JENNIE CREER-KING — FOUNDER/DIRECTOR
Jennie Creer-King (Founder) is an accomplished professional dancer, teacher, choreographer and mentor. She danced professionally with Ballet West under the direction of John Hart from 1990-1994 in the corps de ballet. She also danced professionally with Oregon Ballet Theatre under the direction of James Canfield from 1994-1997 as a soloist and principal dancer. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1994 and a Master of Fine Art in 1999 from the University of Utah Ballet Department. Jennie accepted a tenure track position at Brigham Young University from 1999-2004 as a Professor of Dance in the College of Health and Human Performance. At BYU Jennie was appointed the Artistic Director of Theatre Ballet Company where she taught ballet technique, pointe, variations, and choreographed original works as well as re-staging the classics. Jennie has received various awards for teaching and choreography including the prestigious Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award in 2007 in Washington D.C. and Utah’s own Best of State in the category of Best Youth Dance Group 2010 and Choreography category in 2007 and 2008. Jennie was hired as one of two assistant choreographers in the Paralympics Opening ceremonies in 2002 and has been a principal guest artist throughout the mid-west.Jennie was awarded the title of Mrs. Utah United States in 2005-2006 and focused on the platform of “Enriching the Lives of Children Through the Fine Arts” She currently coaches and mentors young woman in pageants and is a judge for various organizations across the country.
In September of 2004 Jennie opened Classical Ballet Academy fulfilling her dream of teaching children. She resides with her husband and three boys in Spanish Fork, Utah and is thrilled to be a working artist in Utah.
JESSICA HARSTON THOMPSON — INSTRUCTOR
Jessica Harston Thompson joined Ballet West in 1994 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1999. Principal roles included the title role in Birgit Culbergs’s Miss Julie, Sanquinic in George Balanchines the Four Temperments, the Sylph in Peter Schaufuss’ La Slyphide, Odette/Odile in Jonas Kage’s Swan Lake, Princess Aurora in Kage’s Sleeping Beauty, the Sugar Plum Fairy in William Christensen’s The Nutcracker as well as the Fairy Godmother and Winter Fairy in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella. Jessica has also been featured in principal roles in the Pas de Deux from Don Quixote, Hans van Manen’s Polish Pieces and Black Cake, and Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto.Jessica retired from Ballet West in 2004 and continues to teach and choreograph. She is married to R. Scott Thompson and they have two daughters, Eva Bell and Marli Jane.
HEATHER FRYXELL — INSTRUCTOR
Heather Fryxell (formerly Heather Sanders) was born and raised in Florida. Upon leaving Miami, Ms. Fryxell attended the University of Utah and Brigham Young University on a full tuition talent scholarship. During her educational experience, Ms. Fryxell danced extensively with both universities’ dance companies and toured the west as a guest artist. Ms. Fryxell then danced with the Atlanta Ballet before joining Southern Ballet Theatre (currently Orlando Ballet) as a principal dancer. In addition to the positions Ms. Fryxell held a Southern Ballet Theatre, she also created her own dance therapy program in which she volunteered her time to teach dance to developmentally-disabled adults.In 2000, Ms. Fryxell co-founded the Central Florida Ballet and the Ballet Academy of Central Florida with Vasile Petrutiu. There she taught in the directed the school, directed the student company, developed her dance therapy program, and danced in the professional company. Upon returning to Utah in 2005, Ms. Fryxell began teaching at Ballet West and Wasatch Dance Center.Ms. Fryxell has danced the leads in all the great classics including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella, and Swan Lake, among other and she has also performed extensively in contemporary works.Ms. Fryxell’s teaching career has spanned 3 decades, teaching ballet to students of all ages and skill level at many schools throughout the country. Having also had extensive experience coaching dancers, Mr. Fryxell has had many award-winning students who have won top honors at national and international ballet competitions. Her greatest accomplishment is her twelve-year-old daughter, Emmaline. Ms. Fryxell is pleased to be part of Classical Ballet Academy.WILSON DOMINGUES
Wilson Domingues performed with the Gulbenkian Ballet, Lisbon, Portugal in Europe for 16 years as a Soloist and toured internationally having had the opportunity of working with some of the most renowned choreographers such as: Paul Taylor, Amanda Miller, Jiri Kylian, Hans Van Manen, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, Mats Ek, Christopher Bruce, Christopher House, Itzik Galili and Angelin Preljocaj among others. His pieces have been presented in the National Dance Conservatoire of Lisbon – Portugal, having had one of his choreographies inserted in the program of the Lisbon 94 European Capital of Culture, was also invited to create works for the Aveiro Dance Company and The Dance Project in Portugal. Along with a position as a Ballet Teacher in a private school from 2001-2005 also did choreographic work within the school. Wilson is currently a scholarship recipient at UVU and is pursuing his Bachelors of Fine Arts Ballet emphasis. In 2009 was the winner of the professional category of the Choreography Design Project organized by the Utah Regional Ballet. Wilson has had his choreography selected to be presented in the informal concert at the 2009 ACDFA conference. He is presently teaching at BYU and UVU.
GARRETT SMITH — RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER
Houston Ballet has been awarded a Fellowship Initiative grant from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, to support the development of new choreography by Houston Ballet Apprentice Garret Smith, 20, in a studio setting.
Peter Martins, founder and artistic director of the Institute, states, “The fellowship is meant to help ballet companies to create an environment in which a choreographer can develop ideas without pressure of stage production. The Institute is committed to classical choreographers who will be creating works for the future.” The Institute was founded in 2000 by Irene Diamond and Peter Martins to promote the development of choreographers and dancers involved in classical choreography by providing opportunities to develop their talents.
On receiving this honor, Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch explains, “We are very proud of Garrett and are pleased to have seen his growth with Houston Ballet II. I am thrilled that his talent has been recognized by such a prestigious institution, and all of us at Houston Ballet look forward to watching his artistic future.”
Originally from Utah, Smith was awarded a scholarship to Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy in 2006, joined Houston Ballet II in 2007, and became a Houston Ballet apprentice in 2009. During his time at Houston Ballet, Smith has choreographed four works for Houston Ballet ll’s repertoire (Found Alone, Subtle Release, Den III and Of Opposing Nature). In 2008, Houston Ballet II performed Den III at the International Youth Festival in Budapest, Hungary.
In a review of Smith’s Of Opposing Nature (2009), dance critic Nichelle Strzepek of Dance Advantage states, ”his choreography was unique with an appealing unpredictability… He is off to a solid start as a maker of dances.” Smith is a national title winner of the New York City Dance Alliance competition, awarded in the junior category at age 13; was selected as Teen Male Outstanding Dancer at 16; and as a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) youngARTS winner he was selected as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts in 2007.
