Ballet West celebrates 10th anniversary for Utah County academy

One of the academies for the nation's ninth-largest ballet company celebrated a major milestone Friday.

This month marks BalletWest's 10-year anniversary of the dance company's Utah County academy.

The campus principal has been with BalletWest since she was nine years old. Heather Thackeray started as a student, was a company dancer for nineteen years, and continues to dedicate her life to the art of dance.

"It's like looking back and seeing myself in the mirror," she said. "They get to learn their self-worth. They get to discover what that is and really create meaning for themselves."

On Friday, the school hosted a party for dancers and their families.

"My friends here are like sisters. They're people I see everyday for hours a day and you basically live together," said Mallory Ostmark.

Morgan Whatcott remembers the first time she opened her first box of pointe shoes.

"It was so exciting. I couldn't stop taking them out and looking at them," she recalled.

The skills they've built and the lessons they've learned are what keeps them coming back to class for hours and hours each week.

"It doesn't matter if you're shy or if you're not confident enough, I would say just go for it," said Whatcott.

"Work up to it," advised Ostmark. "Really try to express yourself in small ways or big ways."

Classes started this week, but the campus is still enrolling aspiring ballerinas. The first recital will be a holiday show later this year.

Salt Lake City is home to America's first and longest-running version of The Nutcracker. This December will be Ballet West's 80-year anniversary of the version choreographed by company founder, Willam Christensen.