Ballet West Guild’s

Arts Legend Awards

Overview

Ballet West Guild’s Arts Legend Award was established through a grass-roots level desire to recognize individuals from our local Ballet and greater Utah Arts community who have played a particularly active, lengthy, and dedicated role as an artist, producer, administrator, patron or advocate for the Arts.

An ‘audience and community award’ of sorts, the Guild’s Arts Legend Award is an opportunity to articulate and express a deep appreciation from our membership that might not otherwise be deliberately or sufficiently conveyed to the selected recipients.

The Guild’s Arts Legend Award is presented annually to 2-3 individuals, thoughtfully nominated and selected by Ballet West Guild’s Leadership Council.

2022 Award Recipients

Pamela Robinson Harris

Principal Rehearsal Director, Ballet West

Choreographer, Ballet West

Former Principal Dancer, Ballet West

Pam Robinson has spent nearly 4 decades as an artist with Ballet West, first as a young dancer, perfecting her craft into elegant leading roles that many patrons very fondly recall to this day. Pam went on to become Ballet West’s Principal Ballet Mistress (as was the formal term in those days), giving company class, rehearsing and coaching dancers, working on the casting and staging of Ballet West’s major productions, and serving for a time as Interim Artistic Director. Along the way, Pam also developed her skills as a choreographer. She has collaborated with Artistic Director Adam Sklute to create original choreography for new versions of Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle. And since its inception in 2011, Pam has choreographed, scripted and arranged scores for the Family Classics Series. We will always beam along with the Brothers Grimm in the tale of Snow White; thrill with the delicate passion of Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty; and forever return to that enchanted lake, where a sorrowful sacrifice breaks an evil spell and the young maidens are restored, in Swan Lake. Pamela Robinson Harris has quietly guided the Artists of Ballet West and transported entire audiences over time to breathtaking new dimensions, and we are grateful.

Kathleen Gardner

Former Director of Development, Ballet West

Kathleen Harmon Gardner is one of Utah’s own, true-blue ‘Lover of the Arts.’ With a music background and strong ties throughout the community, Kathleen has devoted her life to development of the Arts and Humanities in Utah. This is true for Kathleen in both her professional career and in her personal time. Kathleen served as Director of Development for Ballet West throughout the 1990s and made it a point to personally know every patron. She also worked in development roles with Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah, with Utah Humanities, and with Utah Symphony Utah Opera. Over many decades, Kathleen championed the role of development to the level of art form itself. But for Kathleen, working to sustain and promote the Arts in Utah was never just a job, it has always been, and still is, a true love.

Michael McCulloch

Production Stage Manager, Ballet West

Michael McCulloch has been an indispensable member of Ballet West’s production staff since the 1980s. Working beyond the spotlight, Michael ensures that all of Ballet West’s great art and talented artists shine sublimely for audiences. Michael’s immaculate attention to detail, his consistent willingness to go above and beyond doing whatever is needed to keep the company running smoothly, as well as his deep wisdom for the ‘big picture’ are invaluable assets, not only in production, but for the entire organization.

2021 Award Recipients

David Heuvel

Director of Costume Production Emeritus, Ballet West

David Heuvel continues to have an illustrious career in costume design and production that has taken him to every corner of the globe. Five decades ago, David started as an apprentice at the Opera Theatre in Pretoria, South Africa where he became director of the costume shop for PACT Ballet. In 1979, then-artistic director of Ballet West, Bruce Marks, invited David to head the fledgling company’s costume shop. Under Marks, David helped build the reputation of Ballet West from a regional ballet company to one with international stature. Ballet West’s costume shop is unparalleled, from cohesive designs with historical accuracy to the tactile ability to dye garments. David has also designed and built costumes for Ballet Du Nord, Alberta Ballet, Ballet Met, Singapore Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Caroline Ballet, Ballet Hawaii, Nashville Ballet and Ballet Memphis. In December 2018, David received Governor Gary Herbert’s prestigious Artist Award for Visual Arts. David Heuvel has given us decades of master artistry that has delighted audiences around the world and here at home.

Jóhann Jacobs

Arts Executive Emeritus

Former Executive Director, Ballet West

Jóhann Jacobs’ career in the arts spans more than 30 years. He was elected as Executive Director for Ballet West in 1997 when he brought fresh energy and world-class vision for Ballet West’s future. Jóhann served for more than 16 years, guiding the company with strategic planning, fundraising efforts, finance, and marketing. Jóhann helped establish the Oregon Ballet Theatre in 1989 as Chief Administrative Officer; he also worked as Financial Controller for Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute and as Assistant Director of Salt Lake Arts Council. Jóhann was a founding member of the Aids Project Utah and received the Salute to Volunteers Award from the Volunteers of America, Utah Chapter in 1988. Other awards include the Portland General Electric’s Community Treasures Award for his management of Oregon Ballet Theatre in 1997. Following his retirement from Ballet West, Jóhann also fulfilled a very important and rewarding ‘encore’ career as Director of Development for the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) at the University of Utah.

(no 2020 Awards due to global pandemic/shutdown)

2019 Award Recipients

Bruce Caldwell

Rehearsal Director and Company Archivist, Ballet West

Former Principal Dancer, Ballet West

Bruce Caldwell is one of our very own local legends, having been with Ballet West from the very start. As a young teenager, Bruce was cast as the nephew in Willam Christensen’s The Nutcracker and has been with Ballet West ever since. Fifty years, an entire lifetime, Bruce has devoted himself to Ballet West, to his art, and to our community.

Pam March

Owner, Every Blooming Thing

Ever wonder where the gorgeous ballerina bouquets come from on performance nights, year after year? Ever wonder why we as audience members are so fortunate to have wonderful, elaborate arrangements of fresh flowers to welcome us into the lobby of Capitol Theatre for every performance? They’re all from Pam March, founder and owner for over 40 years of Every Blooming Thing. Not only does Pam provide florals for Ballet West, she provides arrangements for virtually every Arts organization in the valley, including Utah Symphony Utah Opera, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, even Utah Festival Opera. Pam has also served on the Board of Directors for the latter two organizations. Pam works her floral magic for more than just arts organizations. Add to the list of her beneficiaries Primary Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, and KUER. Pam has also been a member of the Guild for many years.

Jeanne Potucek

Community Volunteer, Arts Patron

Jeanne Potucek is a lifelong dancer who joined Mr. C’s Ballet program at the University of Utah, graduated, and never stopped taking and giving class. Jeanne raised all of her four children with ballet training and each of them performed in Willam Christensen’s The Nutcracker over many years. Jeanne served on Ballet West’s Board of Directors for over 30 years and she served as President of Ballet West Guild, and in many other Guild roles. Jeanne has single handedly provided fruit and nutritious snacks to the dancers of Ballet West every single Saturday performance for over 20 years, even for the 11 years that the Guild was on hiatus. And for nearly 20 years, Jeanne has provided a safe and wonderful home for many young artists to live while they train with Ballet West, away from their own home and families. Jeanne is fondly known as ‘TuTu’ with her own following known as ‘TuTu-Nuts.’