Back in 2012 I watched a reality series on ballet called Breaking Pointe. I was entranced by the hard work, high emotions, and edgy competition that occurs in the elite world of ballet. I knew the show was set in Salt Lake City but never dreamed I’d get a behind-the-scenes tour of Ballet West while I was in Utah.

America’s First Nutcracker

One of the most remarkable things to me was learning about Ballet West’s commitment to Willam Christensen’s original production of The Nutcracker ballet. Christensen is considered the grandfather of American ballet which doesn’t seem strong enough for the influence he had on ballet forever after.

Ballet companies across the world still perform The Nutcracker each Christmas and it is typically the bread & butter that keeps ballet companies financially afloat throughout their seasons. I have enjoyed the Cincinnati Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker many times and made it a Christmas tradition when my children were younger. The choreography and stage sets changed almost every season. Not so at Ballet West; they stick to Christensen’s original production whereas many companies put on George Balanchine’s production. Now I want to come back to Ballet West in December to see it!

Costumes

While on the tour, we met Jason Hadley, Director of Costume Production at Ballet West (and formerly the New York City Ballet). We got a tour of the costume room and the stitchers who tailor each costume to each dancer. Ballet West added a wing to the historic Capitol Theatre that allows them to dye fabrics, store patterns and beading, sequins, braids, tights, and costumes.

We got a crash course in the amount of work that goes into making a tutu. A simple layered tutu can take 30 hours to craft. Add sequins, beads and other trim and it could take weeks to finish one of the exquisite costumes that catch the light as dancers move across the stage.

Taylor Swift

Because Ballet West has the staff and space to design such elaborate costumes, they often rent their costumes and sets to other dance companies. Back in 2014, Ballet West got a request to rent their Swan Lake costumes. They sent the costumes out without realizing who would be wearing them. It wasn’t until they saw Taylor Swift’s music video of “Shake It Off” that they realized who had rented THEIR costumes!

The Next Generation of Ballet West

Ballet West is currently the 9th largest ballet company in the US and draws aspiring dancers from all over the world. While there, we saw several studios where young dancers were practicing as part of the Ballet West Academy. It is the 4th largest ballet school in the country. Ballet West also has its own orchestra and pianos in every studio so that dancers can practice to live music.

What impressed me the most was the fact that they’ve created studios that are as large as the stage so that while dancers practice for productions, they can practice in a same-sized studio and learn exactly where to hit their marks.

I almost wish I could go back in time and study ballet myself. I certainly never had any talent for it, but to spend your days among the world of ballet sounds like a fairytale (of brutally hard work). Instead, I will continue to support and admire ballet every chance I get. Hopefully one of those chances will be returning to Utah in December to see Ballet West’s renowned version of Christensen’s Nutcracker. It sounds like an absolute must-see.

Are you a ballet fan?