Meet Serkan Usta
Ballet Des Moines's Artistic Director
Serkan Usta, originally from Istanbul, Turkey, comes to Ballet Des Moines via the prestigious Tulsa Ballet, rated one of the top ten ballet companies in the US. At Tulsa Ballet, he danced for nine years as a senior soloist under Mr. Marcello Angelini, and he was one of the most popular performers to grace the stage. Mr. Usta is a recipient of the Hellman's Scholarship Award and received his dance training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet and the School of San Francisco Ballet. He has toured with both the Kirov and San Francisco Ballet. In September 2002, Usta was featured on the cover of Dance magazine, the professional dance world's premier publication. Usta replaces former Ballet Des Moines artistic director, Ms. Julie Grooters, who is relocating to Idaho with her family.

For more information, or to interview Mr. Usta, please contact Ballet Des Moines at info@balletdesmoines.org.

Letter from the Artistic Director
This year marks a new beginning for me as your artistic director. I hope to model the Ballet Des Moines company after Tulsa Ballet, which has grown the last six years into one of the top ten companies in the United States under the direction of Marcello Angelini. They attract top dancers worldwide, and perform works from some of the most outstanding choreographers in the world. My wife and I were fortunate to have danced with Tulsa Ballet for nine years, and we know what is possible. We realize it won't happen over night, but we can move forward with the same artistic goals that turned Tulsa Ballet into such a dynamic company. As a company, we must dream beyond our dreams, but live within them.

What I bring to the position of artistic director is my knowledge, expertise, and passion, but also my profound respect and gratitude for the first artistic director of this company, Julie Grooters. We have the same vision—to bring professional ballet back to Iowa. I hope to bring to my role as artistic director the same commitment, energy, and sense of purpose that I brought to my work as a dancer with Tulsa Ballet. This new position as an artistic director gives me the opportunity to contribute to the cultural growth of our community, as well as our state. Thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to move forward with Ballet Des Moines.

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