The Dance Center of Walla Walla - (509) 525-0815

Since 1986, Walla Walla's premier ballet studio directed by Idalee Hutson-Fish. Dance From Inside Out!

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 West 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. She moved to Arizona from 1981-83, where she was a soloist with the Arizona Metropolitan Ballet. In 1984 she moved back to Walla Walla to resume her teaching at Whitman College and in 1986, she opened her private ballet school, The Dance Center. From 2001-2011 Idalee taught ballet at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy in the summers. She officially retired from Whitman College in 2012 after a 30 year career and continues to operate her private studio, The Dance Center. In 2008 and 2011, Idalee took a group of dancers, The Performing Company, and parent chaperones on a two week performance tour of Italy. They competed each year in an international dance competition, Dance Grand Prix Italia, with dancers and choreographers from all over the world. The first time they brought home an overall first place award in ballet and second in modern. In 2011 they were awarded first place overall in theater dance, and second place over all in ballet and choreography. In June of 2014, The Performing Company will again travel on a sixteen day tour beginning in Barcelona, Spain at the Dance Grand Prix then on to a 6 city performance tour of Italy.

Tags: Performing Arts Education,Theater