SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 17, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Two Ballet West dancers tested positive for the COVID-19 virus Tuesday morning, the company announced in a news release.
“Both dancers had recently returned to Salt Lake City from an extended trip to the East Coast,” the news release said. “Since returning to Utah, the two had no contact with Ballet West Academy students, Ballet West staff, or other dancers, and had been traveling out of state since March 1. The two dancers are currently under self-quarantine.”
Executive Director Michael Scolamiero confirmed: “The two dancers who tested positive had not returned to the Ballet West campus, and had not had any contact with other coworkers or students.”
The company will not be releasing more information, based on privacy concerns.
Ballet West officials also emailed the following letter to patrons regarding the current season:
Dear Ballet West Family,
During this unsettling time, all of us at Ballet West are thinking of all of those being affected.
There is irony in the fact that this health crisis has brought us a little closer, and our company deeply appreciates the outpouring of support you’ve shown during this time.
As we continue to closely monitor this situation, Ballet West has made the decision to postpone the Bolero & The Dream program, originally scheduled for April 17-25, which will now be staged June 18-21. The Choreographic Festival will continue to be produced May 14-16, though visiting companies Singapore Dance Theater and Royal New Zealand Ballet will not be able to attend. Ticket holders will be contacted by patron services in the coming weeks regarding their tickets.
The Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy has followed guidelines dictated by the Salt Lake City School District and has closed all campuses until Monday, March 30.
As an organization, our mission has not changed, and we are more committed than ever to producing great art. As we adapt to this challenging time, Ballet West will be engaging our community through online and social media. We want to stay connected by producing content that is entertaining, educational, and stimulating.
We believe art is the lifeblood of humanity. Art delivers humor and satire, art elevates our emotions and feelings, it fosters compassion by bringing us together, and art communicates who we are as a people. As we make our way through the coming weeks, we hope we can all remember that art is not just essential to the human experience–- it is the human experience.
Michael Scolamiero, Executive Director Adam Sklute, Artistic Director
