BALLET WEST: SLEEPING BEAUTY EDITOR’S NOTE: This Ballet West review is written by Chris Myers of Argyle Arts. In ballet, opera, theater, and even the classical concert world, there are a number of challenges that arise when presenting what might be considered an “historically accurate” or “original practice” version of a work. But perhaps the … Read more
It might surprise many readers that for critics, writing a review of The Nutcracker ballet is actually not as easy as it might appear. It is one of the most widely performed works in the end-of-the-year holiday season and audiences love it, whether it is in a lavish professional production or a small-town amateur community … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Utah Review is pleased to present this review by guest writer Chris Myers of Argyle Arts. Good artistic programming can result in a performance that is more meaningful than the sum of its already formidable parts. Paired properly, works interact with one another, providing new perspectives and highlighting themes that might otherwise … Read more
INTRODUCTION It has been an enormous project to regain the spirited momentum that many arts and cultural organizations in Utah’s creative industries had amassed before the pandemic brought everything to a ground stop in the early spring of 2020. With resilience and durability exercised to their intrinsic advantages for respective organizations, many creative producers also … Read more
In The Dance of The Building, the ingeniously crafted sixth episode of the In The Balance: Ballet for a Lost Year documentary series, one of the crew leaders for setting the stage of Ballet West’s performances in the Capitol Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City, explains that the real legacy of civilizations in history comprises … Read more
For the second year in a row, Ballet West opens their season with works from renowned choreographer George Balanchine. Noted in the ballet world as a modern-day genius, this year’s Ballets Russes features a triple bill of his most significant early works created for the Ballets Russes in France. Imagined when Balanchine was in his … Read more
More apparent every year, the Utah Enlightenment is audacious, experimental and unflinching in its artistic entrepreneurship. In 2018, the pool for considering the most definitive moments of the Utah Enlightenment was as expansive and diverse as ever. The Utah Review presents the top ten moments for 2018, precisely because of promise and strength among its … Read more
On the heels of Ballet West’s critically acclaimed opening of “The Nutcracker” at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in early December, the company has returned to Salt Lake City to share the magic of Willam Christensen’s holiday favorite with Utah audiences. Holding the distinction of being the first and longest-running full-length production of “The … Read more
Emeralds, rubies and diamonds will grace the stage of the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre beginning November 2 through 10 as the curtain rises on the 55th season of Ballet West performances. Returning to the Ballet West stage, Jewels is a pivotal masterpiece of legendary choreographer George Balanchine. The triple bill—which features three approximately 20-minute … Read more
One of dance’s most powerful functions is its capacity to express something so profoundly that the audience watching it connects to it immediately. As we have listened to the voices of the #MeToo movement that always have been there but suddenly gained the frequency and volume which has asked us to empathize on a deeper … Read more