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 productions the world has ever seen. Riverdance began as a seven-minute interval act at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, watched by an audience of almost 300 million people. The performance became a global sensation and led to the creation of the full-length stage show just nine months later. Following its world première in Dublin in early 1995, Riverdance went on to break box office records and tour extensively throughout North America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, South Africa and South America. Since beginning performances in 1995, Riverdance has played over 15,000 performances in 598 major cities across 49 countries and every continent except Antarctica. The show has been seen live by over 30 million people and broadcast to a global television audience of more than 3.5 billion. Over 3 million copies of the Grammy Award-winning album have been sold, alongside more than 10 million DVDs. Over three decades, Riverdance has evolved into a global cultural phenomenon, bringing together the traditions of Irish dance and music with influences from around the world. The production showcases world-class dancers, musicians and singers, combining traditional and contemporary performance. Riverdance 30 – The New Generation marks the next chapter in the show's story, rejuvenating the production with new choreography and costumes, alongside state-of-the-art lighting, projection and motion graphics, and introducing a new generation of performers. Riverdance was created by Producer Moya Doherty, Composer Bill Whelan and Director John McColgan.

.Studio J teaches dancers from Age 3 through Adult. We teach all forms of dance; Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Pilates. Our program works with your child in a nurturing way, while providing the best technique and performance skills. We also have competition teams for those who are looking for a challenge.