The University of Utah is one of few universities that offers a ballet program and graduating senior Tori Gilbert took full advantage of the opportunities the program provided.
Gilbert’s genuine love of dance is what pushed her to pursue a career in ballet. “I’ve been dancing for forever,” she said. Gilbert says her mom decided to put her in dance when she was three years old, after Gilbert spent hours at the dance studio while her older sister took classes.
“I’ve been obsessed with it ever since, and I love ballet,” she said.
Journey to the U
Gilbert’s love of dance led her to a difficult choice: go straight into the professional dance industry or pursue a degree first. Eventually, Gilbert realized that her love of both education and dance could work hand-in-hand, so she worked toward this opportunity.
“When choosing to go to college, at first I wasn’t even sure because some dancers will go straight out of high school into the professional world,” Gilbert said. “It works for some people, but I was like, ‘I need to get a degree, I still value my education, I am not done learning.’”
From there, Gilbert made the choice to pursue a degree in both ballet and psychology at the University of Utah, which she has thoroughly enjoyed. Gilbert has loved her time here at the U, particularly because of the support and friendship she’s experienced.
“I’ve had an extraordinary time here. There is no toxicity, everyone is supportive,” Gilbert said. “Everyone wants the best for everyone, including our professors and peers. All the opportunities of making friends and performing give you a lot of space to find yourself and what you enjoy.
Gilbert added how close of a bond the dancers in this program have with each other. “Everyone is just so nice,” she said. “The friends that I’ve built here, everyone is so loving and supportive and these are friends I’ll have for life. We may be going in different directions but we’re very close.”
Versatility within the major
Along with the built-in support group, Gilbert said she loved the variety of classes this program has allowed her to take. “Out of all the dance programs, this one is definitely the most versatile while still honing in on your specific interest,” Gilbert said. “You can choose what electives you want to take and gravitate towards certain things.”
One interest Gilbert was able to pursue at the U was choreographing. “I’ve been able to choreograph while I was here, which I had never tried before and I was scared out of my mind to do,” she said. “There’s a class that they offer — it’s a choreography class. It’s called ballet showcase, and it’s not required to graduate, but I think everyone should take it. We produce a full show just on our own.”
Gilbert took full advantage of this opportunity presented to her to explore this new skill. “I’ve produced two pieces which have been rewarding,” Gilbert said.
Both pieces Gilbert produced focused on the contrast between the dance style and music choice. “The piece I did last year was more of a modern piece about the juxtaposition of classical music to contemporary grounded movement and how they can still complement each other even though they’re so different,” Gilbert said. “This year I did a piece called ‘Hey girl, you rock,’ and it was a tribute to ’80s female rock musicians, but I was en pointe, which also juxtaposes the grungy music and the classical movement that you expect from pointe work.”
While Gilbert learned new skills from the versatility the U offers to dance majors, she was also able to improve previous skills. “I still do jazz and contemporary, which is why the U has been really nice because even though I’m a ballet major, and we take a ballet technique class every day for two hours, we still get to take jazz and contemporary and choreography, so we’re still doing other things to keep us versatile,” Gilbert said.
Continuing to hone her jazz, modern and contemporary styles has prepared Gilbert for the professional dance industry. “In ballet companies, you have to be able to do jazz and modern,” Gilbert said. “They expect you to be a versatile mover so I think versatility is very important.”
Life after graduation
As far as plans for the future, Gilbert hopes to be working in a company setting. “I definitely still want to be dancing and definitely within a company setting, not just gigs here and there,” she said.
In preparation for the professional dance industry, Gilbert plans on doing the Utah Ballet Summer Intensive (UBSI) and is currently auditioning for a variety of dance companies. “There’s a contract I’ve been offered for a company in Dallas called Ballet Papillon. I still haven’t committed yet because there are still other options I might be doing,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert also offered advice to anyone just getting their start as a ballet major: “Do everything possible and take every opportunity, even if you’re tired,” she said. “I tried to live in every moment, so even when you’re tired, just do everything. Try everything because you never know what you’re gonna love or what’s gonna be best for you.”
