The journey from the studio to college dance programs is a transformative experience for young dancers, marking the beginning of a new chapter in their pursuit of artistry. Central Utah Ballet (CUB) stands as a beacon of excellence in dance education, providing its Senior and Junior pre-professional companies with the necessary tools and unwavering support to make this transition a resounding success.

A Foundation of Excellence

Central Utah Ballet is committed to laying a strong foundation for its dancers’ futures. From the very first plié, every student is guided by skilled and experienced instructors who impart the essence of dance technique, artistry, and discipline. The ballet company places a high premium on instilling a love for dance while fostering an environment of dedication and determination.

Supportive and Dedicated Teachers

At the heart of Central Utah Ballet’s success lies its team of skilled and dedicated instructors. These incredible mentors recognize each student’s potential and strive to help them reach their fullest capabilities. By fostering a supportive and nurturing environment, CUB ensures that students feel encouraged to explore their creativity and take bold steps towards their dreams.

Individualized Attention

One of the hallmarks of Central Utah Ballet’s approach is its commitment to providing individualized attention to every dancer. Each student receives personalized coaching and feedback, enabling them to refine their skills and address areas of improvement. This personalized touch plays a vital role in building the self-confidence and resilience necessary for the challenges of college dance programs.

Seamless Transition to College Dance Programs

Central Utah Ballet goes above and beyond to prepare its dancers for college auditions and admissions. As students progress through their pre-professional training, they receive expert guidance on choosing the right college programs that align with their aspirations and talents. With their skilled and experienced instructors by their side, the transition to college dance programs becomes a seamless and confident leap towards their professional dance dreams.

Central Utah Ballet Director, Jennie Creer-King, strongly encourages dancers to consider a College Dance Program that offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.  The four years of additional training and development allows artists who want a professional career in dance greater opportunity to be prepared.

“Most of Central Utah Ballet faculty have degrees in Higher Education.  Many doors opened to me that I would have never imagined with a combination of Professional Experience Dancing and both a BFA and MFA in Fine Arts.” Says Creer-King. “One of the greatest privileges as a ballet instructor/director is to help facilitate the transition from High School to a College Dance Program. Central Utah Ballet has developed a comprehensive program that trains dancers in a way that ensures options when they graduate High School. I have been inspired and delighted watching dancers I have trained move forward both professionally and graduating with degrees from Universities all over the country.“

An Unwavering Support System

During the transition to college, Central Utah Ballet continues to serve as a reliable support system for its students. The bonds formed between dancers and their instructors run deep, and even as they step into the broader world of dance, the guidance and encouragement from their mentors remains constant. CUB ensures that the journey doesn’t end at the studio but evolves into a lifelong pursuit of excellence in dance.

Central Utah Ballet’s commitment to its students’ growth is second to none, with skilled, strong instructors acting as pillars of support during their time at the studio. CUB has been the nurturing ground for countless successful dancers, and its legacy continues to shine bright. As young dancers prepare to transition into college dance programs, they carry with them the invaluable lessons, artistic integrity, and confidence instilled by their time with CUB.

For parents seeking to nurture their child’s passion for dance, Central Utah Ballet offers an unparalleled opportunity for artistic growth and personal development. Enroll your young children at CUB and witness them flourish under the guidance of skilled instructors who will pave the way for a bright future in the world of dance.

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1. Attain Top Physical Shape

The facade of weightlessness hides the reality of hours of strength training just as the pointe shoes hide the bruised feet of dancers. To excel as a ballet dancer, one must be coordinated, have exemplary balance, and have the stamina to dance full time. As with any professional athlete, blisters and ankle wraps become old friends to ballerinas. To stay in peak shape, athletes should maintain a balanced diet. It must also be said, to be a ballerina, one must develop some tolerance to pain.

2. Develop Psychological Stamina

Dancers that develop strength, stamina, and determination, are the ones that will make it professionally. To be the best dancer you can be, you must be able to hear criticism and practice for long hours. There are few positions open to professional ballerinas and the competition is fierce.

Ballet dancers must be able to continue in in the face of rejection and discouragement with emotional fortitude. Dancers must draw deep from their reserves of passion and never lose hope. Only those that commit to their dreams in the face of insurmountable odds make it onto the national stage.

3. The Time Commitment

Like many sports, a career in ballet will take nearly a significant amount of time and commitment to excel. For most dancers, it will take eight to ten years to get to the professional level.

The best age to start training is usually between seven to ten, though dancers can begin at other ages if they commit themselves to training and discipline. Starting at a younger age enables young athletes to become more flexible and their bodies to grow into and with their dance skills. At this age, students will attend classes once or twice a week.  However, by the time dancers are 15, training will increase significantly to ten to fifteen hours of training a week.

Central Utah Ballet Academy’s pre-professional ballet trainee programs include 14-18 hours of classical ballet & supplementary training each week.

4. It’s A Financial Commitment

Because the intricacies of classical ballet are only taught by specific ballet studios, ballet is one of the more expensive dance forms to learn. The technical skills can only be learned and attained through formal and frequent training. On top of the tuition for training, be prepared to buy the specific shoes, uniforms, and performance attire.

In The End

The journey to becoming a ballet dancer is challenging, tiring, and, at times, formidable. However, the pride of mastering such a complex art form is indescribable. The focus, grace, and confidence instilled in dancers will be with them over a lifetime. When you fall in love with such an exquisite dance, you’ll certainly agree that in the end, it is worth the all the effort you can afford.

The post What It Takes to be a Ballet Dancer appeared first on Central Utah Ballet Academy.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEHI, UTAH, April 2021—Jennie Creer-King, owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet in Lehi, Utah, and world renowned choreographer, Garret Smith, announced the opening of Chrysalis Ballet, Utah’s newest professional ballet company. Chrysalis Ballet was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted jobs, income, and performance opportunities for ballet dancers around the world.

“The idea of Chrysalis Ballet developed over the past year as I have offered free professional ballet classes at Central Utah Balet to dancers unable to pursue work or other professional dance opportunities due to COVID-19,” said Creer-King. “The joy of having these beautiful artists in my classes ignited my desire to direct a professional ballet company.”

Chrysalis Ballet Company is a professional project-based ballet company providing rigorous and innovative dance training methods and creative professional-level performance opportunities. Company dancers will gain exposure to creative processes through new original works while fine-tuning foundational and historical classical ballets. Chrysalis Ballet company will explore multimedia performance platforms, including film, live music, and pop-up mini performances across the state.

Auditions for Chrysalis Ballet will take place during a week of auditions June 2-5 from 10:00am-1:00pm. Those interested in joining the auditions may submit a resume and headshot to jenniecreerking@gmail.com.

About Garrett Smith

Garret Smith is a world renowned choreographer and is associate director and resident choreographer for Chrysalis Ballet. He began his training in Salt Lake City, Utah with the Utah Regional Ballet, where he was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and was honored to meet George W. Bush at the White House where he was presented with an award by Mikhail Baryshnikov. He later studied at the Houston Ballet Academy and created five works from Houston Ballet II’s repertoire. Garret’s extensive choreography experience includes choreographing for the Norwegian National Ballet, Marlinsky Ballet, Les Grands Ballets De Monreal, Bolshol Ballet (Faces Project), Norwegian National Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet National de Bordeaux, and more. Garret’s recent choreography includes Mortal Form, which took 1st place at the 2015 Genesis International Choreographic Competition; Solace, seen in a new premiere in Deauville, France; as well as a U.S. premiere of his work Imitations with Norwegian National Ballet for the 2018 Dance Salad Festival. His choreography can also be seen on Netflix on the original new series Tiny Pretty Things.

About Jennie Creer-King

Jennie Creer-King, Owner and Director of Central Utah Ballet, danced professionally with Ballet West and Oregon Ballet Theatre. She has earned both a BFA in Performance and a MFA in Teaching Pedagogy and Choreography from University of Utah. Jennie served as Assistant Professor of Dance at Brigham Young University and Artistic Director of BYU Theatre Ballet touring both nationally and internationally. Jennie owned Classical Ballet Academy for over 10 years and implemented a non-profit youth ballet company at Provo Civic Ballet before joining Ballet West as Principal of the Barbara Barrington-Jones Ballet West Academy at Thanksgiving Point. During her time there, she grew the student base to over 500 ballet students in the short period of 4 years. Jennie has been employed as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Utah for the past 10 years in the Ballet Division.

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For more information on this topic, please contact:
Mikelle Despain
mikelle@six21studio.com
801-369-5338
https://centralutahballet.com

The post Central Utah Ballet Artistic Director, Jennie Creer-King, Unveils New Professional Ballet Company, Chrysalis Ballet appeared first on Central Utah Ballet Academy.