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- UVU is partnering with Ballet West to offer academy students college credit opportunities.
- Students can earn credits through a challenge exam, aiding their degree progress.
- The initiative supports Utah's Credit for Prior Learning and workforce development goals.
OREM — Utah Valley University announced a partnership with Ballet West to provide academy students the opportunity to earn college credit while training in dance.
"UVU is celebrating and acknowledging the amount of high-level work that our students are already doing in the studio," said Sarah Taylor, Ballet West Academy's director of business operations.
The Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy trains pre-professional ballet students each year. Advanced students in the Professional Training Division, upper level classes and Trainee programs of the academy will soon be eligible to take a challenge exam to potentially earn college credit at UVU's School of the Arts, the university said in a statement.
Through the partnership, the instruction and performance experience ballet students accomplish at the academy can help them "fast-track their progress toward a college degree at UVU. They can apply their earned credits toward an associate degree in dance, paving the way to a Bachelor of Fine Arts," UVU said.
The program is part of Utah's statewide Credit for Prior Learning and Utah System of Higher Education workforce initiatives that allow students to receive college credit for skills and knowledge acquired outside the traditional college setting.
"This partnership is a milestone in arts education and workforce development," said Courtney Davis, dean of UVU's School of the Arts. "By acknowledging the professional-level training students receive at Ballet West Academy, we're not only supporting their academic and career goals — we're creating a model for how institutions can honor the full spectrum of student achievement."
The partnership eliminates the traditional choice dancers have to make between academic advance and artistic development, allowing students to pursue higher education while continuing rigorous dance training, a statement from Ballet West said.
"We want to provide options for students to advance their educational pursuits while continuing training at (Ballet West Academy)," Taylor said. "In the past, dancers often had to pick one direction or another, but in working with UVU there is a true joint path for (Ballet West Academy) students."
Academy students will still receive professional-caliber dance instruction while also having access to personalized support from UVU School of the Arts to help them customize a path toward a degree. Ballet West Academy Director Evelyn Cisneros-Legate emphasized the long-term value educational opportunity creates.
"No matter what a student's future holds, professional dancers can't dance forever and there will come a time to retrain for a different career. Planning in advance is wise," she said.
More details on the program will be announced during a launch event this summer, Ballet West said. The program will be implemented for fall 2025.
