Wasatch Dance Ctr Competitors

Ballet West was established in Salt Lake City in 1963. Willam F. Christensen was the company’s first artistic director, co-founding the company together with Utah’s “First Lady of the Arts” Glenn Walker Wallace. In 1951, Christensen had established the first ballet department in an American university at The University of Utah and with the tireless assistance of Mrs. Enid Cosgriff this program grew into the Utah Civic Ballet, Ballet West’s first incarnation. But this was not the first ballet company Willam Christensen’s founded. Along with his brothers Lew and Harold, Christensen made history by establishing the oldest ballet company in the western United States, the San Francisco Ballet. There he went on to create the first full-length American productions of Coppélia, Swan Lake, and his evergreen production of The Nutcracker, which remains in Ballet West’s repertoire to this day. Since 2007, Artistic Director Adam Sklute, former dancer, Ballet Master and Associate Director of The Joffrey Ballet has further energized and expanded Ballet West’s remarkable repertoire with works by the most renowned choreographers of today such as Ulysses Dove, Jiri Kylian, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, and Stanton Welch. Sklute has also introduced the elegant historical masterpieces from the great Ballets Russes of the early 20th Century and continues to preserve Ballet West’s classical legacy. Sklute has further strengthened Ballet West’s heritage by introducing new creations by local, national and international choreographers. For 50 years, Willam Christensen and Ballet West have developed and influenced innumerable great artists in the ballet world. Some notable figures include Bart Cook, Finis Jhung, Jay Jolley, Victoria Morgan, Tomm Ruud, Michael Smuin, Richard Tanner, and Kent Stowell. With this eclectic and ever expanding outlook, Ballet West is truly an American pioneer in the world of dance.

Abhann Productions, the production company of Riverdance - one of the most successful music and dance extravaganzas the world has ever seen. With its fusion of Irish and International music and dance, Riverdance has broken box office records since its world première run in Dublin in early 1995. Over the last 25 years there followed hugely successful worldwide tours where Riverdance has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia and Europe. Since Riverdance began performances in Dublin 1995, the show has played over 15000 performances, been seen live by 30 million people in 549 venues worldwide, throughout 48 countries across 6 continents, played to a global television audience of over 3.5 billion people, sold over 3 million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD and sold over 10 million Riverdance videos and DVDs. Riverdance is composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan

Shining Stars Dance Academy is a performing arts company based out of 14243 Chenal Rd, Jarreau, Louisiana, United States.