At Giselle’s House

Michele Wiles’ Park City home is nestled in the back of a wooded neighborhood, hidden from the road by pines and deciduous trees that are currently in the midst of their autumn transformations. The house itself is straight out of a fairytale, with a central stained glass window, an arched front door, and little green shutters. Around the side of the house is Wiles’ ballet studio, a converted three-car garage that is now rigged up with a marley floor and a sound system—and adorned with pointe shoes, framed photos, and other memorabilia from Wiles’ storied ballet career.

Performance

BalletNEXT: “Giselle”

Place

BalletNEXT studios, Park City, Utah, October 22, 2025

Words

Sophie Bress

Michele Wiles rehearsing “Giselle.” Photograph courtesy of Wiles

This studio is the rehearsal space used by Wiles’ company, BalletNEXT, as well as the unexpected setting for an October 22 performance of the company’s “Giselle.” The evening felt like an intimate gathering for an elite group of donors and friends, but it was actually open to the public, a free or donation-based event that invited audiences into the inner sanctum of the former American Ballet Theatre star.

As dancers, we can mark their careers and the passage of time by the studios we return to, day after day. There’s an intimate relationship one develops with these spaces. Dancers know the spots on the floor that are slick or sticky. They know just how far they can jump before meeting the corner of the room, and they can expertly adjust the ending of an across-the-floor phrase to account for a lack of space.

There is something incredibly special about watching dancers in this sort of environment. This performance of “Giselle” (which was moved from the company’s usual performance spot, the Park City Library, several days prior due to technical difficulties) gave the audience this rare opportunity. Wiles, at times, came so close to the first row of the audience that they must have been able to feel the air moving with her steps. Matthew Helms, who danced the role of Albrecht, seemed to know the exact height to which he could lift Wiles, her bun just skimming the ceiling. And when he jumped, his own fingers just barely grazed it. The Wilis (BalletNEXT trainees Charlie Adams, Julia Scherbel, and Courtney Rich) led by Myrtha (Sienna Hopper, a guest artist and Olympic Ballet Theatre trainee), fully realized their movements, adjusting in real time when they ran the risk of meeting a corner or wall. Several of Wiles’ exits left her leaping from the marley floor and out an open garage door into the night.

Michele Wiles and Matthew Helms in “Giselle.” Photograph by Nisian Hughes

Clocking in at just over one hour, this “Giselle” was an abridged version of the classic ballet story, with the less family-friendly bits altered to better appeal to all ages. It was also different in that it was set to a mix of the classical score, Halloween tunes like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “This is Halloween” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and contemporary hits like Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life.” Brief bits of narration by Ellen Frank served as program notes, and young dance students from Soaring Wings International Montessori School joined the company dancers onstage for two short numbers.

BalletNEXT’s “Giselle” was brief but gripping. Even a young boy seated next to me, who began the evening attempting to discreetly play games on his phone, was watching by the end. After the show, Wiles and the dancers mingled with audience members.

At ABT, Wiles told me, she was always cast in the role of Myrtha, and had never had a chance to dance Giselle before creating this version for BalletNEXT. Her performance in the role was inspired and deeply felt, a true testament to the ways a ballet career can shift and change over a lifespan—while always keeping the soul of what made that career blossom in the first place.

When Wiles first launched BalletNEXT following her retirement from ABT, high-profile and unique collaborations made it a focus in the New York City dance scene. After the company moved to Park City in 2019, its projects have garnered less national attention—but that doesn’t make them any less valuable. What Wiles has created in Park City is special. She and her company are truly bringing audiences into the fold, showing ballet in a way that genuinely feels new. I left the performance feeling energized and inspired. BalletNEXT, indeed.

Sophie Bress

Sophie Bress is an arts and culture journalist and dance critic. She regularly contributes to Dance Magazine and Fjord Review, and has also written for the New York Times, NPR, Observer, Pointe, and more.

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