Professional Service

• School of Dance Ballet Program. Recruitment for the ballet program. 09/2019 - present
• School of Dance Ballet Program. Role: DIstinguished Faculty and Recruiter for the U of U Ballet Program. Recruitment for the Ballet Program. I traveled to Athens, Ga for the RDA Southest festival. 05/2019 - 05/2019
• School of Dance Ballet Program. Role: Audition Coordinator. Scheduled, taught and adjudicated the Ballet Program's National audition tour to 5 cities in addition to the SLC auditions. 01/01/2017 - 02/15/2019
• Department of Ballet. Taught the November recruitment audition class to 50 potential majors. 11/2015 - 11/2015
• University of Utah. Arranged and hosted Guest Master Teacher Roni Mahler during her time here in SLC. 02/07/2014 - 02/09/2014
• Ballet West. Invited Ballet West Alumni to visit and observe rehearsals and classes during Ballet West's 50th Anniversary fall performance. 10/01/2013 - 10/08/2013
• Ballet West. Role: Coach/mentor. I was asked to coach and prepare 2 dancers from Ballet West for the International Ballet Invitational in Beijing, China last June. One was a young professional and she placed 3rd over all in the senior division. The other was a Trainee with Ballet West Academy and she placed top 12 in the junior division. 05/2012 - 06/23/2012
• Ballet West. Performed as part of the cast of a new work in Ballet West's Innovations program. 05/2012 - 05/2012
• Ballet West. Liaison for the Ballet West Summer Intensive. 06/2011 - present

Internal Service

• Faculty Review Committee. Committee member, 10/2022 - 03/2023. Department service.
• Undergraduate Committee. Committee member, 01/2022 - 12/2022. Department service.
• Ballet MFA Candidate review committee. Committee member, 01/2022 - 04/2022. Department service.
• Academic Senate. Committee member, 07/2021 - 07/2024. University service.
• Undergraduate Studies Committee. Committee member, 07/2021 - 07/2023. University service.
• Planning member of the MLK Celebration Week committee. Dance rep, 09/2020 - 01/2021. University service. 07/2021 - 01/2022. University service.
• Ballet Program's Faculty Review Committee. Committe member, 01/13/2021 - 03/01/2021. Department service.
• Ballet MFA candidate committee. Committee member, 01/01/2021 - 03/01/2021. Department service.
• Vetting of the 2021 Ballet Grad candidates. Committee member, 12/2020 - 01/2021. Department service.
• Planning member of the MLK Celebration Week committee. Dance rep, 09/2020 - 01/2021. University service.
• School of Dance Undergraduate Committee. Committee member, 08/2019 - present. Department service.
• Scholarship CHair for the Ballet Program. 08/2019 - 06/2020. Department service.
• Assistant Professor Search Committee. member, 12/2018 - 02/15/2019. Department service.
• Member of the Men's Recruitment Sub-committee. 11/2018 - 02/15/2019. Department service.
• Served on a Graduate Thesis Committee. Member, 09/2018 - 05/2019. Department service.
• I was asked by the Dean to serve on the Arts Education Committee. member, 08/24/2018 - 02/15/2019. College service.
• Graduate Thesis Committee. member, 04/2018 - 02/15/2019. Department service.
• Chair of the Scholarship Committee for the Ballet Program. Chair, 01/01/2018 - 02/15/2019. Department service.
• Served on the Health and Wellness Task force with Pam Handman and Luc Vanier for the School of Dance. Ballet Program representative, 09/2016 - 12/2016. Department service.
• Served on the Scholarship Committee. Ballet Program representative, 09/2016 - 12/2016. Department service.
• Programming Sub-Committee. 08/2016 - 12/2016. Department service.
• Programming sub-committee for the 2016-2017 academic year. Historic work representative, 12/2015 - present. Department service.
• Search Committee Member/Applicant Reviewer for the Position of Professor (Lecturer) . 12/2013 - 04/2014. Department service.
• I am a member of the Life Credit Committee in the Department of Ballet. We are reworking the amount of life credit we give dancers from the professional field based on experience. 09/2013 - 06/2014. Department service.
• Arranged and presented Guest Master Teacher and Lecturer Raymond Lukens for American Ballet Theatre Jacqeline Kennedy Onassis School. 04/2012 - 04/2012. Department service.
• Served on the RPT committee for the department for reappointments of Auxiliary faculty. 03/2012 - 04/2012. University service.
• Creative/Scholarly Research Grant Committee. member of the committee, 02/07/2012 - 04/2012. College service.
• Arranged and presented Guest Master Teacher Johanna Butow. 02/2012 - 02/2012. Department service.
• MCD Performance Scheduling Committee. Ballet Faculty Representative, 01/2012 - 03/2012. Department service.
• Served as the Primary recruiter for the department traveling to Washington DC and New York City for department auditions and arranging another faculty member to audition in LA. University and Department representative, 01/2012 - 01/2012. Department service.

Community Partnership

• Ballet West invited me to teach and present at their Downtown and Park City locations on the School of Dance and the benefits of a college education. 01/2024 - 02/2024
• Utah Dance Institute-I have created a relationship with this studio to provide a place for the ballet undergrad pedagogy and teaching emphases to have a place to do their practicums and observations. 08/2020 - present
• Periodically asked to teach in the Ballet West Academy, for the company or second company to continue the relationship between the U and Ballet West. 01/2016 - 12/2016
• Taught the audition class for Ballet West Academy for their audition for their Professional Training Division. 07/2015 - 07/2015
• Served on the Advisory Committee for choosing a new Director for the Ballet West Academy at Adam Sklute's request. 02/2015 - 04/2015
• Governing Board of the Slat Lake Arts Academy. 08/2014 - 06/2017
• Member of the Governing Board at the Salt Lake Arts Academy. 08/2014 - 06/2017
• Assisted with or helped in arranging another faculty member to assist with the University of Utah National auditions in conjunction with Ballet West's Summer Intensive. 01/2014 - 02/2014
• Taught class and or helped adjudicate auditions for the Ballet West/Univeristy of Utah Summer Intensive . 02/2013 - 03/2013
• Outreach performance for Salt Lake Arts Academy. 12/2012 - 12/2012
• Arranged for University of Utah Ballet Department students to teach choreography classes at the Ballet West Summer Intensive increasing their exposure and offering them vital experience. 06/2012 - present
• Taught the Audition class for the Ballet West Summer Intensive in SLC and Washington DC. 02/2012 - present

Outreach

• I helped arrange, rehearse and present, along with Utah Presents, two outreach perofrmances in the spring of 2023. 03/23/2023 - 03/24/2023
• I continued my relationship with Utah Dance Institute where I teach, mentor and help develop young artists always with an eye towards recruiting for the U and UBSI. I have expanded to teaching Master Classes at a former undergraduate student's studio, West Point Ballet with the same intention. Additionally, I invited Owner and Director, Juliana Martin to guest teach in my Pedagogy 1 course enlisting her boots on the ground knowledge for our current majors. 01/2022 - present
• Faculty Advisor for the U of U Artist Outreach Club. 12/2014 - 04/2015
• Arranged for Salt LAke Arts Academy to attend an outreach performance of Utah Ballet's fall performance. 11/2013 - 11/2013
• Arranged for Master teacher Roni Mahler to present 2 classes for the community as a part of our outreach and recruitment. 10/2013 - 02/2014
• Taught class and or helped adjudicate auditions for the Ballet West/University of Utah Summer Intensive. 01/2013 - 03/2013
• Arranged for two Outreach performances for Title 1 Schools at the University of Utah during our Ballet Ensemble performances. 12/2012 - 12/2012
• Performed in Ballet West's Innovations program for the school Outreach performances. 05/2012 - 05/2012
• Arranged and hosted Master Teacher Raymond Lukens of American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School to teach 2 master classes, 2 Ballet West Company classes and one Ballet West Trainee class. 04/15/2012 - 04/21/2012
• Arranged for and hosted Master Teacher Johanna Butow formerly of American Ballet Theatre, to teach 2 community master classes. 02/09/2012 - 02/11/2012

Honors & Awards

• Governor's Honors Award. Ballet West, 08/2000

Affiliations

• Beijing Dance Academy (BDA), Coordinator of a Faculty exchange, 03/2013 - 03/2014
• Ballet West , Ballet West Liaison, 06/2011 - present
• Ballet West (BW), Former Principal Artist, 06/24/1987 - 06/01/2005

In the Media

• Instagram footage and interview during my time as Assistant Rehearsal Director at Ballet West. 11/01/2022.
• Featured in the U of U's Imagine U campaign in a video montage that aired locally across all networks. 07/2016.
• Featured interview published in the College of Fine Arts sponsored magazine, Studio. 02/2015.
• The College-Company Connection Company-affiliated BFA programs provide professional exposure and a college degree. By Laura Molzahn Published in the October/November 2014 issue. Informal connections between BFA programs and professional troupes have been around for decades. But in the last dozen years, some companies and universities began formalizing their relationships, creating joint BFA/trainee programs that provide enrollees both significant pre-professional experience and a four-year degree. In a time of shrinking job opportunities and rising tuition costs, that makes sense. Maggie Wright Tesch, the University of Utah’s liaison with Ballet West in Salt Lake City (where she formerly danced), explains that combined BFA/pre-professional programs give dancers more settings to train in as well as “a college education, a plan B, because a career can end with one injury.” Among the advantages, Tesch continues, is that students have two sets of coaches, as well as twice the stage time as a regular trainee. University summer intensives provide experience and credits toward a four-year degree. While the workload is intense, such programs tend to be small and are often flexible. Still, they’re not for the faint of heart. Prospective students often audition for the company’s trainee program as well as the university’s dance department. They must be admitted to the school’s academic program and fulfill its basic education graduation requirements. Additionally, with few job openings each year, their chances of being hired by the affiliated company after graduation are small. That can be a source of disappointment—but also spur the dancer’s strength and creativity. Essentially, joint BFA/trainee programs hedge participants’ bets, increasing their time in the studio and on the stage, exposing them to a wide array of choices inside and outside of dance and providing a college degree. While the demands are great, so is the potential payoff . 10/2014.
• I was invited to represent the Department of Ballet in a University of Utah promotional TV spot that was shown on the PAC 12 Network as well as local TV Stations. 08/2014.
• Interview on KUED promoting the Department of Ballet's production of Coppelia. 03/2014.
• Featured Company Class teacher on CW's Breaking Pointe. 06/2012.
• Falling into step: Ballet West and the University of Utah team up to train young dancers By Celia R. Baker Utah’s flagship professional ballet company took root within the University of Utah’s dance department in the 1950s and ’60s under Willam F. Christensen’s guidance. But Ballet West and the U. dance department went on to develop separately during ensuing decades, occasionally falling out of step. A resurgence in cooperation between the ballet powerhouses is under way, and one evidence of that collaborative spirit is the Summer Intensive ballet program, co-sponsored by Ballet West and the U. dance department for the second year. Before last summer, each group had its own summer program. Now they strengthen each other. “It was kind of like a marriage of two needs,” said Maggie Wright Tesch, a former principal ballerina at Ballet West who teaches in the U. dance department. Wright, the U.’s liaison to Ballet West, said the university previously had a for-credit summer ballet program that wasn’t well-attended. At the same time, Ballet West Academy’s summer program was growing and needed a venue. Qualified university students who take the full eight-week program can earn a semester of college credit. That’s a draw for the program and a boon to incoming freshmen in the U.’s dance department. “They get exposed to the Ballet West artistic staff and to guest teachers that teach at both the U. and Ballet West Academy,” Tesch said. “It’s a good way to break into life at the university and a great marriage of the two programs.” Ballet West Academy director Peter Christie said nearly 400 dancers auditioned for the 2011 Summer Intensive; 214 were selected. Of those, about 80 are from Utah, including students from Ballet West Academy and other local ballet schools. The rest come from all over the country, as well as Ukraine, New Zealand and China. 06/11/2011.
• I was asked by The Salt Lake Tribune to consult on the preview showing of the major motion picture, Black Swan. I was asked to discuss my thoughts on the movie based on my experience in having danced the role professionally. 01/2011.
• Utah Ballet 10 April, 2010 Hayes Christensen Theatre, Marriott Center for Dance, University of Utah by Dean Speer I had never seen the student performing company of the Ballet Department at the University of Utah, but had long heard of its excellent reputation and was excited to finally get to be able to see them first-hand myself on a recent visit. I was not disappointed. Four ballets were presented: one by Ballet West’s Bruce Caldwell titled “Thru the Leaded Glass;” one by faculty member Sharee Lane, her “Remembrance;” a commissioned piece by Stevan Novakovich – “Makeshift Dances;” and two stagings by former Ballet West Principal Dancer, Maggie Wright Tesch – the Grand Pas de deux and Pas de trois from “Sleeping Beauty.” “The Sleeping Beauty” presents a standard of one type for dancers to aspire to – technically and artistically of its period. For the Grand Pas de deux, (the dancers) more than rose to the occasion. It was clear they had received the kind of excellent care and coaching from Tesch that artists welcome. By this I mean coaching in style, approach (what to think, feel, anticipate in each phrase or section), and overall interpretation. Both had the right mix of technique and stamina and her opening with the developpé front set the elegant tone for this famous work. The Pas de trois...was another showcase for the (dancers).... Founded by Willam Christensen more than half a century ago, the ballet department at the University of Utah – and its many opportunities for its students – is one of this country’s treasures, second in many peoples’ minds only to Juilliard. I was thrilled to be able to enjoy an evening that showcased Salt Lake’s many talents in a setting dedicated to “Mr. C” and to his modern dance department colleague, Elizabeth “Betty” Hayes. _________________ Dean Speer ballet@u.washington.edu . 04/2010.
• The Salt Lake Tribune interviewed me regarding my 13+ years of performing Willam Christiansens' version of The Sugarplum Fairy in his ballet The Nutcracker. Having received coaching from him, I shared his views on how he saw the role needing to be performed. 01/2010.