Central Utah Ballet is excited for the upcoming fall 2023 season, which will highlight Central Utah Ballet’s award-winning ballet classes, including ballet for kids, teens, and pre-professional ballet training programs.

In this new season, we are pleased to introduce our new Modern/Contemporary instructor, Ursula Perry, as well as to prepare for multiple performances, including our annual Nutcracker performance in November, and the popular spring Signatures performance in February.

To explore our classes, please click the button below. You may also request more information by calling or sending us a message through our contact page.

Creative Ballet

Creative ballet, also known as ballet for preschoolers or toddlers, includes ballet classes for 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, and 5-year-olds. Unlike many young children’s ballet classes, Central Utah Ballet assigns their most experienced instructors to teach Creative Ballet classes, as opposed to utilizing less experienced instructors in this role.

Central Utah Ballet is a classically based ballet studio, which means we have a commitment to technique, knowledge, and performance. By starting our young students off with experienced ballet instructors, we’re ensuring they have the best possible foundation should they choose to continue their ballet journey as they grow. Each of these classes is age-appropriate based on the physical, mental, and emotional maturity of the age group. Though the curriculum is of exceptionally high quality, our young dancers find it extremely engaging, fun, and accessible.

Children’s Ballet

In just a few short years, Central Utah Ballet has become a household name for ballet classes for children. Our Children’s Ballet Program includes a progression of ballet classes beginning by age group and progressing to classes based on skill level.

For instance, our Ballet 1 classes for 6-year-olds are one hour a week, teaching ballet fundamentals and techniques. Ballet classes for 7-8-year-olds progress to two one-hour classes per week. After age 8 (or after technique has progressed), our children’s ballet classes are broken up into Ballet 3, which includes 3 hours of training per week; Ballet 4 and 5, which includes 6 ½ hours of training, including ballet technique as well as contemporary and pointe. Class hours increase through Ballet 6, which includes longer class times on average, as well as a Saturday morning rehearsal.

Pre-Professional Ballet Trainee Programs

The Pre-Professional Ballet Trainee Program at Central Utah Ballet is designed by nationally renowned instructor and director, Jennie Creer-King. This program is a well-rounded ballet program that introduces students to a professional level of instruction, technique, & comprehensive skills to support professional pursuits, college programs, and more.

The Pre-Professional Ballet Trainee Program at Central Utah Ballet is designed to simulate a college and professional ballet experience. Each student is trained by top instructors in classical ballet, modern and contemporary dance, and pointe, as well as workshops for skills dances such as flamenco or character technique, which helps the student become a strong, well-rounded performer. Students of this program will also learn ballet repertoire and re-staged classical ballets, experience the creative process of diverse choreographers, and perform in front of a live audience.

Dancers will work directly with Jennie Creer-King, as well as nationally and internationally recognized instructors from Utah and across the country. These programs are audition-only, with a Junior and Senior company available based on ability.

Central Utah Ballet is excited to welcome Ursula Perry to our faculty as our Modern/Contemporary dance instructor beginning the 2023-24 season. Ursula is an exceptionally talented instructor with over twenty years of experience as a performing dance artist and dance educator.

Ursula Perry was born in Houston, Texas where she began her training at the Houston Ballet Academy. She studied at various prestigious ballet schools, including the Boston Ballet, Joffery Ballet, Alvin Ailey, and the Edge Performing Arts Center.

Ursula then attended the University of Utah School of Dance where she studied performance and instruction, graduating with her Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2022.Since graduation, she has performed with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, Prism Dance Theatre, and River North. Since her return to Salt Lake, she is proud to have performed with RawMoves, Movement Forum, and Influx Dance, joining Repertory Dance Theater in 2013.

During her tenure at Repertory Dance Theater, she performed several works, including those by Donald McKayle, Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Doris Humphrey, Ishan Rustem, and Lar Lubovitch.

Her time at Repertory Dance Theater was an enriching one as she performed the first and only black female dancer in Repertory Dance Theater’s 56-year history as well as being a role model and inspiration for dancers young and old. This drove her passion to create opportunities for the young and old to learn and heal through movement. “The physical being is not only a tool, but a storage space for the human story,” she says. It is her belief that the power of movement and grit of raw physicality can heal both the body and the mind.

“We are excited to have Ursula Perry joining our faculty as a modern and contemporary dance instructor at Central Utah Ballet,” says Jennie Creer-King, owner and director at Central Utah Ballet Academy in Lehi, Utah. “She is an exceptionally talented performer and instructor and will bring a great level of knowledge and artistry to our ballet studio.”

Ursula will be teaching modern and contemporary dance at Central Utah Ballet beginning the 2023-24 season. She says about the program, “As Central Utah Ballet contemporary director, I am focused on the technical strengths that connect classical ballet and modern/contemporary dance. The historical validity of both genres are impossible to execute without one another. I would like to guide each dance artist to use the classical ballet tools and their individual strengths to hone in on their artistic voice. It is my belief that having both skill sets will not only improve their technique, but also their performance quality.”

About Ursula Perry

Ursula is an exceptionally experienced and talented instructor with over twenty years of experience as a performing dance artist as well as a dance educator. Read her full bio by clicking the link below.

About Central Utah Ballet

Central Utah Ballet is a ballet school offering fully comprehensive, classically based ballet programs. The curriculum at Central Utah Ballet is specifically designed to meet each child in his or her emotional and physical development while creating a strong foundation in classical ballet technique. The instructors and faculty at Central Utah Ballet are all highly trained and experienced, with substantial professional dance careers and degrees in higher education specializing in choreography, teaching, or pedagogy. We know that the quality of our dance instructors at Central Utah Ballet has a big impact on your child’s experience with our ballet school and ballet as a whole, so we conscientiously choose staff that will help make their experience as positive as possible. Explore our classes or register today by clicking the link below.

At Central Utah Ballet, we are privileged to be under the direction of award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer, Jennie Creer-King.

Resumes of dance talent across the nation include direction by Jennie as she has helped train countless dancers during their competitive and pre-professional stages, with many attaining scholarships and professional company positions.

In addition to seasonal ballet classes for students from 3 years old through adulthood, Central Utah Ballet has also become well-known among the Utah ballet community for its Pre-Professional Summer Ballet Intensives. The schedules for these summer ballet intensives, like the traditional fall classes, were carefully and strategically designed by Jennie Creer-King through her countless years of experience training serious ballet students to prepare them for scholarship and professional company opportunities.

These summer ballet intensives combine classes in classical ballet technique and pointe/variations with supplemental dance theory, such as jazz, modern, Broadway, flamenco, partnering, and more. In addition to summer ballet classes, Central Utah Ballet offers Summer Ballet Camps for dancers ages 8-11 and summer dance camps for children ages 3-7. These camps help to build a foundation of classical ballet while cultivating a genuine love for the art.

“Generally, dancers must choose between schools that teach solid technique OR a love for the art form,” says Nathan W. in his online review. “Jennie has cultivated a culture that produces both. Prior to coming to Central Utah Ballet, our daughter had received instruction at another school that taught her good technique, but it came at a high cost. As we watched her suffer under the weight of a culture that ignored the holistic development of its dancers, we knew we needed a change. Transferring to Central Utah Ballet was the best decision we could have made. It is such a relief to watch her love of ballet beginning to recover and blossom.”

Jennie’s dedication to the art of ballet extends beyond the classroom, as she serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Utah School of Dance and provides performance opportunities for schools.

One of Jennie’s most recent accomplishments is the founding of Chrysalis Ballet, a professional company born in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic when dancers across the globe lost performance opportunities, found their careers frozen, or, for younger students, were delayed in being able to pursue scholarship and educational opportunities.

During the pandemic, Jennie offered free professional ballet classes at Central Utah Ballet to dancers unable to pursue work or other professional opportunities due to COVID-19. “The joy of having these beautiful artists in my classes ignited my desire to direct a professional ballet company,” said Creer-King.

Auditions for Chrysalis Ballet’s 2023-2024 season will take place in-person on Saturday, June 3 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Central Utah Ballet Studio in Lehi, Utah. Virtual auditions may also be submitted via email by May 27. Audition information can be found at https://centralutahballet.com/chrysalis-ballet-company/

Jennie is the recipient of multiple awards, including “Best of State” in choreography, Best Children’s Performance Group by Governor Leavitt, Best School Award at The Youth American Grand Prix, “Presidential Teacher Recognition Award” in 2005, as well as being crowned Mrs. Utah, United States in 2005 with the platform “Enriching the Lives of Children Through the Fine Arts.”

For more information about Jennie Creer-King, please read her full bio, linked in the button below

Summer ballet programs are a rite of passage for many serious ballet dancers. They are a time of excitement, burgeoning friendships, advancing skills, and growth. If you’ve never participated in a summer program before then prepare for an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life!

8 Reasons to Participate in a Summer Ballet Program

Summer ballet programs are about so much more than “staying busy” during the summer months. They advance skills in more ways than you’d expect, helping to develop connections, friendships, and mental acumen that will last you a lifetime.

1. Maintaining Physical Advancements

Unfortunately, the adage “use it or lose it” is true when it comes to a physical sport like ballet. Ballet is a multi-faceted sport, requiring balance, strength, flexibility, and aerobic ability. Each of these begins to diminish in only 1-2 weeks of inactivity. According to some studies, you can lose up to 10% of strength in one week, and over 3 months can lose most of your gains. Participating in a summer ballet program helps ballet students maintain the progress they’ve made throughout the year.

2. Learning Opportunities

Another reason summer ballet programs are important is that they are excellent learning opportunities. Unlike traditional ballet classes which focus on a combination of technique and choreography, summer programs offer a more direct and dedicated effort to develop more advanced skills. Think of this as the time to hone skills that there just aren’t time for in your regular classes. Along with maintaining your already momentous gains, you’re developing and mastering skills you probably wouldn’t have otherwise experienced yet.

3. Great Connections

Summer ballet programs are also a great way to make connections in the ballet world. They typically include guest instructors, seasonal teachers, and dancers from other programs that don’t participate in your day-to-day lessons. The other dancers there are “your people.” They’re the dancers that choose to focus on long-term gains instead of short-term banalities, opting to spend hours during their summer vacation training in a studio instead of relaxing around the home. These friendships are powerful and can serve to motivate you during your training and support you through your growth as a dancer and beyond. As well as new friendships, you can expect to make great professional connections during a summer program as well.

4. Competitive Advantage

We know that it takes on average 10,000 hours of progressive practice to become an expert in any given field. It’s not abnormal for some dancers to take a break during the summer, but your commitment to a summer ballet program will give you a competitive advantage since you’ll be adding to your total practice hours in your journey toward expertise. You won’t have to “brush off the rust” at the beginning of the season, and you will have gained new skills during that time.

5. Responsibility & Work Ethic

As we grow from childhood to adulthood, one of the most important skills we learn is “grit,” or the ability to persevere even when things get difficult. We know that “grit” is a muscle that needs to be exercised, and like physical fitness as discussed earlier in this article, without regular practice we can lose some of our ability to persevere.

For some ballet students, persevering in training during the summer is one of the first experiences they’ll have in prioritizing responsibility and work ethic when it would probably be easier to decide to decline instead. Props to you for choosing to strengthen yourself and grow—that skill will prove to be invaluable during your lifetime!

6. Reduce Risk of Injury

Another reason choosing to participate in a summer ballet program is important is because it helps to reduce the risk of injury. While stress fractures are a reality when it comes to ballet (which is why fitness, rest during downtimes, and proper technique are important), they can also occur when we overextend ourselves after we’ve lost flexibility and strength during an extended break. Maintaining training during the summer months helps your body stay strong and flexible to be able to reduce the risk of injury.

7. Mental Edge

Participating in a summer ballet training program is also an excellent tool for strengthening your mental edge. You’ll find that maintaining your training during the summer months strengthens your confidence and reduces the first-of-season jitters that often derail students during the first weeks of fall classes.

8. Continual Improvement

Finally, a summer ballet program helps to ensure you’re continuously improving. You won’t be moving backward and having to regain skills you used to have; you’ll be able to keep the forward momentum you were experiencing during the highest gains of your fall and spring classes.

Final Thoughts

At Central Utah Ballet, we believe wholeheartedly in the importance of summer programs in the training of our serious dancers. If you are interested in auditions, competitions, or becoming part of a college program (or professional company!), then summer programs are an important part of your training. Learn more about our summer ballet programs and summer ballet intensives by clicking the button below.

On February 21 at the Covey Center for the Arts, Central Utah Ballet will present “Signatures,” an annual spring performance featuring beautiful dancers and choreography from Central Utah Ballet in Lehi, Utah. For one night only, “Signatures” brings to life beautiful classical showpieces, ornate costumes, and brand-new choreography for a stunning performance for families and arts lovers alike.

“’Signatures’ encompasses the most beautiful aspects of ballet,” says Central Utah Ballet director, Jennie Creer-King. The first half of the performance includes a reimagining of Marius Petipa’s original choreography in ‘The Sleeping Beauty.’ Central Utah Ballet upper divisions students will present popular pieces from this enchanting ballet, including Aurora’s Wedding Pas de Deux, Bluebird, and—of course—Puss ‘n Boots.

“The Sleeping Beauty” is traditionally a luxuriously elegant ballet, and excerpts with Central Utah Ballet will be no different. Creer-King describes the performance as, “Visually breathtaking with ornate costumes and beautifully choreographed scenes that will delight our audiences.”

The second half of the show premiere’s a new work entitled “Ballet Cirque: The Journey,” by award-winning instructor and choreographer, Lindsay Folkman. “Ballet Cirque: The Journey” is inspired by Cirque de Soleil and follows a dancer’s artistic and symbolic journey through years of training. From the first moments of creativity and play to finding strength through challenging and discovering the beauty of her individuality as she takes her final bow.

“[‘Ballet Cirque: The Journey’] mirrors the journey of life in all of us,” says Folkman. “I guess it’s true what they say: ‘Ballet IS life.’”

“Signatures” is one of the most popular performances of the year and sells out quickly. Availability and tickets may be purchased by clicking the button below.

About Central Utah Ballet

Central Utah Ballet is a fully comprehensive classically based ballet program for youth seeking to learn classical ballet and contemporary dance. Central Utah Ballet was founded by award-winning director, choreographer, and instructor Jennie Creer-King. The ballet studio offers classes for students as young as 3 and through adulthood. Explore our class schedule here or stop by our studio in Lehi, Utah to learn more.

About Jennie Creer-King

Jennie is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. She has taught in both university and professional settings, serving as Assistant Professor of Dance at Brigham Young University and Artistic Director of BYU Theater Ballet, Artistic Director of Provo Civic Ballet, and principal of Barbara Barrington Jones Ballet West Academy at Thanksgiving Point, and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Utah School of Dance.

About Lindsay Folkman

Lindsay Folkman is an extremely talented dance instructor and choreographer, with several awards including 6 Best of State Awards for Best Choreographer, an award for Excellence in Teaching from Brigham Young University, and multiple top 3 ensemble awards for Youth America Grand Prix. Her extensive choreographic career includes ten original contemporary ballet production on both a studio and professional level.

Creative Ballet is a pre-ballet class for young students, typically between ages 3-6. This young, early introduction to ballet has several amazing benefits not only for the future development of young dancers, but academic, physical, and emotional development as well.

8 Top Benefits of Creative Ballet

As parents, we are under a lot of pressure to help develop our children’s skills, self-confidence, and interests—and sometimes it is surprising how early this begins! How can you be confident you are enrolling your child in the right activity and the right program?

No parent can see the future—and if you have older children, you know that interests ebb and flow and that what fascinates your child today may bore them to (literal) tears next week. Instead of trying to predict what activity your child will love int the long-term, it can be beneficial to find an activity with benefits that exceed the activity itself.

We’ve found that creative ballet, the early ballet classes taken as an early, age-appropriate introduction to ballet technique for young students, provides just this mix of benefits. Below, we share some of the top benefits our students experience from creative ballet classes.

1. Develop Confidence

One of the first things you’ll notice as you see your child progress in creative ballet is their burgeoning sense of self-confidence. Your little dancer, who may have been afraid to twirl when others were watching, will develop a glowing confidence as they’re introduced to more opportunities to dance with other children. They’ll learn to trust themselves and their ability to dance, as well as learning that it’s safe to express their passion for something—like ballet—in front of other people. The result is a more confident child with the mindset and skillset to continue growing self-confidence in the future.

2. Teamwork

Although ballet is often overlooked as a team sport, the reality is that all dancers have to work together to make choreography work. A child doing “their own thing” can disrupt the class or even a performance. Instead, students must learn to practice together, watch for each other on stage and in the studio, and to dance as a unit instead of an individual. For many young children, creative ballet is one of their first experiences putting teamwork into action.

3. Listen to Teacher

For our youngest creative ballet students, creative ballet classes are some of their first experiences listening to a teacher—or doing so without a parent by their side as in parent-child classes. Having the ability to listen to and follow teachers’ instructions has obvious benefits in educational applications, but it is also a beneficial skill for listening to coaches, team captains, parents (woohoo), or even future employers. The idea is that there is someone who knows something more than your child—and that if they listen, they can increase their personal knowledge and skills.

If you’re used to toddler power struggles, you know how this position can sometimes be misinterpreted by young children. In creative ballet, the group environment, novel studio atmosphere, and a genuine desire to learn to dance like the teacher and other students (we see this in almost every child with very little exception) encourages them to set aside the instinct to power struggle and to instead enjoy listening and learning.

4. Strength, Balance & Grace

Another reason parents choose to enroll their children in creative ballet at a young age is to help teach them balance and grace. Many sports teach strength, coordination, and balance, but ballet adds a level of grace that can be difficult to match in other settings. Children grow quickly and can often feel awkward and uncomfortable in their lengthening bodies. Ballet helps them learn to move more easily and gracefully, which can be beneficial for other sports as well for self-confidence.

5. Growth Mindset

Ballet teaches the all-important growth-mindset. Instead of thinking “I can’t do _______,” students learn to formulate the thoughts, “I’m practicing to learn ______,” and “if I practice, I can become great at ______.” Students in our Creative Ballet program are taught a variety of ballet techniques that are all age appropriate. At this young age, students are less likely to have the thought that they can’t do something, and Central Utah Ballet embraces that, extending their skills in a thoughtful and gentle way that helps reinforce that they can do anything with practice and patience. Students will see their skills progress—and parents will too.

6. Foundational Ballet Skills

Finally, creative ballet is not just a thoughtless activity designed to keep young children busy, it genuinely teaches important foundational ballet skills. Learning these skills early—and correctly—prevents young students from developing bad ballet habits that later have to be undone if they decide to pursue ballet further. More importantly, creative ballet provides students with a foundation upon which future skills can be built.

Final Thoughts

Creative ballet is fun and engaging while providing a wide range of benefits to students. To learn more about Central Utah Ballet’s Creative Ballet program or to explore our class schedule, click the button below.

This summer, Chrysalis ballet had the opportunity to perform in the 33rd Florence Dance Festival. Since 1989, the Florence Dance Festival has promoted dance by representing international shows, producing avente-garde choreography, organizing professional training, and creating events for dance lovers of all ages.

Their performance, choreographed by Shani Robison, was titled “Obscured,” and was danced to “Clouds, the Mind on the (Re)Wind” by Ezio Bosso. The piece was also performed in the Palm Desert Choreographic Festival. Enjoy this performance in the video below.

Obscured

Choreographed by Shani Robison

Dancers

Morgan Morley (soloist), Brenna Bartholomew, Hannah Argyle, Natalie Schott, Brooklynn Burbidge Smith, Emma Kruitbosch, Ally Taylor, Sicily Redd, Devin Larsen, Elise Wood.