A season of ballet, 20 years in the making

After leading Ballet West for 20 years, knowing this season is his last, how does a director choose the final program?

That's the question artistic director Adam Sklute faced when building Ballet West's 2026–27 season. Do the math and it's really only five decisions, since "The Nutcracker" and "Works from Within" were already locked into the calendar.

Filling out a farewell season

His criteria for the productions that would mark his 20th anniversary and final season came down to three things: audience favorites, renowned classics and unique contemporary gems.

It would seem like a simple filter, except that it's an impossibly large library to choose from. Ballet traces back to the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and in the five centuries since, choreographers have added thousands of works, with more added every year.

The 19th and 20th centuries alone gave us 50 to 100 ballets considered the backbone of nearly every major company: "Swan Lake," "Giselle," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Don Quixote" and, of course, "The Nutcracker."

Then came George Balanchine, who choreographed more than 400 works by himself, alongside Martha Graham and the wave of contemporary choreographers still creating today.

This could easily land in decision-fatigue territory.

But a season had to be built, consisting of two full-length productions anchoring fall and spring, a number of contemporary works for another two programs, and a Family Classics Series selection, rounding out the fixed productions ("The Nutcracker" and "Works from Within").

What emerged this season checks everything on Sklute's crucial criteria, starting with an audience favorite so beloved it sold out last year.

"I have chosen to celebrate my 20th anniversary with a season of audience favorites, renowned classics and some unique contemporary gems that highlight the strength and diversity that have been the hallmark of Ballet West throughout my tenure," Sklute said.

Leading the season with 'Dracula'

Only a small handful of companies attempt this production. It's big, technically demanding and requires dancers capable of both serious classical technique and theatrical stagecraft. Ballet West has both, in spades.

"Personally, I feel like Ben Stevenson's version of 'Dracula' is the best version for a classical ballet company," Sklute said. "It really is wonderful because not only does it get into all of the spooky details that are part of it, but it's also a great classical ballet with hard technical dancing for the entire company. It follows a great classical format, and it also remains very, very entertaining."

Audiences have agreed since the company's first production of it, which took over a decade to bring back to the stage. Since its return, it's been a consistent favorite.

"It's a big, challenging production," Sklute said. "We have at least 50 dancers in there. There are a lot of technical demands, so it requires a very high level of dancing, but also things like flying and explosions and moving parts that are very, very challenging. It's not an easy thing for companies to do."

Two principal artists to take final bows in 'Dracula'

This run of "Dracula" carries even more weight: Two principal artists will retire following the production, which runs Oct. 23–31 at the Janet Quinney Eccles Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. Jenna Rae Herrera and Tyler Gum will conclude their professional dancing careers after 19 and 16 years with Ballet West, respectively.

Both could have retired at the end of last season; instead, they chose to come back specifically for "Dracula," closing out their careers in a production that has defined some of the company's biggest audience moments.

Herrera will move into teaching at Ballet West Academy and spending more time at home with her young son. Gum has accepted the role of assistant artistic director at Ballet Lubbock, a position he began Aug. 3.

The rest of the lineup

Come celebrate the years of dedication they've given this art form and the sacrifices it takes to reach the top of a stage like Ballet West. From there, the season keeps unfolding across every category Sklute set out to fill:

• Audience favorites: "Dracula," and "The Glass Slipper" for the Family Classics Series.
• Renowned classics: "Don Quixote," and "The Nutcracker," marking more than 60 years as a Ballet West tradition.
• Unique contemporary gems: "Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven," from "Red Angels" creator Ulysses Dove; the Utah premiere of Christopher Bruce's "Rooster," set to a fusion of Rolling Stones classics; a trio of pas de deux including Christopher Wheeldon's "Je ne t'Aime Pas" and "This Bitter Earth," and Ben Stevenson's "Three Preludes"; plus George Balanchine's "Symphony in C" and Nicolo Fonte's "Carmina Burana." Then, "Works from Within," where the dancers themselves step into the role of creator.

Come feel it for yourself

It's a season built from Sklute's two decades of instinct about what moves an audience, and it's why so many patrons walk out of the theater changed. As one recent attendee put it simply: "It made me feel."

Come find out what that experience is like. This is the season for it.