Meet Our Central Utah Ballet Instructors & Staff
Central Utah Ballet is home to some of the most talented, award-winning ballet instructors in the state. Learn more about each of our teachers by clicking on their pictures below to read their bios.
Jennie Creer King
Owner / Artistic Director
Jennie is a renown dancer, ballet 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.
Shani Robison
Faculty
Shani has over 25 years of teaching, artistic direction, and choreography experience. Her works have been seen at the Gala Concert at the American College Dance Festival Northwest Region and the Utah Regional Ballet (now Utah Metropolitan Ballet).
Ursula Perry
Faculty
Ursula is an exceptionally talented instructor with over twenty years of experience as a performing dance artist and dance educator. She has professionally performed works from notable choreographers from Donald McKayle and Martha Graham to Lar Lubovitch.
Brooklyn Burbidge Smith
Faculty
Brooklyn is a talented dancer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet from the University of Utah. She has performed in ballets from The Nutcracker to Swan Lake, Cinderella & more. She dances with Chrysalis Ballet and has taught at multiple studios across Utah Valley.
Jessica Harston Thompson
Faculty
Jessica is an experienced dancer who has extensive experience dancing with Ballet West, including as a principal dancer. She has been teaching, choreographing, and coaching students at many ballet programs, universities, and schools from early training to professional careers.
Lily Farrar
Office Manager / Instructor
Lily Farrar, a Tennessee native, graduated with her BFA dance degree from Shenandoah University in 2021. Lily received her Master’s in Performing Arts Leadership and Management in May 2023. Lily is a freelance dance teacher, choreographer, model, and social media manager.
Jennifer Packham
Faculty
Jennifer Packham is a distinguished ballet professional with over four decades of experience as a dancer, choreographer, and educator, whose expertise and passion have profoundly shaped the ballet community. As an educator, Jennifer is driven by a profound desire to inspire, offer hope, and foster growth.
Candice Taylor
Faculty
Candice Taylor has been teaching ballet, pointe, variations and more for 30 years. She holds a MFA in ballet from The University of Utah and a BA in ballet from Brigham Young University. She retired her dancing shoes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics dancing for Kurt Bestor and Sam Cardon’s Innovators II.
Sara Mills
Faculty
Sara began her classical ballet training in the professional program at Utah Regional Ballet under the guidance of Jacqueline P. College. After her apprenticeship, she continued her studies at Classical Ballet Academy with master instructors Jenny Creer-King, Attila Ficzere, and Yi-Qi Cheng. There, she undertook intensive training in both classical and contemporary ballet, performing lead roles in numerous productions, including commissioned works in The Nutcracker.
Jilli Snow
Office Assistant
Jilli is a professional dancer with a BFA in Ballet, a BS in Human Development and Family Studies, and a minor in Nutrition from the University of Utah. She is an ABT® certified teacher in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Teaching Curriculum. She is a dancer with Chrysalis Ballet, a teacher and office manager for Central Utah Ballet, and she teaches all over the Utah Valley. She has performed in Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht, Alice in Wonderland, and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker.
Naomi Reid
Office Assistant
Naomi was born in New York City and began dancing there at age 3. When she moved to Utah, she trained and danced competitively at The Pointe Academy studio and then Center Stage Performing Arts studio. She has great memories of competing and being a finalist at YAGP and also competing and dancing with her teams at many different dance conventions and The Dance Awards nationals. She trained in many dance styles including jazz, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, tap, acro and ballroom.