Jenna Rae Herrera

sponsored by Beano Solomon

Joined Ballet West II: 2007
Joined Ballet West: 2010
Promoted to Demi Soloist: 2015
Promoted to Soloist: 2016
Promoted to First Soloist: 2020
Promoted to Principal Artist: 2021

About Jenna Rae Herrera:

Jenna Rae Herrera is from Ontario, California.  She joined Ballet West II in 2007 and the main company in 2010.  Jenna was promoted to Demi-Soloist in 2015, to Soloist in 2016, to First Soloist in 2020, and to Principal in 2021.  She trained under Cynthia Young, Laurence Blake, and Randall Graham.  Jenna’s favorite leading roles she’s danced with Ballet West include Balanchine’s Rubies, Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Olga in Cranko’s Onegin, and Juliet in Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet.  Jenna is also on faculty with the Ballet West Academy and has taught at the Ballet West Academy Summer Intensive, as well as at the Brigham Young University Advanced Ballet Intensive.  She is currently enrolled at the University of Utah with the hopes of obtaining a bachelor’s in the Fine Arts.

Follow Jenna on Instagram @jetejenna.

Click below to see Jenna’s roles.

2022-23 Season

  • Onegin (Cranko) Tatiana
  • Rodeo (DeMille) Cowgirl
  • 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) Svetlana, Old Woman
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Snow Queen, Mirlitons, Waltz of the Flowers, Sugar Plum Fairy
  • Romeo + Juliet (Smuin) Juliet, Street Dancer
  • Glass Pieces (Robbins) “Rubric”
  • 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) Street Dancer – George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center, Park City, Utah

2020-21 Season

  • Tides (Archibald)
  • Precious Gems
    • Precious Jewels Variations from Aladdin (Robinson Harris and Dolkas)
    • Tarantella (Balanchine)
  • 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

2019-20 Season

  • Le Chant Du Rossingnol (Balanchine) The Nightingale
  • Apollo (Balanchine) Polyhmnia
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Grandmother, Doll, Spanish, Mirlitons, Waltz of the Flowers, Sugar Plum Fairy
  • Giselle (Sklute, after Coralli and Perrot) Zulme, Pas de Quatre

ON TOUR

  • Giselle (Sklute, after Coralli and Perrot) Pas de Quarte –The Soraya, Los Angeles, California
  • Jewels(Balanchine) Rubies – Northrop Memorial Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

2018-19 Season

  • Jewels (Balanchine) Emeralds, Rubies, Diamonds
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Doll, Spanish, Mirlitons, Waltz of the Flowers, Sugar Plum Fairy
  • Swan Lake (Sklute, after Petipa and Ivanov) Pas de Trois, Cygnettes, Neopolitan, Spanish Princess
  • Onegin (Cranko) Olga
  • Hidden Voices (Addison) Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Constant Light (Liang) Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Doll, Spanish – Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
  • Summerspace (Cunningham) – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York

2017-18 Season

  • Serenade (Balanchine)
  • Carmina Burana (Fonte)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Doll, Spanish, Mirlitons, Waltz of the Flowers
  • Cinderella (Ashton) The Stars, The Fairy Spring
  • Summerspace (Cunningham)
  • The Shakespeare Suite (Bintley) Titania
  • Jabula (Weir) National Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Sweet and Bitter (Guzmán) National Choreographic Festival (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • Dances for Lou(Caniparoli) – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York

2016-17 Season

  • Madame Butterfly (Welch) Maid, Suzuki
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Doll, Spanish, Mirlitons, Waltz of the Flowers
  • The Sleeping Beauty (Sklute, after Petipa) Fairy of Joy, Princess Florine
  • Chaconne (Balanchine)
  • Facades (Smith)
  • Dances for Lou (Caniparoli) National Choreographic Festival (George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City)

2015-16 Season

  • Overgrown Path (Kylián) “Our Evenings,” “A Blown-Away Leaf,” “They Chattered Like Swallows,” “Unutterable Anguish”
  • Symphony in C (Balanchine) Fourth movement
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Grandmother, Maid, Doll, Spanish, Mirlitons, Waltz of the Flowers
  • Romeo and Juliet (Cranko) Gypsy, Carnival Dancer
  • The Rite of Spring (Fonte)
  • Barre Spot (Sellars) (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Lyric Pieces (Lang) (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

 

2014-15 Season

  • Tarantella (Balanchine) (Grand America Hotel Ballroom, Salt Lake City)
  • Giselle (Sklute after Perrot and Coralli) Peasant Pas de Quatre, Zulme, Giselle’s Friends, Wilis
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Grandmother, Maid, Doll, Spanish, Mirlitons, Waltz of the Flowers
  • Swan Lake (Sklute, after Petipa) Cygnettes , Neopolitan, Spanish Princess
  • Square Dance (Balanchine)
  • In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (Forsythe)
  • Homage (Adams) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • The Hunt (Addison) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Facades (Smith) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

ON TOUR

  • In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (Forsythe) – 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) – Winspear Opera House, Dallas, Texas
  • The Sixth Beauty (Neenan) – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York
  • The Lottery (Caniparoli) – Joyce Theater, New York City, New York
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) – Austad Auditorium, Ogden, Utah
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) – Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
  • Divertimento No. 15 (Balanchine) – Aspen Performing Arts Center, Aspen, Colorado

2013-14 Season

  • The Firebird (Christensen) Princess (Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City)
  • Who Cares? (Balanchine) “Somebody Loves Me,” “’S Wonderful”
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Grandmother, Doll, Spanish, Mirlitons
  • The Sleeping Beauty (Sklute after Petipa) Lilac Fairy Attendant, Fairy of Joy, Princess Florine
  • Forgotten Land (Kylián)
  • Divertimento #15 (Balanchine)
  • The Sixth Beauty (Neenan) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Paths (Anderson) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)
  • Great Souls (Ruud) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

2012-13 Season

  • But Never Doubt I Love (Pickett)
  • The Lottery (Caniparoli) Mrs. Dunbar
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Maid, Grandmother, Doll, Spanish, Mirlitons
  • Cinderella (Ashton) Stars
  • Jewels (Balanchine) Rubies, Diamonds

2011-12 Season

  • Dracula (Stevenson)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Maid, Grandmother, Spanish, Mirlitons
  • Don Quixote (Holmes after Petipa) Dryad, Cupid
  • Paquita (Kunikova after Petipa)
  • Emeralds (Balanchine)

2010-11 Season

  • The Four Temperaments (Balanchine) Sanguinic
  • Carmina Burana (Butler)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Maid, Grandmother
  • The Sleeping Beauty (world premiere Sklute after Petipa) Lilac Fairy Attendant, Aurora’s Friend
  • Chaconne (Balanchine)
  • Falling Into Loving Arms (Mattingly) Innovations (Rose Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City)

2009-10 Season

  • Songs of the Valley (Marks)
  • The Dream (Ashton)
  • The Nutcracker (Christensen) Grandmother
  • Swan Lake (world premiere of Sklute after Petipa) Cygnettes
  • Serenade (Balanchine)
  • Agon (Balanchine)
  • Stars and Stripes (Balanchine)

2008-09 Season

  • The Tempest (Smuin) Water Sprite
  • 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

 

From top to bottom:  Juliet in Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet, Balanchine’s Serenade © The George Balanchine Trust, Balanchine’s Tarantella © The George Balanchine Trust, Fonte’s Carmina Burana, and The Nightingale in Balanchine’s Le chant du rossignol © The George Balanchine Trust; photos by Beau Pearson