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Raymond Van Mason

Choreographer - Dancer

About the artist:

Raymond Van Mason is an independent choreographer and master teacher, as well as the Artistic Director of Imagine Ballet Theatre. He was a Principal Artist with Ballet West (Salt Lake City, UT) where he danced many leading roles in the ballet classics Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, as well as many others, Smuin’s Romeo and Juliet, Stevenson’s Cinderella, Caniparoli’s Ophelia, White Mourning and Ladies of the Camellias, Prokovsky’s Anna Karenina, Hynd’s Rosalinda, and contemporary favorites such as Canfield’s Equinox, Taylor’s Company B, Marks’ Lark Ascending, Butler’s Carmina Burana, as well as many, many other ballets. While with Ballet West he toured throughout the United States and performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He has danced as a guest artist with The Stars of the San Francisco Ballet in Marsielle, France, with the Charleston Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Ballet Etudes, the National Society of Arts and Letters 50th Anniversary Celebration, DanceWest Ballet, as well as numerous arts festivals. His choreographic credits include four world premiere ballets for Ballet West – Seasons, Lady Guinevere, Transparencies and Desert as a Rose, commissioned for the Utah State Centennial celebration. In 1998, Mason was invited to choreograph for Ballet Pacifica’s Choreographic Project and in 1999, he was asked to join Ballet Pacifica as Ballet Master, Teacher, Choreographer and Dancer. While with Ballet Pacifica he choreographed two works - Reverie and Moonlight, which was filmed by the Lloyd Rigler Foundation for broadcast on the Classic Arts Showcase for Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) and some cable networks. Mason has choreographed for Utah Opera Company's productions of Romeo & Juliet and La Traviata. His choreography has been selected by New Choreographers On Pointe for "Ballet Builders, A Showcase in New York City", in 1998 and 1994. For Ballet Builders he presented his ballet Moonlight (1998) and his Fall pas de deux from his ballet Seasons (1994). Mason created Pilgrimage: A Liturgical Ballet (1993) and Requiem: A Liturgical Ballet (1990) works which were commissioned for The Cathedral of the Madeleine Festival of the Arts in Salt Lake City, UT. He has choreographed works for Utah Ballet (Salt Lake City) Chameleon, Carmina Burana and Symphony #7. Additional works have been created for Ballet Etudes with the Phoenix Symphony, Les Ballet GranDiva, Abilene Ballet Theatre for their participation in the Southwest Dance Festival, Lone Star Ballet, University of Kentucky, and Texas Christian University - as well as others. In 2003, he choreographed Hoop Dreams for Les Ballet GranDiva as part of their Japan tour. Mason continues to create numerous works for Imagine Ballet Theatre - Pillow Party, The Three Graces, Waltz Poems, and more.... as well as works for other ballet companies. Professional Career 2004 - Present: Artistic Director of IBT, Choreographer, Master Teacher, Guest Artist 2004 - Present: Adjunct faculty in Ballet at Weber State University, Ogden, UT 2000-2003: 2000-2005: Principal Dancer; Les Ballet GranDiva, Victor Trevino, Artistic Director 1999: Ballet Master, Dancer; Ballet Pacifica, Molly Lynch, Artistic Director 1997-1998: Principal Dancer; Ballet West, Jonas Kage, Artistic Director 1989-1997: Principal Dancer; Ballet West, John Hart, Artistic Director 1987-1989: Soloist; Ballet West, John Hart Artistic Director 1985-1987: Corps de Ballet; Ballet West, John Hart, Artistic Director 1983-1985: Corps de Ballet; Ballet West, Bruce Marks, Artistic Director 1982-1983: Utah Ballet; Bene Arnold, Artistic Director Academic Achievement Academics Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT Other Recognition Utah Best of State Award, 2004, in category of Individual Dancer Utah Artists Grants Past President of University of Utah Fine Arts Alumni Board