First Look

First Look is a program aimed at Jr. High and High school students. Each year, students are invited to a preview performance of Ballet West's current show. Students get an inside look at the inner workings of a ballet performance before the show opens to the public, a unique opportunity to sit in on Dress Rehearsals of Ballet West active repertory.

This invitation is extended to Students from Grades 8 and Higher, as well as Teachers from any level of teaching.

First Look features the entire evening of repertory, with a pre-performance discussion led by a member of the Ballet West Education staff. We have the ability to accept groups as small as one or two students, teachers attending on their own or large groups attending together. Parent chaperones are welcome as well. We’re very flexible. This must be arranged through the teacher of any particular group. Please share this opportunity with other faculty members who may be interested in taking advantage of this unique event for their students and themselves.

To reserve seats or for questions, please contact Peter Christie at 801-869-6911 or pchristie@balletwest.org

All Performances are at the Capitol Theater, 50 West 200 South, SLC, Utah  Reserve early - seating is limited.

Schedule for 2012-2013

Thursday, November 1, 2012 6:30 pm - The Lottery, But Never Doubt I Love, Bolero.
Based on Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery* – one of the most famous short stories in American literature – this world premiere by former Ballet West resident choreographers Val Caniparoli tells the story of a quiet American town with a startling and frightening secret.  Commissioned exclusively by Ballet West and set to a new musical score by Robert Moran, The Lottery* promises to be both fascinating and terrifying. It will also be a groundbreaking dancer/audience interactive experience, with the audience finding out the secret before the dancers – not to be missed!   This exciting triple-bill also includes the return of Nicolo Fonte’s critically acclaimed Bolero to music by Maurice Ravel.  Rounding out the program is the revival and reworking of Helen Pickett’s But Never Doubt I Love. Set to music by Felix Mendelssohn and originally choreographed on Ballet West dancers for the company’s 2010 Innovations program, this touching work is at once sleek and “New Age” in look but profoundly romantic and emotional in feel.

*Presented by special arrangement with the Children of Shirley Jackson, and Literal Media

“Perhaps the most powerful theatrical experience Ballet West has ever offered.”
                                                                                                                       – Adam Sklute

Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 6:30 pm - Cinderella
Don’t miss the most famous curfew in history.  Join Ballet West for the sparkling new production of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella. Complete with a heart-stopping musical score by Sergei Prokofiev, this classic fairytale is filled with romance and comedy, mesmerizing dance, and hilarious fun for the entire family. Beautiful and grand, funny and touching, Ashton’s Cinderella has been called the perfect ballet experience for newcomers, young audiences and seasoned aficionados.  This season, Ballet West becomes the second company in America to present this magical spectacle. 

“A loving, funny, choreographically elegant setting of this beloved story and Prokofiev’s stirring score.”
                                                          – Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times

Thursday April 4, 2012, 6:30 pm - Jewels
A Utah premiere, Jewels showcases George Balanchine’s masterful choreography in a radiant triple bill. Known as the first abstract full-length work, this beautiful ballet is presented in three acts – each one creating a different mood. Emeralds, set to the lush music of Gabriel Faure, evokes the hushed intrigue and romance of the French courts. Rubies – a high velocity romp to Igor Stravinsky’s fast-paced, jazz-infused score, mirrors the carefree spontaneity of 1920’s New York. Diamonds is Balanchine's dazzling tribute to the Imperial Russian Ballet and work of Marius Petipa with the music of Peter Tchaikovsky.

 “…simple and complex, thought-provoking and crowd-pleasing, deeply traditional and utterly modern.”
– Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times