The Park City Institute

PRESENTS

Program

BachGround

Choreography: Mauro Bigonzetti

Music: J.S. Bach

Dancers: Danielle Dries, Kyra Hughes, Emma Michaux, Michele Wiles, Ross Freeman, Matthew Helms
Pianist: Vedrana Subotic

World Premiere: BalletNext at The Joyce Theater, October 2012

-10 min pause-

Elizabeth and Mary

Choreography: Michele Wiles
Music: Antonio Vivaldi
Dancers: Kayla Madsen, Emma Michaux, Hunter Solomon
Violinist: Crista Shoemake 
Cellist: Kaitlin Findlay

World Premiere: BalletNEXT on Eccles Main Stage, January 2023

-10 min pause-

Surmisable Units

Choreography: Brian Reeder
Music: Piano Phase by Steve Reich
Dancers: Emma Michaux, Danielle Dries, Kyra Hughes, Michele Wiles, Matthew Helms
Pianist: Vedrana Subotic 

World Premiere: New York Live Arts, January 2014

Theater

The Eccles Center is the largest theater in Park City, Utah with 1,269 seats. It is home to Park City Institute's Main Stage Season from October through April each year, presenting a broad range of world-class performing arts from international dance companies to Broadway icons to beloved author/humorists to virtuosos in a host of musical styles from Chamber Music to rock'n'roll.

Health and Safety

The Park City Institute and the Park City School District have taken measures to assure the health and safety of our patrons, staff, and performers. We are constantly adjusting our COVID protocols based on the recommendations of the CDC, and directives of local and state health departments. Permanent changes include, updated HVAC, touch-less restroom faucets, electronic ticketing, electronic programs, enhanced cleaning, and all volunteers and staff to be fully vaccinated.

We recognize that being fully vaccinated and wearing a mask are the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus. If you don’t feel well or have a cough or a fever we ask that you remain home.

Artistic Director

MICHELE WILES left home at age 10 to train at the prestigious Kirov Academy in Washington, D.C. At 16, she won Gold Medal at the 18th International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. In 1998, Michele joined American Ballet Theatre and rose to the very top, dancing principal roles in Swan Lake. Sylvia. The Nutcracker, and more. Michele has always enjoyed fusing styles, which led her to create BalletNEXT in 2011. Michele made Park City BalletNEXT's permanent home in 2019

Dancers

EMMA MICHAUX is a Colorado-based ballet dancer who has just completed her third season as a company artist with Boulder Ballet. Emma has had the privilege of being awarded multiple scholarships from both the Denver Ballet Guild Young Dancers Competition and the Esther Geoffrey Scholarship Competition.

MATTHEW HELMS formally began his training in Colorado on full scholarship at the International Ballet School. In 2008. he received a full scholarship to Ballet West Academy. Matt was promoted to the Ballet West Pre-Professional Trainee Program and at the same time was a guest artist with the Utah Ballet Company & Utah Regional Ballet. Matt joined Boulder Ballet in 2010.

KAYLA MADSEN has been dancing since she was 2. Kayla has attended summer intensives with Houston Ballet and Kansas City Ballet and is a Youth America Grand Prix multi-award winner, including 1st place in Contemporary. She currently dances with MOGA Conservatory.

HUNTER SOLOMON began his training at Steps of Faith and Studio South Performing Arts Center. After graduation, he joined Atlanta Ballet's conservatory program. The following summer he attended Milwaukee Ballet's intensive where he was offered a position in the second company under Rolando Yanes. Hunter joined Boulder Ballet in 2019.

Danielle Dreis first studied ballet at Imagine Ballet Theatre in Ogden, Utah as the youngest company member. She also danced with Creative Arts Academy and attended several international summer intensives including Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Palucca University of Dance Dresden, American Ballet Theatre, Interlochen Arts Academy, Long Beach Ballet, Ballet West, U of U, and more. After graduating from Ogden High, Danielle received a scholarship to study with The Joffrey Ballet in New York City. Some awards and honors include the “People’s Choice Award” Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival, YAGP top 12 senior division, American Ballet Competition 3rd place, PTA Reflections - Choreography Award of Excellence multiple years, So You Think You Can Dance, season 15 semi-finalist, and Dance Moms. She performs with prestigious companies including Ballet Next, SALT Contemporary Dance, Body Logic, The Tabernacle Choir, Municipal Ballet, and more. Danielle most recently completed a contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Ross Freeman, originally from Kent, Washington, began his training at the age of nine at Ensemble Ballet Theater and continued on at Evergreen City Ballet under Kevin Kaiser. At age 16, he was given a near-full scholarship to attend Walnut Hill School for the Arts. After graduating from Walnut Hill, he received a scholarship to attend the University of Arizona’s School of Dance. As a professional, Ross currently dances for Boulder Ballet, T2 Dance Company, and Claire Kendall Creative Projects. Ross has performed principal roles with companies and organizations such as BalletNext, Iowa State University, Hawkinsdance, Denver Ballet Theatre, Ballet Rincon, and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

Kyra Hughes began her training at the Denver Academy of Ballet when she was 5 years old. She trained there under the direction of Rob and Chandra Kuykendall. She spent the 2018-2019 season with Colorado Ballet in their Pre-Professional Division under the instruction of Erica Fishbach. She was fortunate to work with many choreographers including Jayne Persch and Robert Sher-Macherndl. She was promoted to Studio Company at the end of the season and has spent the last three years performing alongside the company in productions including Don Quixote, Giselle, Derek Deane’s Romeo and Juliet, Septime Webre’s Wizard of Oz, Lila York’s Celts, and Balanchine’s Theme and Variations.

Musicians

Over the course of her vibrant and multi-faceted musical career, pianist Vedrana Subotic has distinguished herself as an internationally acclaimed concert artist, pedagogue, and chamber musician.  Subotic's performances have been lauded by critics and audiences  for  both “fierce playing and impressive chops” (Salt Lake Tribune),  and “nuanced and expressive playing, beautifully phrased lines, and a wonderfully light touch.” (Deseret News).  

Subotic, a Steinway Artist, maintains a busy concert and masterclass schedule with over 60  engagements in North and South America, Europe, and Asia every year.

Subotic is an award-winning Professor-Lecturer of Music at the University of Utah, and a Visiting Professor of Piano at the University of Chile.  She serves as the newly appointed President of the World Piano Teachers Association USA, Executive Director of the USA Chapter Conference, and as the Music Director (2002-present) of INTERMEZZO Concert Series based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Subotic is  the  founding member of the Intermezzo Piano Trio, and the state president for the Utah chapter of ALS (American Liszt Society).

Kaitlin Findlay grew up studying the cello with Dr. Carey Cheney. She won the high school concerto competition in her Junior year of high school and was accepted to the National Cello Institute Advanced Residency Program 2 years in a row. She went on to work with Dr. Wesley Baldwin at the University of Tennessee and Dr. Brent Smith at Snow College. She received an honorable mention in the Snow College Concerto Competition in 2016 and graduated from the Commercial Music Program in 2018. She loves exploring new sounds and possibilities on her instrument as well as arranging for the quartet in her spare time. When she isn’t playing with String FX, she loves making videos for her Youtube channel, performing at anime and cosplay conventions, and teaching her music students. 

Violin Artist Crista Guthrie Shoemake is a performer, arranger, music educator, and music ambassador. Crista has also performed onstage with artists such as Josh Groban, Olivia Rodrigo, Piano Guys, William Joseph, David Archuleta, and Cyndi Lauper. From 2015 to 2017, she joined the violin-piano duo 92 Keys, a classically-trained group that created thrilling, cinematic arrangements of popular songs and created music videos for them on YouTube. She contributed to the first 92 Keys EP, available on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, and other music platforms. Since then, she has performed solo arrangement works by the Beatles and Queen and performed in unconventional venues such as an airport terminal, Trader Joe’s grocery store, IKEA, a New York City subway station, and an animal sanctuary in Costa Rica. She is the most recent member of the electric string group String FX and creates music videos and audio recordings for all streaming platforms. She also helps manage and organize events for this group. 

Crista has received undergraduate and Master’s degrees in violin performance from BYU-Idaho and ASU. She currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband and puppy Woody.

Choreographers

Brian Reeder was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and began his dance training with Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. He had the privilege of having a dance career that spanned and consisted mainly of three widely respected dance companies, New York City Ballet (1986-1990), William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt (1990-1993), and American Ballet Theatre (1994-2003). During his time, he danced numerous ballets and featured roles in the works of dance masters of both the past and present. As a choreographer, beginning in 2002, he has created or re-staged his ballets on American Ballet Theatre, ABT Studio Company, Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and Ballet Next among others.

Mauro Bigonzetti received his dance training at the Rome Opera Ballet School, becoming a member of the Rome Opera Ballet in 1978. In 1982, he joined Aterballetto, where he performed works by Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, August Bournonville, William Forsythe, and Jiří Kylián. Mr. Bigonzetti created his first work, Sei in movimento, in 1990. He has since choreographed for companies around the world, including English National Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Staatsballet Berlin, Ballet del Teatro Argentino, New York City Ballet, Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse, and Teatro alla Scala of Milan. In 1997, Mr. Bigonzetti was named Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer of Aterballetto, a position he held until late 2007. He is now focusing full-time on choreography and maintains his role as Aterballetto principal choreographer.

With Thanks to…

The individuals and partner organizations listed below, whose generosity and support have helped make our inaugural Park City season possible:

Park City Recreation Arts and Parks Grant
Park City Community Foundation
Kristin Pothier
Dordy Jourdain
John James
Karrie McKinnon

BalletNEXT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our educational and performance projects are made possible by contributions from generous individuals who support the arts, and love what we do.

Would you consider a gift today? Visit balletnext.com/support

To stay up to date on upcoming BalletNEXT performances, please follow us on Instagram @balletnext and Facebook @balletnextparkcity