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Emily Adams

Sponsored by Janet Quinney Lawson Foundation

Joined Ballet West II: 2005
Joined Ballet West: 2007
Promoted to Demi-Soloist: 2011
Promoted to Soloist: 2013
Promoted to Principal: 2015

Emily Adams is from Newtown, Pennsylvania. She joined Ballet West II in 2005 and the main company in 2007. Emily was promoted to Demi-Soloist in 2011, Soloist in 2013, and Principal in 2015.  Emily trained at Studio Maestro with Deborah Wingert and Francois Perron; Ballet Technique with Julie Caprio; with Nancy Bielski and David Howard at Steps on Broadway; and privately with Christina Fagundes.  At 15, she was awarded an honorary scholarship to train full-time at the School of American Ballet. She participated in summer programs at San Francisco Ballet School, School of America Ballet, Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell, and the Royal Ballet School.  In 2007 she performed with Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center. With Ballet West, Emily has danced leading roles of Juliet in Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet, Odette/Odile in Sklute’s Swan Lake, Diamonds Pas de Deux in Balanchine’s Jewels, and Cinderella in Ashton’s Cinderella, to name just a few.

Emily began choreographing as a student and was invited by Peter Martins to participate in the New York Choreographic Institute’s Spring Session 2004.  Emily has created six ballets for Ballet West.  Her most recent work, The Thing with Feathers, featured an original score by Sundance Institute Fellow, Katy Jarzebowski.  She was awarded the Utah Arts Festival’s Choreographic Commission in 2017.  Her creation, Laden, is now included in Ballet West II’s repertoire.  In August 2019, Emily collaborated with The Way of the Rain, Sibylle Szaggers Redford, and composer Tim Janis to create Earth Movements: A Symphony for Ballet.  The ballet was presented at the UN 68th International NGO Conference, and featured dancers of Ballet West alongside the Utah Symphony.  In July 2022, Emily was one of four choreographers chosen to participate in National Choreographers Initiative under the direction of Molly Lynch.  Emily worked with dancers from companies across the country and created Mass Hysterical with an original score by Katy Jarzebowski. 

Emily has performed as a guest artist and in galas across the country, including for YAGP and the 50th Re-Opening Anniversary Gala of the Chicago Auditorium Theater.  She collaborated with artists from the Utah Symphony and Pioneer Theater Company in Intermezzo Chamber Music’s performance of Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale Suite, both as a dancer and choreographer.  Emily has been featured in Pointe Magazine and other publications multiple times for her work as a dancer, choreographer, and her artistic projects outside the studio. 

Follow her on Instagram @emilyadamsdance and check out her website!

2022-23 Season

  • Concerto Barocco (Balanchine)
  • Return to a Strange Land (Kylián)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy, Waltz of the Flowers

ON TOUR

  • Orange (Nunes) – Ballet West in the Garden, Red Butte Garden Amphitheater, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Galantheae (LaPlane) – Ballet West in the Garden, Red Butte Garden Amphitheater, Salt Lake City, Utah

2021–22 Season

  • Dracula (Stevenson) Flora, Innkeeper’s Wife
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy, Waltz of the Flowers
  • Romeo + Juliet (Smuin) Lady Capulet
  • Glass Pieces (Robbins) Facades
  • Carmina Burana (Fonte)
  • Galantheae (LaPlane) Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Orange (Nunes) Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • The Solo Year (Neenan) – Ballet West in the Garden, Red Butte Garden Amphitheater, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Romeo + Juliet (Smuin) Juliet – George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center, Park City, Utah

CHOREOGRAPHY

  • Unite Together All

2020–21 Season

  • Tides (Archibald)
  • Nine Sinatra Songs (Tharp) “Softly As I Leave You,” “My Way”
  • Precious Gems – Lambarena (Caniparoli), Schnofler Tanz from Kettentanz (Arpino)
  • The Solo Year (Neenan) Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • The Solo Year (Neenan) – George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center, Park City, Utah

CHOREOGRAPHY

  • With Assurance Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • The Thing With Feathers Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

2018–19 Season

  • Jewels (Balanchine) Emeralds, Diamonds
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Grandmother, Snow Queen, Waltz of the Flowers, Sugar Plum Fairy
  • Swan Lake (Sklute, after Petipa and Ivanov) Odette/Odile
  • Onegin (Cranko) Madame Larina
  • Constant Light (Liang) Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen – Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.

CHOREOGRAPHY

  • But A Dream Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Laden (Shockley-Zalabak Theater, Colorado Springs, Colorado)

2017–18 Season

  • Serenade (Balanchine)
  • Carmina Burana (Fonte)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen, Waltz of the Flowers, Sugar Plum Fairy,
  • Cinderella (Ashton) Fairy Godmother, Cinderella
  • Return to a Strange Land (Kylián)
  • The Shakespeare Suite (Bintley) Lady Anne
  • Sweet and Bitter (Guzmán) National Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • Chaconne(Balanchine) Principal Couple, On Tour – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York
  • Dances for Lou(Caniparoli) On Tour – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York
  • Fox on the Doorstep(Fonte) On Tour – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York

2016–17 Season

  • Untitled (Caniparoli) premiere performance, Pas de Deux (George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Madame Butterfly (Welch) Kate, Okasan, Mother
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen, Waltz of the Flowers Sugar Plum Fairy
  • The Sleeping Beauty (Sklute, after Petipa) Princess Aurora, Lilac Fairy, Carabosse
  • Chaconne (Balanchine)
  • Facades (Smith)
  • Fox on the Doorstep (Fonte) National Choreographic Festival (George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Dances for Lou (Caniparoli) National Choreographic Festival (George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Waltz of the Flowers – Austadt Auditorium, Ogden, Utah
  • Tremor (Oguma) – Eccles Center for the Performing Arts, Park City, Utah
  • Rendering Stillness (Nielsen) – Eccles Center for the Performing Arts, Park City, Utah

2015–16 Season

  • Overgrown Path (Kylián)
  • Symphony in C (Balanchine)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen, Waltz of the Flowers, Sugar Plum Fairy,
  • Romeo and Juliet (Cranko) Lady Capulet, Lady Rosaline
  • Games (Pickett)
  • Afternoon of a Faun (Robbins)
  • In Memoriam (Ruud) (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Barre Spot (Sellars) (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Fragments of Simplicity (Oguma) (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Homer:  A Study in Phenomenological Ontology (Naumann) (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Lyric Pieces (Lang) (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • Who Cares? (Balanchine) – Northrup Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

2014–15 Season

  • In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (Forsythe) Woman #2 (Grand America Hotel Ballroom, Salt Lake City)
  • Giselle (Sklute after Perrot and Coralli) Myrthe, Bathilde
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Hostess, Snow Queen, Arabian, Mirlitons, Sugar Plum Fairy, Hostess
  • Swan Lake (Sklute, after Petipa) Lady in Waiting, Pas de Trois, Lead Swan Maiden, Hungarian Princess
  • Square Dance (Balanchine) Principal
  • In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (Forsythe) Woman #2

ON TOUR

  • The Lottery (Caniparoli) Mrs. Summers – Royal Theater, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
  • In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (Forsythe) Woman #2 – Royal Theater, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
  • Divertimento No. 15 (Balanchine) – Belcher Center, Longview, Texas
  • Divertimento No. 15 (Balanchine) – Winspear Opera House, Dallas, Texas
  • In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (Forsythe) Woman #2 – Winspear Opera House, Dallas, Texas
  • Games (Pickett) – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York
  • The Sixth Beauty (Neenan) – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York
  • The Lottery (Caniparoli) Mrs. Summers – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Hostess, Arabian, Waltz of the Flowers – Austad Auditorium, Ogden, Utah
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Hostess, Arabian, Waltz of the Flowers– Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
  • Divertimento No. 15 (Balanchine) – Aspen Performing Arts Center, Aspen, Colorado

CHOREOGRAPHY

  • Homage Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

2013–14 Season

  • The Firebird (Christensen) Princess (Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City)
  • Petite Mort (Kylián)
  • Who Cares? (Balanchine) “Somebody Loves Me,” “That Certain Feeling”
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen, Arabian, Waltz of the Flowers, Sugar Plum Fairy
  • The Sleeping Beauty (Sklute after Petipa) Lilac Fairy, Carabosse, Fairy Temperament
  • Forgotten Land (Kylián)
  • Divertimento #15 (Balanchine)
  • Rite of Spring (Fonte)
  • The Sixth Beauty (Neenan) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Great Souls (Ruud) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • The Sleeping Beauty (Sklute after Petipa) Fairy Temperament – Chicago Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
  • Rubies (Balanchine) – Chicago Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
  • The Lottery (Caniporoli) Mrs. Summers – Chicago Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Frau Stahlbaum, Arabian, Waltz of the Flowers – Ogden

CHOREOGRAPHY

  • Mixed Signals Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

SELECTED WORLD PREMIERE ROLES CREATED FOR HER

  • The Rite of Spring (Fonte)
  • The Sixth Beauty (Neenan)
  • Great Souls (Ruud)

2012–13 Season

  • The Lottery (Caniparoli) Mrs. Summers
  • But Never Doubt I Love (Pickett)
  • Bolero (Fonte)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen, Arabian, Waltz of the Flowers
  • Cinderella (Ashton) Fairy Godmother, Fairy Summer
  • Jewels (Balanchine) Emeralds, Rubies, Diamonds
  • Trapped (Ruud)

ON TOUR

  • Emeralds (Balanchine) – Smith Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Paquita (Kunikova after Petipa) – New York Fall for Dance Festival
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Arabian, Waltz of the Flowers – The Kennedy Center, Washington DC

SELECTED WORLD PREMIERE ROLES CREATED FOR HER

  • The Lottery (Caniporoli) Mrs. Summers
  • Mechanism (Smith)

2011–12 Season

  • Dracula (Stevenson) Bride, Innkeeper’s Wife
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Hostess, Arabian, Waltz of the Flowers
  • Don Quixote (Holmes after Petipa) Friend of Kitri, Bridesmaid
  • Paquita (Kunikova after Petipa)
  • Emeralds (Balanchine)
  • Petite Mort (Kylián)

ON TOUR

  • The Four Temperaments (Balanchine) – Wolf Trap Park for the Performing Arts, Vienna, Virginia
  • Grand Synthesis (Shields) – Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Vienna, Virginia

CHOREOGRAPHY

  • Forces at Play

SELECTED WORLD PREMIERE ROLES CREATED FOR HER

  • Descent (Bearden)

2010–11 Season

  • The Four Temperaments (Balanchine) First Theme, Choleric
  • Carmina Burana (Butler)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Hostess, Arabian, Mirlitons
  • The Sleeping Beauty (world premiere Sklute after Petipa) Fairy Temperament, White Cat
  • Sinfonietta (Kylián)
  • Chaconne (Balanchine) Pas de Trois
  • Trapped (Ruud) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • Serenade (Balanchine) – Chicago Dancing Festival, Chicago, Illinois

CHOREOGRAPHY

  • Regarding Us Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

SELECTED WORLD PREMIERE ROLES CREATED FOR HER

  • Descent (Bearden)

2009–10 Season

  • Songs of the Valley (Marks) “Zion’s Walls”
  • The Dream (Ashton)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Hostess, Arabian, Mirlitons
  • Swan Lake (world premiere of Sklute after Petipa) Hungarian Princess
  • Serenade (Balanchine)
  • Agon (Balanchine) Pas de Trois
  • Stars and Stripes (Balanchine)
  • Polovetsian Dances (Fokine)
  • But Never Doubt I Love (Pickett)

ON TOUR

  • Les Biches (Nikinska) – New York Fall for Dance Festival, New York City, New York

SELECTED WORLD PREMIERE ROLES CREATED FOR HER

  • Outward (DeYoung)
  • Descent (Bearden)

2008–09 Season

  • The Tempest (Smuin)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen)
  • Madame Butterfly (Welch)
  • Treasures of the Ballet Russes
    • Les Biches (Nijinska)
    • Prodigal Son (Balanchine)
    • Polovetsian Dances (Fokine)
  • Innovations

2007–08 Season

  • The Three Musketeers
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen)
  • Cinderella (Stevenson)
  • Nine Sinatra Songs, Continuo, Serenade, Hamlet and Ophelia pas de deux
  • Innovations

2006–07 Season

  • The Nutcracker (Christensen)
  • The Sleeping Beauty (Petipa)
  • Giselle (Perrot)
  • An Evening of Ballets
    • Polish Pieces (van Manen)
    • Fancy Free (Robbins)
    • Ancient Airs & Dances (Tanner)

2005–06 Season

  • The Nutcracker (Christensen)
  • Romeo and Juliet (Kåge)
  • Swan Lake

Juliet in Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet

Sugar Plum Fairy in Christensen’s The Nutcracker

Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (photo by Luke Isley)

Balanchine’s Diamonds © The George Balanchine Trust

Odette in Sklute’s Swan Lake; photos by Beau Pearson

Photos by Beau Pearson