Tom Mattingly Dance Project to Premiere New Ballet at the Utah Arts Festival Friday, June 22 at 5:30pm, Festival Stage

Tom Mattingly Dance Project to Premiere New Ballet at the Utah Arts Festival

Friday, June 22 at 5:30pm, Festival Stage

Salt Lake City, UT:  Ballet West Soloist Tom Mattingly will premiere a new work during the Utah Arts Festival on Friday, June 22 at 5:30pm on the Festival Stage. It is a commission from the Utah Arts Festival.

“It’s important for the Festival to foster the art of ballet,” says Festival Director Lisa Sewell. “I’m happy to have Tom’s beautiful work and dancers grace our Festival Stage for the second year.”

Tom Mattingly Dance Project returns to the Festival after their 2010 appearance. The company consists of Arolyn Williams (Ballet West first soloist), Jacqueline Straughan (Ballet West soloist), Katie Critchlow (Ballet West demi-soloist), Adrian Fry (Ballet West soloist), Brad Beaks (Ririe-Woodbury), Caine Keenan (former Ririe-Woodbury).

The Company will present its 2010 Festival-commissioned work PRONE with music by Matthew Shoening and Ave Maria a pas de deux created for the South Davis Community Hospital benefit with music by local violinist Lynnette Threadgold. The new commissioned work (currently untitled) will be a lively ballet with music created using a tsugaru shamisen, a traditional Japanese string instrument.

“I'm very proud to be creating a new work again for Utah Arts Festival,” say Mattingly.  “I'm grateful for the opportunity to develop my voice as a choreographer. Because of the new commission I will be able to explore and grow by using both classically trained ballet dancers and modern dancers.” 

Mattingly began his training in his hometown of Ridgecrest, California at Sierra Academy of Dance and continued his training at Virginia School of the Arts. He joined Ballet West in 2008 in the corps de ballet and was promoted to soloist in 2010 and then to first soloist in 2012. 

Mattingly began choreographing in 2009 for Ballet West’s annual Innovations program. Since then he has created works for the Ballet West Academy, Ballet West II, Youth America Grand Prix, Beijing Ballet Invitational, South Davis Community Hospital Benefit, a second work for Ballet West, and in 2010 was the first choreographer invited to create a world premier for the Utah Arts Festival.  He is also a featured member in the television series Breaking Pointe, which airs Thursdays at 7pm this summer on CW30.

The 2012 Utah Arts Festival runs Thursday, June 21 through Sunday, June 24 from noon to 11 pm on Library Square, 400 South and 200 East in downtown Salt Lake City.

Adult admission is $10 at the gate, $7 in advance. Children 12 and under are free. Seniors 65 and above are $5. Reduced adult admission is $5 and available from noon to 3 pm on Thursday and Friday.

For details and more information visit www.uaf.org. Follow the Utah Arts Festival on Facebook and Twitter @utahartsfest.