The Park City Institute

PRESENTS

Program

The program will begin with Night Realms with choreography Michele Wiles and music by Claude Debussy and Ottorino Respighi played by Koji Atwood accompanied by opera singer Beau Soir Jinxiang.

The evening’s program will also include the Eccles debut of Between the two, a stunning new piece of choreography by Brian Reeder, exclusively created for BalletNEXT. With music by Caroline Shaw performed by Salt Lake string ensemble StringFX, the performance offers a captivating glimpse into the dynamic interplay between dance and music. This complex ballet marks the fifth collaboration between Michele Wiles and Brian Reeder since 2013. Between the Two highlights the dancers as a community as they explore the intricate relationships that bind dance and music together.

The final piece will be the Eccles debut of "Translucent Materials” which is choreographed by Michele Wiles and set to the minimalist pieces of composers Max Richter and Ludivico Einaudi. This piece takes you an emotional journey and showcases the talents of the individual BalletNEXT dancers. Translucent Material features evocative solo harp melodies performed by Bridget Jackson.

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.

Check out the entire lineup of our exciting 2023-24 Winter Series

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

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.

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.

Alexis Bull is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She joined Ballet West II in 2023. She received her training at Coastal Dance Centre, Next Generation Ballet under Philip Neal, and Canada’s National Ballet School. Alexis was chosen to work with The National Ballet of Canada as a supplementary dancer for Serenade, The Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty. She was a silver medalist at World Ballet Competition in the pre-professional category while also being chosen to perform in their All Star Gala.

Alexis has received numerous YAGP awards in both the classical and contemporary category and was chosen to dance in the Final Round at the Lincoln Center. Alexis was also invited to perform in “The Stars of Today Meet The Stars of Tomorrow Gala” at the Tampa Regional. Alexis was previously a Nashville Ballet Second Company Trainee for one year before joining Ballet West II.

Vinicius Lima is from Vitoria, Brazil. He joined the Ballet West Academy as a trainee in 2016, joined Ballet West II in 2018. He was promoted to the main company in 2020. With Ballet West, Vinicius has danced roles in Cranko’s Onegin, Lubrovich’s Concerto Six Twenty-Two, Laplane’s Galantheae, and Nunes’ Orange, among many others.

Musicians

Kat Findlay, cellist, is the director of String FX. Kat got her BA in Commercial Music with an emphasis in performance and uses that knowledge to create and book performing opportunities for her group. Professionally, she enjoys performing, arranging and music design for events and in her free time enjoys video games, anime and hanging with her dog, Nara.

Tara Hoellein was born in Layton, UT and was introduced to the viola at twelve years old, which soon became her voice in a family of singers.

Tara has participated with various groups such as Utah Youth Symphony, All-State Orchestra, Side-by-Side with the Utah Symphony, background performer to Jenny Oaks Baker, and with the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra. She currently performs with Chamber Orchestra Ogden, New American Philharmonic, and StringFX with BalletNext.

She attended Weber State University, University of Utah, and Penn State University where she received degrees in Music Education, Viola Performance and Pedagogy, and a Professional Viola Certificate.

Elisabeth Sims is a teacher and performer of violin and viola in the Salt Lake City area.

Elisabeth received her Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Commercial Music from Snow College. During her time there, she had the opportunity to study with violinists Sara Gunnel, Jack Ashton, and David Park. She then went on to receive her Master of Music degree in violin performance and pedagogy from the University of Utah. She studied violin with Dr. Hasse Borup and viola with Julie Edwards of the Utah Symphony. During her time there she was a member of the Michie Graduate String Quartet and served as the concert master of the Utah Philharmonia Orchestra.

Elisabeth frequently freelances throughout Utah with the group, String FX, in venues such as weddings, funerals, and other events. When not playing violin or viola, Elisabeth enjoys reading, running, and spending time with her husband and family

Clara Hurtado Lee is known for her warm and brilliant soprano voice and skilled dramatic interpretations. Reichel Recommends described her as . . ."vocally stunning. [Her] singing was fluid, lyrical and emotionally charged. . .nothing less than poetic."

Ms. Hurtado Lee has appeared with American West Symphony, Ballet West Guild, Collaborative Vocal Artists of Utah, Draper Symphony, Intermezzo Chamber Music Series, La Musica Lirica (Italy), Lyrical Opera Theater, Mormon Artist's Group, Oratorio Society of Utah, The Orchestra of Temple Square and The Temple Square Chorale, Quest Productions, Salt Lake Choral Artists, Salt Lake Vocal Artists, Standing Opera Company, Utah Symphony & Utah Opera, Utah & Idaho Performing Arts Company, Utah Light Opera, Utah Lyric Opera, and Utah Lyric Opera Ensemble.

Ms. Hurtado Lee began her Doctoral studies in the Fall of 2014 at the University of Utah where she won a coveted spot in the Nancy Marriott Graduate Vocal Quartet.

Pianist Koji Attwood earned performance degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. As a dance collaborator, he has performed with The White Oak Dance Project, Mark Morris Dance Group, and American Ballet Theatre. Additionally, he gave over fifty performances throughout the United States and Europe in 2003-4, sharing the stage with Mikhail Baryshnikov. Currently, Mr. Attwood teaches at the Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City, and has taught at most of the major colleges along the Wasatch front.

Carolyn Munford is a dynamic performer, teacher, and advocate for music education. She began playing the piano at age 5 and the harp at age 9. She spent three formative years as a harp student in Japan before moving with her family to Augusta, Georgia, where she studied with Augusta Symphony harpist Vonda Darr. Carolyn holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Brigham Young University in addition to a Bachelor's Degree and a Master’s Degree in Harp Performance from the University of Arizona under the tutelage of Carrol McLaughlin.

In July 2012, Carolyn was named a semi-finalist in the Ksenia Erdely International Harp Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. Carolyn has had great success at national competitions as well, winning third place in the American Harp Society National Competition in 2011 and being named a winner of the Anne Adams Awards in 2008. While at the University of Arizona, Carolyn was granted a Teaching Assistant position in one of the largest harp departments in the world. She also enjoyed being a member of HarpFusion, and performed in Holland, Belgium, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Brazil as part of the ensemble.

Carolyn served as the Artistic Director of The Urban Youth Harp Ensemble for 7 years, where she taught hundreds of students to play the harp in the Atlanta Public School system. The Urban Youth Harp Ensemble gained local and national acclaim under Carolyn’s leadership and was even featured on CBS Sunday Morning. Carolyn led the Ensemble to perform at prestigious venues such as the Governor’s Mansion, Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial sites, and Atlanta City Hall.

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

The 2023-24 Main Stage Series is made possible with the generous support from the following individuals and organizations

John & Jean Yablonski
Beano Solomon
Kim Li
The Ioannides Family Foundation
DPM Family
Jeanie and Patrick O’Shaughnessy
Joe & Cathy Cleary
Anonymous
St. Regis Deer Valley
Pendry
Marley Construction
Warehouse
Marcella Club
Flanigans

Taylor Adams, Gretchen Anderson, Paul Aronzon & Michelle Hackley, Jo Ann & Jim Askins, The Bland Family Foundation, Marsha Bloom & Bobby Stevenson, Jill & Peter Borst, Roy Buchta, Jana Cole, Holly Etlin, Tom & Lynn Fey, Beth & John Goodwin, Josh Goodwin, Kimberly Gray, Sarah Harding, Robin Hauser, Terry & Ann Marie Horner, Macie House, Eileen & Pete Kitner, Merrill Lewen, Mairi Leining, Jan Manning, Arthur Nicholas, Pat & Charlotte O'Connell, Allen & Rocio Poe, Patti Polster, Craig Reece, The Rosh Foundation, Harris & Debra Rose, Laurie & Owen Schwartz, Julie & Brad Senet, Robert Shallenberg, Claire Schilling & Tim Daniel, Joel & Lisa Shine, Bob Sertner & Steve Batiste, Kirk Sisson, Theresa & Jay Wrobel, Betsy Wallace & Ed Godycki

JW Bennett Hat Company, Explore Park City Real Estate LLC, Doubletree Hotel, Mountain Town Express, Park City Community Foundation, Park City Storage, Summit County RAP Grant, Jeremy Ranch, Summit County Restaurants, The Peaks Hotel, The Promontory Foundation