Michael Bearden, principal dancer with Ballet West in Utah is joining the Scotland’s Ballet West Company for the tour of Swan Lake which opens in Stirling on 4 February and tours to eight Scottish venues, finishing in Greenock on 3 March.  Michael Bearden is to share the role of the Prince with Jonathan Barton, principal dancer at Ballet West, based in Taynuilt, Argyll.

Gillian Barton, Principal of Ballet West said:  “I am delighted that Michael will be joining us for our Scottish tour.  Ballet West will benefit enormously from his skills and experience and we are very keen to develop a close relationship with our namesakes in Utah.  I do hope Michael will be able to indulge his passions for golf and mountain climbing while he is in Scotland.”

The 60-strong company will also feature Sara Maria Smith who won a Genée medal for her portrayal of Black Swan and 2011 Genée finalist, Sarah Mortimer. Students on Ballet West’s BA course in Classical Ballet and Dance Performance have the opportunity to dance alongside the resident professional dancers and guest artists on the tours. The production of Swan Lake will tour to China in the early summer.

Michael Bearden, principal dancer with Ballet West in Utah began his training with Kirt and Linda Hathaway at the Academy of Ballet Arkansas in Little Rock, Arkansas and continues his training at the University of Utah Department of Ballet.

Michael’s performance highlights with Ballet West, Utah, include Oberon in Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream; Pinkerton in Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly; Whip Boy in Glen Tetley’s The Rite of Spring; Tie Boy and Ghost in Christopher Bruce’s Ghost Dances; a principal role in Ben Stevenson’s Three Preludes; the Prince in Stevenson’s Cinderella; The Lover in Antony Tudor’s Lilac Garden, The Husband in Tudor’s Echoing of Trumpets and The Painter in his Offenbach In the Underworld; and a leading role in George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco.

Michael’s additional interests include golfing and mountain climbing. In 2007, he climbed Mt. Rainier in Washington, and in 2009 he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Ballet West is a dance school and company based in Taynuilt, near Oban, Argyll, established in 1991 by Gillian Barton. Ballet West was the first Scottish dance school to launch a BA course in Classical Ballet and Dance Performance three years ago.  The course is run in association with North Highland College, an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands.  It gives students the opportunity to gain an academic qualification in parallel with their performance training.

During 2011 17 performances of Romeo and Juliet were given in 12 cities around China. Ballet West also delivers courses for Aspiring Professionals in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth, an extensive local outreach programme, and School Holiday courses in Taynuilt.

Source: Scottish Ballet