New faces join Ballet West’s 54th Season

Ballet West will soon welcome new dancers joining its troupe for the 2017-18 Season. The Salt Lake City-based company will see new additions and three promotions as part of its 54th season roster. The most noteworthy promotion is of Adrian Fry to the position of Principal Artist, an upgrade from First Soloist.

From Omaha, Nebraska originally, Fry joined Ballet West in 2010, and has steadily risen through the ranks since then. He’s won awards for his choreography, received a City Weekly Arty Award for Best Dancer, and traveled around the world, performing in Cuba, Amsterdam, New York, and at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

“Adrian is an elegant performer with a powerful, yet quiet stage presence and unique, fluid movement quality,” said Ballet West CEO and Artistic Director Adam Sklute. “He is a deep and thoughtful artist who commits completely to every assignment. It has been an honor to watch him grow and develop into one of Ballet West’s leading artists.”

Both Chelsea Keefer from Huntsville, Utah and Gabrielle Salvatto from the Bronx, New York are being promoted to Demi Soloists from Corps Artists. 

Ballet West II Dancer Kyle Davis from Chicago will be promoted to Corps Artist.

Earlier in the year Olivia Gusti from Saint Petersburg, Florida; Emily Neale from Acton, Massachusetts; Joshua Shutkind from New York City; and Kristina Weimer from Montgomery, New Jersey were promoted from Ballet West II to the main company as Corps Artists. 

Dominic James Ballard from Albury, Australia and Lilly Cascells from Houston, Texas, both of whom auditioned for Sklute during a nationwide tour, have also been hired into the main company as Corps Artists.

Joining Ballet West II are Boris Ceballos from Cali, Columbia; Cy Doherty from Burlingame, California; and Joseph Lynch from Cumberland, Rhode Island. Being promoted into Ballet West II from Ballet West’s own Professional Training Division are Jordan DePina from Seal Beach, California; Ashleigh Richardson from Ogden, Utah; Jackson Schene from Carmel, Indiana; and Victoria Vassos from Arbedo, Switzerland.

“I’m delighted to be promoting these wonderful dancers. They have worked hard and grown into beautiful artists worthy of a world-class company,” said Sklute. “I’m particularly proud that next season will mark a significant milestone: 25 of our 40 company members have grown up through Ballet West II, including four of our Principal Artists and 13 of our company and second company dancers were products of the Ballet West Academy. I am gratified that my commitment to bringing dancers from within our ranks is showing results and it speaks volumes to the amazing growth of the Ballet West Academy as a world-class training facility.”

For more information, visit www.balletwest.org.

Photo: Principal Adrian Fry and Soloist Alexander MacFarlan. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor.