Tooele Valley Academy of Dance in Tooele, Utah, is 100% ballet! Established in 2009 as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, they are able to reach their mission and goals through both private and public support. Both the City of Tooele and the State of Utah have funded their programs throughout these last few years. Additionally, individuals and corporations have donated to their cause. This enables them to produce high caliber performances and gives them the opportunity to offer scholarships to those in need. They are run by a board of directors. Sarah Westhora, the Ballet Director, sits as the Vice President on the board.
Their Academy produces two full-length ballets per year. She has personally directed Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Giselle and Sleeping Beauty. They also created their own ballet in 2012 based off Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. For each ballet they produce, they cast approximately 200 roles. They offer open auditions for the solo and demi-solo roles.
Tooele Valley also auditions a “company” of dancers for the season. These company members are encouraged to attend as many classes as they are able throughout the year and are given service and team building opportunities. They dance in every production as the corps de ballet. Additionally, they can apply for Tooele Valley’s Teacher Assistant Program. Tooele Valley has one instructor and one assistant in each class they offer at their studio.
In Sarah’s opinion, one of the main things that sets their dance studio from other dance studios is their men’s program. They teach students from 3 years of age through adult, males and females. This past year they had 18 males of various ages in their program. Having a strong men’s program allows them to teach a comprehensive curriculum and perform full length pas de deuxs as well as choreography for intricate and extensive groups of men and 
women. They have been fortunate to not need to “hire out” their lead roles because their students and performers are capable of dancing the entire ballet repertoire of the Classical Ballets themselves.
Although Tooele Valley is a “100% ballet” studio, they do offer other classes that support their curriculum. They teach ballet, tap, pre-pointe, pointe, men’s classes, adult ballet and acting classes. Students are placed into preparatory ballet classes according to age until they are old enough to begin leveled classes. Preparatory ballet classes are available for children from the age of 3 years old to 7 years old. Each class includes 10 to 15 minutes of tap instruction. They believe that tap helps children learn rhythm, musicality and coordination and is only taught in the preparatory ballet class structure. The pre-pointe and pointe classes are technique only classes. The Acting Class is available to students enrolled in Levels 2+ and their Men’s Class is open to all males 12 and over.
Sara is exceptionally proud when she sees their students take those extra spare moments to stretch and improve themselves without being asked. This applies to both their body as well as their character. Throughout her time as director, she has seen the older performers assisting the younger ones during class or at rehearsals. Occasionally a student will empty an overflowing trash can or offer to mend a snapped elastic. This shows Sarah that they have pride in themselves and their studio and can look beyond their own needs to those of others.
From Sarah’s experience, the largest mistake a dancer makes, and the most frustrating for an instructor, is when a student fails to either see their own potential or live up to their potential. Laziness, lack of training and/or lack of confidence can lead to technical mistakes and shoddy work, such as looking down at the floor or over at their neighbor instead of confidently at the audience or in the direction they have been taught to look. On the opposite end of this, but perhaps also related to lack of confidence, are those dancers who mistakenly act like they can do no wrong and do not receive coaching well, perhaps thinking they are above it and above everyone else. She does not tolerate those types. She would rather have a self-confident dancer that works hard and is less technically able than a “diva.” Tooele Valley is very strict with their behavior policy from both dancers and parents in this regard.
Sarah’s goal every year is to continue to add upon the last, whether it be in costuming, set work, technique or all of the above. She loves when she hears their audience members at a performance say “wow,” or gasp when something dazzles them or inspires them. She hopes to continue to impress their students and performers as well as their patrons.
When Sarah moved to Tooele Valley in 2007, she was disappointed to find that ballet was not being taught in the area she lived in, or at least not to the standards she had experienced as a youth growing up in large Metropolitan cities. She wanted her daughter to have what she had and she knew to do this she would have to teach her herself. Her vision included the desire to produce full scale ballets in their community and to bring together local artists. She was extremely fortunate to find that many people supported this vision. She and her business partner at the time, Andrew Pankratz, went about forming a non-profit organization knowing it would provide the ideal business plan to reach their goals. The basis of their Academy was set up in a similar fashion to various other Academies of Dance that she admired throughout the world, having been exposed to ballet in Europe as well as the states. She was particularly inspired by the other strictly ballet schools formed as 501(c)3 organizations, such as The Cache Valley School of Ballet in Logan, Utah, and the Ballet West Academy in Salt Lake City.
If you would like more information about Tooele Valley Academy of Dance, visit their website at tvadance.org or call them at 435-241-8964. You can also “Like” them on Facebook.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Sarah Westhora of Tooele Valley Academy of Dance.
