This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Ballet West is the ninth largest professional ballet company in the country and is the second-largest performing arts organization in Utah with an international reputation for artistic excellence since its founding in 1963. Executive Director Michael Scolamiero joins us with more.
Michael Scolamiero:
Ballet West is home to America’s first Nutcracker, which all started when our founder, Willam Christensen, choreographed the first full-length version of The Nutcracker in the United States in 1944.
This year, we are celebrating 80 years of The Nutcracker, which has become officially known as a Living Historic Landmark by the state of Utah, the first such designation of its kind in the country.
We are the only company that presents this version in the United States, which Christensen first created for the San Francisco Ballet during the height of WWII to provide family entertainment to audiences during a difficult time in the world. It was ideal because of the vast number of children used in the production, when so many able-bodied dancers were enlisted in the military.
Thanks to Christensen, The Nutcracker has become synonymous with the holiday tradition and has become a major revenue stream for ballet companies around the world.
Derek Miller:
For over 60 years, Ballet West has expanded its footprint in our community through innovative performances and preeminent training in dance. To learn more, or to get tickets for The Nutcracker, visit balletwest.org. I’m Derek Miller with the Salt Lake Chamber, Speaking on Business.
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