years and as a dance educator at the University of Utah School of Dance for 28 years.”

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Has it been a dream of yours to participate in Ballet West’s “The Nutcracker?”  While some may still dream, it’s a reality for many others as Ballet West opens children’s auditions to children of all ages, including the leading roles of Clara, Fritz and Drosselmeyer’s Nephew. 

More than 300 children will be part of the longest-running American production of “The Nutcracker,” with 75 children in every performance. 

This year’s children’s auditions and rehearsals will be held at the Ballet Centre in Studio A where the main Company takes class and prepares for performances. 

Ballet West is looking to cast dancers in the following roles: 

• Dancers age 8-18 with at least 1 year of ballet training 
• Girls between the heights of 48″-71″ 
• Girl gymnasts between the heights of 48″-52″ 
• Boys between the heights of 48″-72″ 

“It will be an exciting opportunity for kids to see the space that they can aspire to dance in if they want to be a part of the Ballet West Company when they get older,” said Student Rehearsal Director Courtney Hellebuyck. 

When a reporter asked Ballet West Founder Willam Christensen for how many years “The Nutcracker” would be staged, he responded, “It will go on for as long as there are children.” Every holiday season at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah, his point is proven. After over three-quarters of a century, Ballet West’s “The Nutcracker” is still a community-wide tradition. 

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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. announced Ballet West will return for the 2018-19 Season to present seven performances of Willam F. Christensen’s iconic production of “The Nutcracker,” Dec. 5-9.

This will be the Company’s eight visit to the Kennedy Center, and its fourth under Artistic Director Adam Sklute.

It will also be the first time for East Coast audiences to see “The Nutcracker” after a two-year, $3 million renovation with new sets, costumes, and special effects, which dazzled Salt Lake audiences last year.

“I am so proud to return to the Kennedy Center once again with Mr. C’s ‘Nutcracker,’” said Sklute. “As one of Utah’s top legacy arts organizations, it is our honor to represent our state on the nation’s stage.”

First produced in 1944, Christensen’s “The Nutcracker” is recognized as the first full production of this timeless holiday classic and to date the longest running in America.

It has been called one of the best versions of “The Nutcracker” in America by The New York Times.

Ballet West’s “The Nutcracker” has repeatedly sold-out while touring the Kennedy Center.

Next season, Ballet West will join the world’s most prestigious ballet companies performing on the Kennedy Center stage, including: American Ballet Theatre, The New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mariinsky Ballet, and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures.

Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early by visiting the Kennedy Center’s website www.kennedy-center.org, or by calling (800) 444-1324.

Ballet West, one of America’s premiere ballet companies, has earned an international reputation for artistic innovation and excellence since its founding in 1963. For more than 50 years, the Salt Lake City-based Company has entertained and excited audiences in its home state and worldwide by presenting the great classics, fascinating historical masterpieces, and new cutting-edge creations with the highest artistic and professional standards. The Company continues to build future ballet artists and audiences by providing classical ballet training through its four campuses of The Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy. Ballet West also offers impactful education and outreach programs each year to over one hundred thousand children and adults across the state of Utah.

For information about Ballet West, visit www.balletwest.org.

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Ballet West promises a dramatic and breathtaking season for its 55th anniversary next year, bringing back Utah favorites and introducing new works to the Capitol Theatre stage.

The Season opens with “Jewels,” George Balanchine’s only plotless full-length ballet inspired by his relationship with jeweler Claude Arpels. “Jewels” is a ballet in three-acts with each act’s music revealing the essence of each stone. The mysterious “Emeralds,” set to the delicate music of Fauré, epitomizes French elegance, followed then by the high flying “Rubies,” which uses the jazzy strains of Stravinsky.

The ballet’s elegant and grand finale, “Diamonds,” features music by Tchaikovsky and a large cast to portray the grandeur of imperial Russia.

Artistic Director Adam Sklute said, “Each of the three sections is evocative of a mood, an era, and – even though the ballet is plotless — it tells a multilayered story.”

Last year, Ballet West unveiled new sets and costumes for Willam Christensen’s “The Nutcracker,” presented by The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. It was a phenomenal success in both critical reviews and record-breaking ticket sales. The production, in its 63rd year, is the longest running in the United States, and possibly the world, and it remains a favorite tradition.

In February, Ballet West returns with Sklute’s critically acclaimed production of “Swan Lake.” Glorious and heart-melting music by Tchaikovsky and a timeless story make this one of the most beloved ballets in the Company’s repertoire. Ballet West’s “Swan Lake” broke attendance records when the Company produced it in 2014, and the Deseret News exclaimed, “the execution of artistry is some of the best in the ballet world.”

A major Utah premiere will highlight the spring, with the staging of John Cranko’s internationally renowned telling of Alexander Pushkin’s “Onegin” in April.

“For many years I have dreamed of bringing Onegin to Utah,” said Sklute. “I consider this one of the great ballets of the 20th century.”

Cranko’s genius of storytelling, and his brilliant pas de deux work shine in his deft handling of Pushkin’s heartbreaking verse-novel “Eugene Onegin.”

“Onegin” first premiered at the Stuttgart Ballet in 1965, and the choreography includes a wide range of styles, including folk, modern, and ballroom.

“When I arrived in Salt Lake City 10 years ago I was honored to become part of a Company already known for a broad repertoire,” said Sklute. “My vision was to weave the great and storied history of Ballet West with a new, dynamic, and 21st century outlook.” Sklute’s dream of molding Ballet West into one of the world’s most versatile ballet companies is on full display in the range of productions he will bring to the stage in the upcoming Season.

The Ballet West World Choreographic Festival closes the Season in May, with performances by Ballet West and four esteemed international ballet companies. The Festival has gained national attention and continues to grow as Adam Sklute invites companies from outside the United States this year, who will bring with them an even more diverse and unique perspective on ballet.

In addition to the regular Season, Ballet West II dancers and students from the Ballet West Academy will bring back to the stage “Beauty and the Beast,” full of comedy, romance, and adventure. After the World Premiere two years ago, this production has traveled the United States receiving high praise.

“Beauty and the Beast” is part of the Family Series, which has guided narration and a truncated presentation, perfect for the youngest balletomanes.

Single tickets do not go on sale until September, so patrons are encouraged to subscribe now or renew their season memberships early to get best seats available. Three-show subscription packages begin at just $64. Contact Ballet West at 801-869-6900 or visit www.balletwest.org.

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“Carmina Burana,” a Ballet West world premiere, will open the 54th Season, and herald Artistic Director Adam Sklute’s 10th anniversary with the company.

Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte has created a ballet just as dynamic as the music of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” one of the most popular classical music pieces of music of all time.

Accompanying the 18 Ballet West dancers on stage will be a 76-member choir, backed by the 50-member Ballet West Orchestra. Also on the double-bill, George Balanchine’s sweeping ballet, “Serenade.”

This diverse program will open at the Capitol Theater Nov. 3 for just seven performances through Nov. 11.

“Our resident choreographer, Nicolo Fonte, has an amazing gift for taking well-known pieces of music and illuminating them with his exciting and unexpected vision,” said Artistic Director Adam Sklute. “From ‘Bolero’ to ‘The Rite of Spring,’ he has thrilled audiences with his unique and dynamic approach. Pairing ‘Carmina Burana’ with George Balanchine’s elegant, windswept ‘Serenade’ is to me, the perfect way to open my 10th anniversary season.”

“Carmina Burana” was first performed in Utah when Ballet West founder, Willam F. Christensen staged John Butler’s version in 1974.

Since then, it has been performed more than 100 times, making it one of the most popular titles in the Ballet West repertoire. The “Carmina Burana” is an 11th-century text, which was re-discovered in a Bavarian monastery in 1803.

In 1936, composer Carl Orff set 24 of the poems to music and it quickly became a popular piece of classical repertoire, featured in film, television, video games, and sampled by Michael Jackson and Ozzy Osbourne.

“Carmina Burana” is a co-production of Ballet West and Cincinnati Ballet, who will perform the production in February, 2018. Costumes were built by Cincinnati Ballet and a truss set is being fabricated in Tennessee, which will lift the 76 choir members above the dancers. Decorative set elements have been built by San Diego Opera.

The program opens with “Serenade,” set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings.

It was the first work created by Balanchine in America. “Serenade” was originally created in 1934 as an exercise for the newly formed School of American Ballet.

Attendance at those rehearsals was sporadic, so Balanchine, undaunted, made due with whomever he had in the studio, and turned random accidents such as a ballerina falling, a dancer arriving late, and someone’s hair coming undone into the final product.

“Serenade” is filled with lush musicality and moving drama without telling an actual story. The work has since gone into the repertoires of companies around the world.

In conjunction with “Carmina Burana,” Ballet West offers Warm Ups before each performance.

These informative discussions with members of the artistic staff are free of charge to ticket holders and begin promptly one-hour prior to each performance.

Attendees will get insider information on the evening’s program including background on the ballet, information on the choreographer, and other interesting behind the scene facts.

Tickets are available for “Carmina Burana” with “Serenade” by calling 801-869-6920, or visiting this website

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Simoncic has collaborated with Ballet West since 2012 on productions of "Swan Lake," "Sleeping Beauty," "The Rite of Spring," "Bolero" and "The Lottery."

With an impressive career that ranges from symphony to opera to ballet, she has established herself at the forefront of young American conductors.

"I’m so pleased to welcome Tara Simoncic to the Ballet West family as our new music director and principal conductor," said Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute. "Over the past several years I have brought Tara in for a number of projects and her musicianship, energy and commitment have galvanized our wonderful Ballet West Orchestra. With a team of Tara and Associate Music Director Jared Oaks leading the Music department, I am excited for the future."

Equally at home with all genres, Simoncic recently conducted performances of "Don Giovanni" in Trieste, Italy, at the Piccolo Festival del Friuli Venezia Giulia. She has also conducted "The Barber of Seville" with Slovenian National Opera Ballet Theatre.

"I am thrilled to be appointed Music Director at Ballet West, one of the most exciting and important ballet companies in America," said Simoncic, who has worked with American Ballet Theatre, Rioult Dance Theatre Company, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Chuvash State Opera Ballet Theatre (Russia) and the Slovenia National Opera Ballet Theatre among others.

She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from the New England Conservatory, a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University, and received a full scholarship to study at the Manhattan School of Music where she holds a Professional Studies Diploma in Orchestral Conducting.

For more information, visit www.balletwest.org.

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The Company will bring Ballet West Founder Willam F. Christensen’s iconic version of "The Nutcracker," Dec. 5 through Dec. 9.

Hailed by New York Times Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay as "one of the best productions I’ve ever seen," Ballet West’s The Nutcracker will be accompanied by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and will include Washington, D.C.-area children in the youth roles.

"Our founder Willam Christensen created the first full-length Nutcracker in America," said Sklute. "It has been delighting audiences out West for nearly 60 years and now it feels so right to finally bring this truly American Classic to our nation’s capital."

After founding the San Francisco Ballet, Christensen not only created the first full-length American production of "The Nutcracker" but also of "Coppélia" and "Swan Lake."

Christensen’s "The Nutcracker" was originally choreographed for San Francisco Ballet after conversations with Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine.

"The Nutcracker" had its Utah premiere on Dec. 27, 1955 at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus.

The first American to choreograph a full-length version of the ballet, Christensen used guest artists in primary roles and drew on children from several Salt Lake dance studios to fill the additional parts. The result was a cast of 75 local dancers.

The large cast brought with it the interest of family and friends, who snapped up tickets for the performances, resulting in an add-on matinee and sold-out houses.

Since then, Ballet West’s "The Nutcracker" has become Utah’s favorite holiday tradition.

Ballet West is among the world’s finest ballet companies to appear on The Kennedy Center’s 2012-13 Ballet Season. The company joins American Ballet Theatre, Mariinsky Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and Ballet Across America III, which showcases regional ballet companies from across the country.

In wide-ranging programming that covers theater, dance, music of all kinds and productions for young people, the Kennedy Center continues its commitment, as the nation’s center for the performing arts, to producing and presenting the best of national and international arts. For more information about the Kennedy Center, visit www.kennedy-center.org .

"Ballet West is honored to return to the Kennedy Center this Christmas season, and I am thrilled to share our acclaimed production of ‘The Nutcracker,’" said Sklute.

Ballet West’s "The Nutcracker" will continue to be performed at the Capitol Theatre, 50 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, on Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 13-16, 18-24 and 26-29.

Tickets to "The Nutcracker" are available now as a season subscription by calling (801) 869-6900 or by visiting www.balletwest.org . Single tickets are on sale now.

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Peter Martins, Founder and Artistic Director of the Institute, states: "The Fellowship is meant to help ballet companies to create an environment in which a choreographer can develop ideas without the pressure of stage production. The Institute is committed to classical choreographers who will be creating works for the future."

Ruud’s new work "Strum" features three separate sections for three different couples each performed in a different style. "Strum" is set to Manuel M. Ponce’s "Preambulo and Allegro Vivo," performed by Christopher Parkening; "Bana Mali" by Bob Brozman and Debashish Bhattacharya; and "Sweet Little Angel" by B.B. King.

"It is so seldom that new choreographers are afforded this kind of chance to create," said Ruud. "It is an honor and privilege to be granted this fellowship and to receive this extraordinary opportunity."

A native of San Francisco, Ruud began his training at the San Francisco Ballet School. There he studied for seven years before training at the University of Utah Ballet Department. Christopher joined Ballet West in 1998, was promoted to Soloist in 2001 and Principal in 2004. He begins full time as Director of Ballet West II in July 2012.

Ruud debuted his first choreographic work, "One," on Ballet West’s first annual Innovations program in 2008. For Innovations 2011, he premiered "Trapped," a work he refers to as a catalyst for him to embark on a career in choreography.

"I nominated Christopher for this fellowship because I believe he has a significant future as a choreographer," said Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute. "I have recognized Christopher’s many talents as an artist since I began with Ballet West, and after the artistic and critical success of his "Trapped," I knew he had a significant future as a choreographer."

Son of respected dancer and choreographer Tomm Ruud, Christopher is proud to be responsible for his father’s works. He has set and performed his father’s ballets, such as "Mobile," for companies including Stuttgart Ballet, Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, and continues to do so to date.

As a dancer with Ballet West, Ruud has toured throughout the United States and abroad including The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Chicago, multi-city tours in China and in Scotland at the Edinburgh International Festival. Some of his notable roles include Petruchio in John Cranko’s "The Taming of the Shrew," the Second Pas de Deux in Antony Tudor’s "The Leaves Are Fading," Prince Siegfried in "Swan Lake," Christopher Bruce’s "Ghost Dances," William Forsythe’s "Artifact II" and "In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated," Jiri Kylian’s "Petite Mort," Ulysses Dove’s "Red Angels," Hans van Manen’s "Solo," Ferdinand in Michael Smuin’s "The Tempest," the role of Earth Father in Glen Tetley’s "The Rite of Spring" and Oberon in Sir Frederick Ashton’s "The Dream." Christopher has performed the principal roles in multiple versions of such classics as "Swan Lake," "Don Quixote," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Giselle," "Cinderella," "Le Corsaire Pas de Deux," "La Sylphide" and "Romeo and Juliet."

He has also danced leading roles in works by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Antony Tudor, Val Caniparoli, Ben Stevenson, Hans van Manen, John Butler, Ronald Hynd, Nicolo Fonte and Ted Brandsen. Christopher’s Balanchine credits include Liza in "Who Cares?," Puck in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," "Serenade," "Concerto Barocco," "Allegro Brillante," the First Aria in "Stravinsky Violin Concerto," Melancholic and Sanguinic in "The Four Temperaments," "Tchaikovsky Pas de Deuxm", El Capitan in "Stars and Stripes" and the principal in "Theme and Variations."

Recently Ruud has had works created on him by Nicolo Fonte in "The Immeasurable Cadences Within," Helen Pickett in "But Never Doubt I Love" and Charlotte Boye-Christensen in "Row."

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With fashions modeled by the artists of Ballet West, this fourth annual event will be held at The Grand America, 555 South Main St., Salt Lake City.

Couture in Motion will also feature the shoes from Ballet West’s "Shoe-In," in which Utah artists re-conceive a pair of satin pointe shoes and decorate them according to their whim and creativity.

Exploring all kinds of mediums and pushing boundaries was encouraged, and the finished creations took shape in a variety of mediums like steamed oak, clay and feathers.

These one-of-a-kind creations will be available for purchase that evening.

The pre-show party for Couture in Motion begins at 6 p.m., followed by the fashion show at 8 p.m.

An All-Access Pass to Couture in Motion is $100 and includes admission to the pre-show party, reserved seating, drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Limited seating is available.

A Fan of Fashion Pass is available for $40 and includes general admission seating.

Couture In Motion and "Shoe In" are Ballet West Ambassador-sponsored projects to benefit Ballet West’s educational and artistic programs. For tickets, visit www.balletwest.org or contact Ashlee Christofferson by calling (801) 869-6917 or emailing achristofferson@balletwest.org.

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