Breanne Wilson, 23, professional dancer with the Odyssey Dance Theater is now calling South Jordan home. Born and raised in Canada just outside of Calgary, Wilson started dancing as a young child in what she referred to as “Baby Ballet”, but she tried a little of everything including gymnastics and skating. At the age of 6 she found that her heart was fond of dance more than other activities. 

Wilson credits her success this far primarily to two teachers who have played an important role in her dance training, Umran Sumen and Cyndi Scott. Sumen, Leading Soloist with The National Ballet of Turkey, has worked with Wilson for much of her life with classical dance styles including her work with her Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Exams. Scott worked with Wilson in contemporary dance styles as well as Tap.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada, a spin off of the American television show was Wilson’s first taste of the professional spotlight. Wilson participated on the show making it to the end of finals week. After high school Wilson was accepted to The University of Arizona School of Dance, a highly regarded dance program in Collegiate Dance Training.  The School of Dance has more than 500 dancers audition but only accepts about 35 dancers per year into the program. Wilson recalls making the choice to attend Arizona simple, “they were ranked 4th in the nation, and the other three schools were located in New York City. This allowed me to be in a top notch school while still getting a College experience.”

In her senior year she was offered a company spot with the Utah based Odyssey Dance Theater. This company has local productions as well as dances around the world with their touring company. Each year the group is known for their highly popular rendition of “Thriller” performed throughout Utah.

Wilson has now accepted a contract for her second year, which will keep her here in Utah with the Odyssey Dance Theater.  “I love South Jordan”, When she signed with the company she had performances at Kingsbury Hall and rehearsals in Utah County. So there were many cities in between that she could choose, but she seemed to be drawn to the South Jordan area.

Wilson is excited for her upcoming year with Odyssey Dance Theatre and is especially looking forward to her second European tour with the company. This past season, she performed several productions throughout Germany and Switzerland, a highlight of her first season with the company. Right now, she is happy to be in such a beautiful city and have a wonderful community to call home.