When you think of the ballet, Boise might not be the first city that comes to mind. Going to a Ballet Idaho show, however, might just change that.
As Idaho’s premier professional ballet company, Ballet Idaho combines bold artistry with diverse talent to bring state-of-the-art dance to the Boise community.
Ballet Idaho’s newest show, “Anthology,” premiered last week and will show at the Boise State Special Events Center (SPEC) until Feb. 21. “Anthology” is a collection of four unique works, ranging from neoclassical storytelling pieces to bold contemporary works.
“I really like getting to try a bunch of different things and to expand my horizons,” Soloist Cydney Covert said. “It’s especially challenging to do a bunch of different kinds of dance all in one show.”
For Covert and the company’s other dancers, ballet is a true nine-to-five job — one that requires constant discipline, learning and practice.
“It’s super physically demanding,” she said. “It requires that we take really good care of ourselves, both inside and outside of work.”
The dancers start each morning with dance classes where they continually refine their skills. The dancers then spend their days learning choreography, rehearsing sections and getting coached on every turn and landing, polishing each movement with precision.
“You have to be really resilient and open to corrections and feedback to not get too bogged down by what can feel like criticism, but is actually just advice to help you do your job better,” Covert said.
The demanding lifestyle requires the dancers to be highly conscious of their physical and mental health. For Covert, that looks like eating highly nutritious foods, prioritizing sleep and finding small habits like journaling to help her mind rest at the end of each day.
“The thing that drives me is performing and getting to be on stage,” Covert said. “You have to put in the work day-to-day so that once you get on stage and there’s no mirror and there are lights and an audience, you feel confident and secure about what you’re about to do.”
The company’s last couple of months of hard work culminated in their performance of “Anthology,” where a brand new work titled “And Another Picture,” choreographed by Cherice Barton, made its world premiere.
Barton, a California-based choreographer and her collaborator, Nathan Madden, brought the original work to Ballet Idaho after years of developing the idea.
“I come from Hollywood, so of course I dream big,” Barton said.
The piece explores the “dark side of Hollywood,” featuring characters inspired by Marilyn Monroe and other silver screen icons.
“It’s the idea of the glamour and the glitz and what people imagine Hollywood to be, then once you’re immersed in it, you really start to see the darkness underneath it all,” she said. “I wanted to play with that.”
The company only had two weeks to learn and rehearse the entire piece. Barton said working on a new work with dancers she had never met was a “risk,” but she was thrilled with the team’s enthusiasm.
“Today I was just in tears, because the dancers are so invested in their characters,” she said.
For professional dancers, taking on a new show is a welcome challenge.
“Knowing that it’s been tailored to our company makes it really special,” Principal Dancer Elizabeth Kanning said. “There’s just an energy about creating a new work, because everyone’s excited to see what’s going to happen.”
Kanning, who has danced at other professional studios, said that Ballet Idaho stands out for the quality of its dancing and repertoire.
“We’re sometimes described as ‘punching above our weight’,” she said. “The quality of this company is so high considering the size of the city it’s in.”
Kanning said the dancers enjoy performing shows like “Anthology” for its diversity in style and movement. While classic shows like “The Nutcracker” or “Swan Lake” are magical, the team loves to challenge themselves.
Friendship with the other dancers makes the challenge a little easier. Kanning said the company isn’t “cliquey” or “competitive” like outsiders might assume dancers may be. The team supports each other, pushing one another to succeed.
“I’m so impressed by everybody’s talent and dedication and hard work, it makes me want more people to see our shows,” she said.
While the days are long and the work is difficult, Kanning said most days at Ballet Idaho feel like a dream come true.
“My job is to put on this costume and dance,” she said. “This is what you dream of doing when you’re a kid. I feel very lucky.”
