IN THE BALANCE: Ballet for a Lost Year

ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY SERIES

On May 7, 2021, Ballet West and Skyscape Studios will release the world premiere of a nine-episode documentary series, In The Balance: Ballet For a Lost Year, featuring the iconic ballet company. Award-winning filmmakers Diana Whitten and Tyler Measom directed the series. Measom most recently co-directed the acclaimed documentary Murder Among the Mormons on Netflix.

For one month, Skyscape Studios gained unfettered access to Ballet West’s studios and theater as the company mounted its first public performances in the COVID-19 era. “We [follow] the dancers, the choreographers, the crew, and the staff as they navigate colossal logistical and emotional challenges in anticipation of opening night, wondering if the curtain will rise,” said Measom and Whitten. “Gently set against the backdrop of a volatile world, the series explores how art can be essential in a time of crisis, how passion can displace fear, and how collective grief can be alchemized into beauty.”

In The Balance also follows four dancers throughout the series for an intimate and soulful examination of the art form. Principal Artists Katlyn Addison, Beckanne Sisk, Chase O’Connell, and Corps Artist Vinicius Lima provide a textured study of ballet and ancillary issues of race, masculinity, and gender.

Executive producers are Skyscape Studio’s Steven Labrum and Ballet West’s Executive Director Michael Scolamiero, Artistic Director Adam Sklute, and Chief Development Officer Sarah West. The series is produced by Cristin Carlin, JJ Neward, and Joshua Jones. The series is made possible, in part, by the Utah Office of Tourism and Create in Utah.

In a joint statement, Scolamiero and Sklute said, “Ballet West was thrilled to connect with Skyscape Studios. With their accomplished resume, discerning storytelling, and passion for our art form, they elegantly narrate a moment in our history that is both honest and compelling. This series is an authentic love story to ballet and the performing artists and crewmembers who suffered in the past year. At the same time, it is a behind-the-scenes gift to our patrons and anyone who enjoys the art form.”

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