From then on, he enjoyed a lustrous dance career, dancing for companies such as the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Trey McIntyre Project. Garrett then became Chair of the Dance Department at New Mexico School for the Arts. While visiting Boise for a dear friend’s wedding, he heard about the opportunity at Ballet Idaho for the position of Artistic Director.

What were your initial thoughts on being an Artistic Director? Was this a long-time dream?
No, I actually never thought I’d stay in the dance world after performing. When I approached retirement from the stage, I had plans for several different tracks, I had dabbled in real estate, considered a career in psychology, or going to grad school for a design program.

The fact is, the dance world pulled me back and I am so grateful for it.

You’ve lived in some big cities – did you ever see yourself in a smaller town like Boise?
While I love the energy of big cities I’ve lived in like Chicago or San Francisco, I have always wanted to live in a smaller city where the sense of community is stronger. I have been in love with Boise since Courtney and I first visited in 2008. We strolled the downtown farmer’s market, swam in the river, climbed the hill at Camel’s Back Park, and ate croquetas on the basque block…I was smitten…but with all the fun activities and beautiful surroundings aside, it is the people that really make it home. Boise has some really kind, generous, and wonderful people.

We are celebrating 50 years of Ballet Idaho this year. What changes do you see in Ballet Idaho over the next 50 years?
That is a great question. It is hard to cast out that far, but even in the next 5 years, I hope to see Ballet Idaho gain a stronger presence in the Mountain West, and then steadily build a national reputation from there. I don’t see it becoming a significantly larger company. I do see the standards improving; I want to be able to provide a lot more opportunities for these incredible artists to share their talent and passion on stage. Looking at our business model, we need to find ways to get a lot more mileage out of the incredible shows we produce.

This company has developed a distinct voice, but not enough people know how great they are. I want to change that. Part of this is growing our academy and aligning our training to the ideals and values of the professional company. Another way to increase our impact is outreach here in the Treasure Valley and more performances outside of the Boise area. Of course, these things happen when a team comes together around shared goals. We have a great team in place and it is an honor to contribute what I can to the vision for the future of Ballet Idaho.

Working in the performing arts is not for the faint of heart…and yet, I am so grateful to be able to continue to do what I love and share it with others. 50 years is a long time for a ballet company to exist. When I think about how far this company has come, I am inspired by what is possible from here. It is really all about honoring the traditions we are anchored in while seeing who we are and what we do continue to evolve. This requires being able to see beyond the current constraints while operating happily within them. It’s a fascinating challenge.