Chanel

Ballet

Chanel is an interdisciplinary artist who finds inspiration in all aspects of the performing arts. From a young age she loved being part of story ballets. She played the role of Clara in the Nutcracker (Utah Metropolitan Ballet ‘01), the wicked witch in Hansel and Gretel (Utah Metropolitan Ballet ‘05), Gerda in the Snow Queen (BYU Theatre Ballet ‘06), friend of Swanhilda in Coppélia (BYU Theatre Ballet ‘07), and the Spring Fairy in Cinderella (BYU Theatre Ballet ‘10). In story ballets the world of acting and dance came alive through Chanel’s performance.

Chanel graduated from Brigham Young University as a member of the Theatre Ballet Touring company and received her BA in Dance with a minor in molecular biology. Chanel became certified in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis from the Integrated Movement Studies program held at the University of Utah. In 2011, she moved to Virginia to become the Ballet Director at Halestone Dance Studio where she used her training in ballet and Laban Movement Analysis to develop a ballet curriculum based in somatic principles and Laban theory. At the same time she studied dance and choreography at Hollins University. She traveled to New York and Europe to train with leading choreographers including William Forsythe and the Frankfurt Ballet. She attended the American Dance Festival on scholarship at Duke University and found a new world of dance performance in modern dance

In 2015, she became the Studio Managing Director with the Washington DC based Company | E and developed a new dance program; the Company | E Movement Center. She directed the students of the Movement Center’s 2017 production of The Jungle Book at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. While teaching, choreographing, and directing, Chanel continued to perform in ballet and contemporary dance with several Washington DC companies and found a unique home with Synetic Theatre. She again was able to merge her love of dance and theatre with Synetic’s unique form of performances, including roles in Beauty and the Beast, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Sleeping Beauty.

In 2019, Chanel’s enthusiasm for performing arts led her to pursue a Master’s Degree at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. As a master’s student Chanel was able to deepen her understanding of all aspects of Theatre; playwriting, acting, theatrical design and media arts. In May 2021 she completed her degree with her thesis focusing on the integration of dance, theatre, and live televisual performance.

Chanel is currently settled in Daybreak, Utah and is looking forward to her new artistic home at UDA. She can’t wait to share her love for ballet and passion for the arts with the UDA students.