Central Utah Ballet has created a performing opportunity for professional dancers out of work due to the pandemic. This includes dancers who lost dance opportunities due to the pandemic, college graduates who currently have no audition prospects due to COVID-19, and other professional dancers who are unable to pursue professional ballet opportunities.
The purpose of this opportunity is to provide professional ballet dancers with a place to dance, continue their training, and to perform when they would otherwise have no venue to do so during the pandemic.
“When the pandemic hit, I, like many other artistic professionals found myself abruptly out of work,” says Tiare Keeno, one of the dancers. “It has felt like treading rough waters, but this opportunity that Jennie Creer-King offered us has been a beautiful silver lining amidst this tumultuous time. Not only has she provided a beautiful space for us to take weekly classes and a unique performance opportunity, but in a time where we all feel so disconnected, she has given us the chance to safely come together, reconnect, and create something so special as a group. It’s been a tremendous gift to dance again with friends I’ve trained with and work with renowned choreographer, Garrett Smith, whom I’ve known for over two decades.”
“There are so many dancers out of work right now,” says Jennie Creer-King, founder and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet. “Many of them were dancing abroad or nationally before COVID hit, and suddenly their careers were put on hold. Many of them came home to their home-base of Utah to recover and wait to see what happens next.”
The dancers include graduates from Julliard’s school of dance, dancers formerly dancing with Circ du Soleil, dancers performing in China and Barcelona, Ballet West dancers without renewed contracts, and college graduates without current audition prospects.
“Many of these dancers are dancers I’ve worked with for 15-20 years,” says Creer-King. “They are beautiful, talented artists. The pandemic has impacted their professional dance careers—many are having to supplement their incomes by teaching or through part-time jobs. Our goal was to give them somewhere to continue training and working with other talented dancers, to keep them moving forward while we wait for the world right itself again.”
This performance group, directed by Jennie Creer-King, will debut a World Premiere choreographed by Garrett Smith during the Central Utah Ballet “Signatures” performance at The Covey Center of the Arts on February 16, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. This performance includes pre-professional dancers presenting excerpts from Swan Lake and contemporary work by Lindsay Folkman.
