Ballet West celebrates the Utah County academy’s tenth anniversary

Utah County, Utah – On Friday, a significant anniversary was observed by one of the academies of the ninth-largest ballet company in the country.

The Utah County Academy of BalletWest is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month.
Since she was nine years old, the campus principal has been associated with BalletWest. Heather Thackeray began her career as a student, spent nineteen years dancing with a company, and is still passionate about dance.

“It’s like looking back and seeing myself in the mirror,” she stated. “They discover their own value. They get to learn what that is and truly find purpose in their own lives.”

Dancers and their families were invited to a party at the school on Friday.

“I consider my pals here to be sisters. You guys essentially live together, and they’re folks I see every day for hours on end,” Mallory Ostmark remarked.

Morgan Whatcott recalls opening her very first pair of pointe shoes.

It was so thrilling. She remembered, “I couldn’t stop taking them out and admiring them.”

What keeps them coming back to class for hours upon hours every week is the knowledge and abilities they have gained.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re shy or if you’re not confident enough, I would say just go for it,” Whatcott added.

“Strive for it,” suggested Ostmark. “Really try to express yourself in small ways or big ways.”

Although classes began this week, prospective ballerinas can still register with the campus. Later this year, there will be a holiday event for the first recital.

America’s first and longest-running production of The Nutcracker is located in Salt Lake City. The version choreographed by Ballet West’s founder, Willam Christensen, will celebrate its 80th anniversary this December.