The Dance Center of Walla Walla

Idalee Hutson-Fish: Biography
Idalee Hutson-Fish: Director of The Dance Center
Idalee began her dance training at age 12 in Boise, Idaho after being inspired by a performance of The Green Table by the Joffrey Ballet. Two years later, she received her first of two summer scholarships to study with the Joffrey Ballet in Tacoma, Washington. She advanced to the San Francisco Ballet School, Ballet We

st at Aspen, and spent four summers with Charles Bennett’s Summer Dance Lab. To pursue her ballet career, Idalee graduated high school at sixteen and attended one year at the University of Utah as a ballet major and one year at the Juilliard School, eventually leaving her formal education behind to become an apprentice with First Chamber Dance Company. In 1976, Idalee was brought to Walla Walla by Charles Bennett, director of First Chamber Dance Company, to be dance captain and lead dancer in Trails West. In 1978, Idalee began teaching ballet at Whitman College where she taught ballet, pointe, craft of choreography and dance production. From 1982-84, Idalee moved to Phoenix, Arizona and was a soloist with the Arizonal Metropolitan Ballet. In 1986 she opened her private business, The Dance Center and is soon to celebrate 30 years in business. From 2001-20011, Idalee taught ballet at The Umbra Institute, an American study abroad school in Perugia, Italy. She has taught at Arizona State University and The University of Idaho. She has been pouring out choreography for 30 years through directing at least three major dance productions per year as well has countless musical productions for local theaters, Whitman College, Walla Walla University and Walla Walla Community College. Idalee has founded and directed her company of studio dancers called The Performing Company since 1988. This year Idalee has founded a non-profit foundation (Danza Classica Ballet Foundation) in order to grow the art of ballet in the Walla Walla valley. Idalee has taken The Performing Company with parent chaperones on a two week performance tour of Spain and Italy in 2008, 2011, and 2014 where they compete in an international dance competition, Dance Grand Prix Europe, with dancers and choreographers from all over the world, and then continued on a two week performance tour of Italy. Each time they brought home overall high pointe awards in ballet, modern and theater dance. Idalee is also pleased to announce that The Performing Company is currently seeking membership in the prestigious Regional Dance America Pacific and plan on taking the company to the annual Festival in Phoenix in May of 2016.