Reasons Why Creative Arts Academy
Is A Top Dance Program:
- MISSION: Creative Arts Academy's mission is to create exceptionally trained dancers and artists who also understand the importance of using their talents and skills to give back to their community.
- PLACEMENTS: CAA students have been hired into professional dance companies, accepted and received scholarships to prestigious universities and been hired for commercial work across the United States. CAA students have been accepted and received scholarships to USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, Arts Umbrella, SUNY Purchase, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Weber State University, Southern Utah University and Utah Valley University and have been accepted into Joffrey Ballet's Training Program. CAA dancers have danced professionally for Odyssey Dance Theatre, for the NBA's Utah Jazz, have danced in commercials for Panasonic, on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel's Lalaloopsy Girls Commercials, Skechers "Skech-Air", AT&T; danced for television and film on The Ellen Show, High Strung: Freedance, Glee, Austin and Ally, in music videos for Z Tao "Black and White", Kalin and Myles "Trampoline"; have danced for Divinity Dance Company and Underground Dance Crew. CAA dancers have modeled for Fivedancewear, Weissman and Curtain Call Costumes. Our dancers have been accepted into summer intensives for American Ballet Theatre, Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West, Camp Protégé and San Francisco Conservatory of Dance.
- BALLET TRAINING: CAA was recognized for outstanding ballet training by the Salt Lake Tribune in 2011. CAA ballet instructors are certified through the American Ballet Theatre's teacher training program, one of the most rigorous and prestigious ballet teacher training programs in the world. Our Ballet Company students have received several awards at the Youth America Grand Prix and was the 1st place Ensemble at the 2016 American Ballet Competition. CAA was honored to be named "Outstanding School" at the Denver YAGP semi-final in 2014.
- AWARDS: Our Touring Company students have received numerous first place awards for solo and group dances at NUVO, JUMP, 24Seven, Adrenaline, LA Dance Magic, and Hollywood Vibe dance conventions and was in the Studio of the Year Top 5 at the 2017 Dance Awards Nationals in Las Vegas. CAA was featured in Dance Teacher magazine in 2012. In 2014 our students placed 1st and 2nd in the State Sterling Scholar competition in dance for the State of Utah.
- FACULTY: Our faculty includes several former or current dancers who have danced with Utah’s five major dance companies – Ballet West, Ririe Woodbury, Odyssey Dance Theatre, Repertory Dance Theatre, and SALT and other dance professionals with degrees in dance who have taught in universities and high schools throughout Utah. CAA is committed to hiring the most talented and inspiring teachers in the state.
- STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHY: CAA promotes student choreography. The students perform in blackbox performances twice a year that focuses on modern dance repertory and student choreography. We also attend modern and contemporary dance festivals such as SALT and New Century Dance Festival where students learn new works and have their pieces adjudicated.
- FACILITY AND CLASSES OFFERED: CAA dancers train in the state-of-the-art facility containing eleven dedicated dance studios with sprung marley floors in over 30,000 square feet of space. We offer over 200 classes each week in ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, modern, improv, jazz technique, hip hop, tap and ballroom.
- THREE FULL PRODUCTIONS EACH YEAR: CAA stages three full productions each year: a full ballet production, a contemporary concert and a benefit concert for charity. CAA students have performed Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet classical ballets as well as original contemporary ballet productions including Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz. The students perform in the ballet productions as well as performing all the soloist roles. In our contemporary concerts the dancers perform contemporary, jazz, hip hop, tap and ballroom as well as dance in film.
- BENEFIT CONCERTS FOR CHARITY: Our students shine off the stage as well. CAA's students have raised over $120,000 for local families and charities. The senior dancers in CAA's program are in charge of the benefit concert which helps develop these dancers into great leaders. Our dance companies donate themed baskets and baked goods to sell at the the concert. This inspiring event brings our community together.
- UNIVERSITY PREP: CAA has a program specifically designed to prepare students for their university auditions and college experiences. Students receive guidance and direction from professional dancers and university professors. The students are taught and mentored by these professors who teach classic modern repertory and give the students feedback on their college audition solos. They also help the students prepare for the Sterling Scholar program. We have teachers who have attended Juilliard, The Hartt School, Ohio State University, University of Utah and Brigham Young University.
- UTAH DANCE FESTIVAL: We host Utah Dance Festival in conjunction with Utah Dance Education Organization. We invite studios from throughout the state of Utah to attend and take master classes from university professors and professional dancers. The dancers attending then perform their pieces and have their works adjudicated with verbal and written feedback.
- MASTER CLASSES: We host many master classes throughout the year. We bring in professionals from the competition circuit as well as professional dancers and university professors. Master teachers have included: Travis Wall, Saleemah Knight, Jason Parsons, Chantel Aguirre, Michael Keefe, Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance, Andrew Winghart, Katy Spreadbury, Channing Cooke, Lauren Adams, Francisco Gella, Chehon Wespi'tschopp, Kate Harpootlian, Kristen Gorski, Katherine Lawrence, and Alison Stroming.
