UTAH COUNTY, Utah – One of the academies of the nation’s ninth largest ballet company celebrated an important milestone Friday.

This month, BalletWest celebrates the tenth anniversary of the dance company’s Utah County Academy.

The campus director has been with BalletWest since she was nine years old. Heather Thackeray started as a student, was a dancer with the company for nineteen years, and continues to dedicate her life to the art of dance.

“It’s like looking back and seeing myself in the mirror,” she said. “You learn about your self-worth. You can figure out what that is and really create meaning for yourself.”

On Friday, the school hosted a party for dancers and their families.

“My friends here are like sisters. They are people I see for hours every day and with whom I practically live,” said Mallory Ostmark.

Morgan Whatcott remembers the first time she opened her first box of pointe shoes.

“It was so exciting. I couldn’t stop taking them out and looking at them,” she recalls.

The skills they have acquired and the lessons they have learned are the reason they return to class for hours each week.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re shy or not confident enough, I would say just give it a try,” Whatcott said.

“Work on it,” Ostmark advised. “Really try to express yourself in small or big ways.”

Classes started this week, but the campus is still accepting aspiring ballerinas. The first concert will be a Christmas show later this year.

Salt Lake City is home to the first and longest running version of The Nutcracker. This December, Ballet West celebrates the 80th anniversary of the choreographed version by company founder Willam Christensen.