Dancers
Meet The Dancers
The Ballet Etude Company
Our resident company presents professional‑level performances for the community and offers apprentice and trainee positions for developing artists. Meet the current roster: artists, apprentices, and trainees who bring energy and excellence to the stage each season.
On stage you’ll see classical repertoire and original story ballets tailored for family audiences. Behind the scenes, rehearsals emphasize musicality, ensemble work, and clarity of style so productions feel cohesive and engaging for all ages.
Artistic Leadership
Artistic Director and Co-Founder
Kiersten Lewis
Kiersten is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Ballet Etude Company and Academy. She began her ballet training at The Studio for the Performing Arts under the guidance of her parents, Jef and Karen Horne, both former professional dancers with Ballet El Paso. There, she studied ballet, pointe, jazz, and tap, performing in beloved classics such as The Nutcracker and The Firebird, as well as original works. Over the years, she danced many leading roles in The Nutcracker, including Marzipan, Arabian, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy.
Kiersten went on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance from the University of Utah, where she trained extensively in performance, choreography, and teaching. She also studied Pilates and is a certified Progressing Ballet Technique instructor. Her passion for education and excellence in ballet instruction continues to fuel her desire to develop well-rounded, technically strong dancers.
Operations Director, Co-Founder and Company Artist
Madissen Fujimoto
Madissen is the Assistant Artistic Director and co-founder of Ballet Etude Company and Academy. Her love for ballet began at age six and led her to train in Sacramento, California under esteemed teachers such as Marguerite Phares, Barbara Crockett, Alyson Deane, and Shirin Keyani-Rose. She attended Natomas Charter School's Performing and Fine Arts Academy, where she deepened her training and served as a teacher's assistant for Ms. Keyani-Rose. Madissen earned scholarships to attend summer intensives with Sacramento Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, where she studied with master teachers including Ron Cunningham, Carinne Binda, Nolan T'Sani, Fernando Bujones, Peter Stark, and Alonzo King.
After graduating high school, she began teaching ballet in Sacramento before relocating with her family to Rexburg, Idaho-a rural city with no professional ballet opportunities at the time. Longing for the kind of high-quality training and performance experiences she had grown up with, Madissen began to dream of building something more. That dream became a reality in 2022 when she co-founded Ballet Etude in Rexburg, creating a home for serious ballet training and artistic development in a community she now calls home.
Company Artists
Company Artist
Sarah Winiecke
Sarah began dancing at the age of five with creative movement classes, and by eight she had begun her formal ballet training at the Idaho Falls School of Ballet under the direction of Deborah Bean. While studying there, she performed in numerous productions of The Nutcracker with Ballet Idaho and attended several summer intensives at Brigham Young University, where she also trained with guest artists from Ballet Idaho and Ballet West. After graduating from high school, Sarah continued her studies at Brigham Young University in Provo, majoring in dance with a ballet emphasis. During her time at BYU, she performed with both Ballet Showcase Company and Theatre Ballet, touring throughout Arizona, Idaho, and Utah. One of her most treasured roles from this period was dancing the part of Taglioni in Pas de Quatre.
Following graduation, Sarah taught ballet in Utah County for eight years while beginning her family with her husband. Six years ago, she moved to Rexburg and returned to ballet through the Rexburg Arts Center's adult program after a ten-year break to raise her four children. Although the return was challenging, she describes it as one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. During this time, she performed as the Snow Queen and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker and as Lise in La Fille Mal Gardée. She especially cherishes the opportunity to share the stage with her children and even convinced her husband to join her as a party parent in a recent Nutcracker production with IFSB. Most recently, Sarah danced the title role in Peter Pan with Ballet Etude. She also teaches ballet at BYU-Idaho, where she loves passing on her passion for the art form to her students. For Sarah, every class and performance feels like a gift, and she is deeply grateful for the opportunities to continue teaching, training, and performing. She is thrilled to be dancing with Ballet Etude again this season.
Company Artist
Olivia Seedall
Olivia Seedall received her ballet training under the direction of Deborah Bean at the Idaho Falls School of Ballet, where she studied for 14 years. During that time, she performed with the Idaho Falls Symphony in The Nutcracker and Excerpts from the Swan Lake Suite. She also appeared with Eugene Ballet in their touring production of The Nutcracker. At the Idaho Falls School of Ballet, Olivia was featured in leading roles such as a Stepsister in Cinderella, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker. In addition to her performance experience, Olivia has participated in scholarship programs such as Distinguished Young Women, earning talent scholarships from her ballet variations. She is excited to begin her second season with Ballet Etude in Rexburg while also attending BYU-Idaho to further her education.
Company Artist
Kaitlan Calderwood
Kaitlan began dancing at age 5, receiving training under Julia Manley, Dawn Fay, Garrett Ammon, Camcie Foster, and Robert Mills. She performed in The Nutcracker in various roles including Clara, Harlequin doll, Snow, Angels, and Flowers. She also performed in full length productions of The Firebird and Coppelia as Swanhilda. At the age of 16, she left home to pursue an intensive education in ballet at The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL where she trained with Victoria Schneider and Svetlana Osiyeva. While studying there, she performed in The Nutcracker, in excerpts of Sleeping Beauty, and in original works by Svetlana Osiyeva and Mark Godden. In 2011, she joined The Washington Ballet as a trainee and had the opportunity to train with Kee Juan Han. She had many performance opportunities while in DC including over 50 performances of The Nutcracker, as well as dancing in roles in Fives by Choo San Goh, and Push Comes to Shove by Twyla Tharp, which she performed at The Kennedy Center, a crowning moment in her career. In 2012 she left DC and joined Ballet West as a trainee where she was taught by Jeff Rogers and performed in Ballet West’s production of Aladdin. Kaitlan started her education at BYU the following year, while continuing her artistic endeavors by participating in BYU Theater Ballet. While there, she performed in a full length production of Swan Lake, as well experts from Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and several original works by Shayla Bott and Ishan Rustem. She also got to tour in the Pacific Northwest with Theater Ballet and attend RDA in Sacramento, CA. After graduating BYU with a degree in marketing, she turned her efforts to raising a family with her husband. Her greatest joys are her four children. Inspired by her youngest daughter who loves to dance more than anything, Kaitlan has returned to the ballet studio following a 10 year hiatus. She’s excited to be back training and performing on stage again with Ballet Etude.
Apprentices
Apprentice
Sarah Wilson
This is Sarah's first season performing with Ballet Etude. She trained at Colorado Conservatory of Dance for seven years, where she developed a love for both classical ballet and tap. Now a sophomore at BYU, Sarah is majoring in Dance with an emphasis in choreography and performance. Eager to build her career, Sarah is thrilled to perform with Ballet Etude for many years to come.
Apprentice
Paige Owens
Paige is excited to begin her first season as an apprentice with Ballet Etude. Her passion for dance was first sparked at the age of six after watching the ballet Barbie movies, which inspired her to begin training. She studied at Ballet Arts for eight years, where she performed a variety of roles, including her dream role as the Dewdrop Fairy in The Nutcracker. The following season, she had the opportunity to choreograph the Dewdrop variation, furthering her love for both performance and creativity in dance. Paige is grateful for the support of her family and friends and looks forward to continuing her growth with Ballet Etude.
Apprentice
Vilate Turner
Vilate has studied ballet for nine years, beginning her training at Elizabeth's Dance Expressions in Williston, North Dakota, near her hometown. She later continued her studies with the dance faculty at Brigham Young University-Idaho. This is her first season with Ballet Etude, and she looks forward to further developing her artistry while sharing her love of dance with the company and its community.
Apprentice
Kloee Bishop
Kloee Bishop began her dance training at the age of two at Dance Depot in Idaho Falls. She trained and competed in a variety of styles for eight years before transitioning to the Idaho Falls School of Ballet to focus on classical ballet under the direction of Deborah Bean.
During her time there, she performed with the Idaho Falls Symphony in excerpts from Swan Lake and appeared in Eugene Ballet’s touring production of The Nutcracker. She has also been featured in leading roles including Dew Drop in the Blackfoot School of Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker and a Stepsister in the Idaho Falls School of Ballet’s production of Cinderella. In addition to performing, Kloee has spent the past two years teaching at Dance Factory in Pocatello. She is excited to begin dancing with Ballet Etude in Rexburg while attending BYU-Idaho to further her education.
