Juliana Vorkink Martin
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Juliana Vorkink Martin began her dance training as a shy three year old in a pre-ballet class. She quickly fell in love with ballet and has spent over 20 years in the ballet industry. Juliana earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Ballet emphasizing in Teaching and Character Dance from the University of Utah's Ballet Program -- one of the premier collegiate ballet programs in the country. Mrs. Martin is fully certified in American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum, one of the most respected ballet pedagogy systems in the world. She was also mentored by Raymond Lukens, the co-author of the curriculum, and was asked to present her classes at the curriculum's trainings for aspiring teachers. Juliana has successfully presented students from West Point Ballet for American Ballet Theatre's ballet examinations, with her students passing with merit and honors. Mrs. Martin has attended teacher trainings at Central Youth Pennsylvania Ballet with Marcia Dale Weary in Carlisle, PA. Juliana has trained dozens of dancers for Youth America Grand Prix, the world's largest ballet competition. Many of Mrs. Martin's former dancers have received scholarships and awards, moving on to professional or collegiate dance programs. Juliana is currently an Associate Instructor in ballet at the University of Utah's School of Dance. Juliana is an established classical and contemporary ballet choreographer, completing original story ballets such as Toads and Diamonds, Peter and the Wolf, Hansel and Gretel, and The Wizard of Oz. She was an adjunct professor in Brigham Young University’s Ballet Area and is currently studying to be certified in Stott Pilates. She is also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique, a revolutionary cross-training program designed for ballet dancers. Mrs. Martin has completed teacher trainings with muvMethod. In 2020, Juliana was awarded Riverton City's Business Woman of the Year award for her achievements in business with West Point Ballet. She is also the founder of Utah Theatre Ballet, which is West Point Ballet's resident non-profit performance company. Mrs. Martin is passionate about teaching ballet, but believes that each dancer is a person first, and a dancer second. |
Hannah Hurd
Ballet teacher and Associate Director of Performances
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Hannah Hurd earned a BFA in Ballet Teaching and Choreography at the University of Utah. She began dancing at the age of seven at a local studio in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she developed her love for dance. She wanted to further pursue ballet, so she began training with instructors at Ballet Society of Colorado Springs. In her early teens, Hannah moved to Mesa, Arizona and started dancing for a pre-professional company, Ballet Etudes.
As Hannah advanced in her training throughout the years, she performed many different corps and soloist roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppélia, Giselle, Peter Pan and Peter and the Wolf. At the age of 16, Hannah and other members of her company got the opportunity to perform with the Phoenix Symphony for a New Year's Eve Gala. Hannah has been a guest soloist for Mountain West Ballet productions in Sandy, Utah where she performed major roles in Cinderella, Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty. Hannah received her college training from former Ballet West dancer and coach Maureen Laird, renowned dance critic and coach Regina Zarhina, Calvin Kitten of The Joffrey Ballet and many other artists. Along with her college ballet education, Hannah also performed corps and soloist roles in Les Sylphides and Paquita and choreographed many works for the University of Utah Ballet Showcase performances. Hannah is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She also completed the Progressing Ballet Technique Certified Teacher Curriculum. Hannah continues to pursue dance education and professional training opportunities in staging repertoire, YAGP training, choreography, judging, and teaching. Hannah has enjoyed being a member of the Utah Dance Judges Association from 2013-2017, and enjoys coaching technique for competition groups and solos in all genres. Hannah continues to judge various competitions every Spring. |
Sharlee Peay
Contemporary Director
Ballet teacher
Sharlee began her dance training in Salt Lake City, Utah and went on to graduate with a BA in dance performance from Brigham Young University. While pursuing her college degree, Peay performed with ballet and contemporary companies, touring performances in Idaho, Colorado, India, and China. While pursuing her college degree, Sharlee received several awards including Rookie of the Year, Outstanding Female Performer, and All-Around Excellence in Performance, Academics, Leadership and Choreography. She was also honored to graduate magna cum laude and be on full tuition scholarship for both dance and academics through the duration of her college education; which included the
prestigious Leona Holbrook Scholarship,
Phyllis C. Jacobson Scholarship, and Abrelia Clarissa Hinckley Scholarship.
Sharlee began her professional career, immediately following graduation, with SALT Contemporary Dance in June 2014. As a performer she has studied with and performed works by Peter Chu (chuthis), Jermaine Spivey (Kidd Pivot), Modern Dance Guru Donald McKayle, Alex Ketley (The Foundry), Loni Landon, Joni McDonald, Ching Ching Wong, and Ihsan Rustem amongst others. Peay has also had the opportunity to work with Summer Lee Rhatigan at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance where she studied Ballet, improvisation, contemporary and Ohad Naharin's "gaga" technique and repertoire with Bobby Jene Smith and Tom Weinberger (Batsheva).
Sharlee began teaching at the age of 14 and has taught throughout Utah at various studios teaching ballet and contemporary and setting work on students across the valley. Including work for full length ballets, Nutcrackers, and YAGP. Her 15 years of teaching have brought her to love the unique study, investigation, exploration and hard work that can be found in the studio space. She was recently honored to be a featured choreographer for SALT Contemporary Dance "LINK" Festival in 2019. Sharlee co-founded Oquirrh West Project in May of 2017 where she danced with, choreographed for, and acted as Associate Artistic Director for two seasons. As the current Artistic Director and resident choreographer for the project, she looks forward to continuing her research and exploration.
Sharlee began her professional career, immediately following graduation, with SALT Contemporary Dance in June 2014. As a performer she has studied with and performed works by Peter Chu (chuthis), Jermaine Spivey (Kidd Pivot), Modern Dance Guru Donald McKayle, Alex Ketley (The Foundry), Loni Landon, Joni McDonald, Ching Ching Wong, and Ihsan Rustem amongst others. Peay has also had the opportunity to work with Summer Lee Rhatigan at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance where she studied Ballet, improvisation, contemporary and Ohad Naharin's "gaga" technique and repertoire with Bobby Jene Smith and Tom Weinberger (Batsheva).
Sharlee began teaching at the age of 14 and has taught throughout Utah at various studios teaching ballet and contemporary and setting work on students across the valley. Including work for full length ballets, Nutcrackers, and YAGP. Her 15 years of teaching have brought her to love the unique study, investigation, exploration and hard work that can be found in the studio space. She was recently honored to be a featured choreographer for SALT Contemporary Dance "LINK" Festival in 2019. Sharlee co-founded Oquirrh West Project in May of 2017 where she danced with, choreographed for, and acted as Associate Artistic Director for two seasons. As the current Artistic Director and resident choreographer for the project, she looks forward to continuing her research and exploration.
Kalise Child
Ballet teacher
Kalise began her training with Tatiana Baksheava. At 15 she participated in YAGP and qualified for New York. She then attended North Carolina School of the Arts on scholarship where she graduated from high school with an emphasis in ballet. While at NCSA she was selected to study and perform in Budapest, Hungary.
She earned her BFA and MFA from the University of Utah where she was a recipient of the William F. Christensen scholarship and a member of Utah Ballet. She performed various soloist roles including; Paquita, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Pas de Quatre, Don Quixote, multiple contemporary ballets and toured/performed in Seoul, South Korea. Kalise has had the opportunity to work with renowned choreographers, some of which include; Alonzo King, Thaddeus Davis, Lucas Crandall, Donald McKayle, Giaconda Barbuto, and Robert Moses. She has studied and performed with the Lines Professional Workshop, North West Professional Dance Project, Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert, Utah Contemporary Ballet, Utah Opera (Aida), and Utah Ballet. She taught at Brigham Young University as a full-time faculty member. She choreographed Hansel and Gretel and Cendrillon for the Utah Lyric Opera and thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with various artists in the process. She is certified in mUvmethod yoga and Progressing Ballet Technique. She loves teaching ballet, coaching dancers for YAGP and teaching yoga. She has taught various levels and masterclasses throughout the valley.
She earned her BFA and MFA from the University of Utah where she was a recipient of the William F. Christensen scholarship and a member of Utah Ballet. She performed various soloist roles including; Paquita, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Pas de Quatre, Don Quixote, multiple contemporary ballets and toured/performed in Seoul, South Korea. Kalise has had the opportunity to work with renowned choreographers, some of which include; Alonzo King, Thaddeus Davis, Lucas Crandall, Donald McKayle, Giaconda Barbuto, and Robert Moses. She has studied and performed with the Lines Professional Workshop, North West Professional Dance Project, Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert, Utah Contemporary Ballet, Utah Opera (Aida), and Utah Ballet. She taught at Brigham Young University as a full-time faculty member. She choreographed Hansel and Gretel and Cendrillon for the Utah Lyric Opera and thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with various artists in the process. She is certified in mUvmethod yoga and Progressing Ballet Technique. She loves teaching ballet, coaching dancers for YAGP and teaching yoga. She has taught various levels and masterclasses throughout the valley.
Madyson Wurtzbacher
Ballet teacher
Madyson Wurtzbacher began dancing when she was three years old in Tucson, Arizona. She fell in love with ballet at the age of 10, but still continued to train in all styles of dance up until she graduated high school. Madyson started to seriously focus her education and career in ballet at the time of her acceptance at Brigham Young University, and graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Dance degree in 2021.
While at BYU, Madyson was a part of the Theatre Ballet company under the direction of Shayla Bott, Ashley Parov, and Hilary Wolfley. She performed as a member of the corps in Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle, as well as in George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht. She also performed a pas de deux and soloist role in Gerald Arpino’s Reflections, as well as a partnering role in Paul Taylor’s contemporary work, Airs. Other significant roles that Madyson danced in were in contemporary choreographic works by Martha Graham and José Limón. Madyson was also invited with a select number of dancers, to perform Shayla Bott’s contemporary ballet work at a Women in Dance Leadership Conference in Pennsylvania.
Since graduating, Madyson has become an adjunct faculty member for the BYU ballet dept. She will be teaching technique classes as well as setting choreography on the University students.
While at BYU, Madyson was a part of the Theatre Ballet company under the direction of Shayla Bott, Ashley Parov, and Hilary Wolfley. She performed as a member of the corps in Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle, as well as in George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht. She also performed a pas de deux and soloist role in Gerald Arpino’s Reflections, as well as a partnering role in Paul Taylor’s contemporary work, Airs. Other significant roles that Madyson danced in were in contemporary choreographic works by Martha Graham and José Limón. Madyson was also invited with a select number of dancers, to perform Shayla Bott’s contemporary ballet work at a Women in Dance Leadership Conference in Pennsylvania.
Since graduating, Madyson has become an adjunct faculty member for the BYU ballet dept. She will be teaching technique classes as well as setting choreography on the University students.
Shelley Rollins
Ballet teacher
Shelley started dance lessons at 3 years old with ballet and modern at the UofU. She was hooked. After a couple years Shelley changed to a competitive studio and worked on jazz, tap, and lyrical. As Shelley got older she tried a little bit of everything; Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Modern, Jazz, Theatre, Tap, Clogging, Ballroom, Country Swing, African, Stomp, Break dancing and Hip Hop. Shelley was part of her High School's Dance Company in West Jordan and on Snow College's Dance Company and Musical theatre company. The stage is Shelley's happy place.
Shelley has always wanted to teach, but didn't love the atmosphere of competition dancing and thought that was her only option, so she put that idea in the back of her mind for several years. When she found out she was pregnant with her first daughter, the "dance" discussion came up again and realized she wanted her daughter to try dancing too. Shelley was determined to find a place where she could teach her own daughter. Over time, that place became her own home studio in Saratoga Springs. Shelley ran that studio, one-man-band style, for 4 successful years until they moved here to Riverton. That dream to teach, she thought, was done with the move, but then this opportunity plopped itself in her lap and she has loved being a part of the wonderful West Point Ballet team. The dance training at WPB is top notch and all about the beauty that dance can be.
Shelley has always wanted to teach, but didn't love the atmosphere of competition dancing and thought that was her only option, so she put that idea in the back of her mind for several years. When she found out she was pregnant with her first daughter, the "dance" discussion came up again and realized she wanted her daughter to try dancing too. Shelley was determined to find a place where she could teach her own daughter. Over time, that place became her own home studio in Saratoga Springs. Shelley ran that studio, one-man-band style, for 4 successful years until they moved here to Riverton. That dream to teach, she thought, was done with the move, but then this opportunity plopped itself in her lap and she has loved being a part of the wonderful West Point Ballet team. The dance training at WPB is top notch and all about the beauty that dance can be.
Sara Borazan
Ballet teacher and choreographer
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Sara Borazan attended the University of Utah's Department of Ballet, where she studied the Vaganova Method and discovered her passion for teaching and choreography. As a student in the program, she choreographed nine Student Showcase performance works, two top 12 solos at YAGP semi-finals, was selected as a Resident Choreographer for Regional Dance America’s Choreography Intensive, and was invited to participate in Boston Ballet's Choreography Intensive. She has taught ballet for over 8 years and is thrilled to join the West Point Ballet faculty.
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West Point Ballet Academy
13865 S 2700 W Unit 217 Bluffdale, UT 84065
support@wpballet.com
Text: 385-355-1198
13865 S 2700 W Unit 217 Bluffdale, UT 84065
support@wpballet.com
Text: 385-355-1198