Photos By Abbey Lasley
Celebrated artistic director Brandy Jensen, who founded Idaho Ballet Theatre’s legacy, lives on through her daughter Abbey Lasley and fellow artistic directors as they prepare for another year of the Nutcracker performance to come to the stage.
Founded in 2003, the Idaho Ballet Theatre was founded with the mission to train young dancers while building self-confidence and strong character–two traits that Brandy Jensen displayed every day in the studio before her passing in December of 2023.
Brandy’s journey began at Club Apple, formerly the Apple Athletic Club. Abbey said her mom rented a studio at the club and gradually grew until she had enough dancers whom she could support while renting her own space. She went on to rent two studio spaces on opposite sides of town, and eventually consolidated into the theatre’s current location where they’ve taught classical ballet for the past 15 years.
Abbey remembers her mom for many things, but especially for the talent and dedication she brought to both the heart of the studio and of the dancers. “One of the things that was so impactful about my mom was her perfect balance of strength and softness,” she said. “She had an incredible discipline and dedication to excellence, but also truly loved and cherished every dancer in the building.”
In 2023, Abbey along with Joni McDonald took on the roles of artistic directors and continue to carry on Brandy’s legacy.
“My mom was very involved in all aspects of the studio. She did basically everything. When we decided to take over, Joni and I both knew that we couldn't do that,” Abbey said. “We needed to be able to delegate and separate out different responsibilities. It's been fun to see how the artistic director position can also really focus on the artistic role, because we've had a really incredible community come out and be able to rally and fill the other roles that need to be filled.”
With the support of the community and the recent addition of a third artistic director, Abbey, Joni and Jennifer Teuscher have carried on the annual tradition of the Nutcracker performance put on in December. A tradition dear to Abbey, Joni and Jennifer’s hearts as longtime dancers.
Like many other girls, Abbey, Joni and Jennifer began dancing when they were young. As Brandy’s greatest passion outside of her family, ballet became an integral part of Abbey’s life.
Joni and Jennifer describe a similar experience.
“I started dancing when I was three,” Joni said. “My mom taught me and then I trained at Jacqueline’s School of Ballet in Utah, where Brandy also trained and danced.” Following high school, Joni joined the Utah Metropolitan Ballet for 7 years where she landed main roles in The Nutcracker for the Idaho Ballet Theatre. “I would come and perform when Abbey was little tiny,” she said.
Jennifer too began dancing when she was just three years old and went on to train at Jacqueline’s School of Ballet in Utah. Later, she joined the Utah Metropolitan Ballet, where both Joni and Brandy danced. “I used to teach here when Brandy was the director for about 14 years,” Jennifer said. After Brandy’s passing, she began teaching at the studio once a week and recently took on the role of artistic director. “I love the students here, and I love the environment, and I love Abbey and Joni, so it just kind of worked out.”
“It’s been fun to see how we can all trace our ballet history back to Jacqueline’s,” Abbey said. “We all have the same roots and ended up living in the same place and wanting to do the same thing.”
The legacy that Brandy built will forever positively impact the community of dancers in Idaho Falls.
“She had an incredible quality of helping people feel empowered to chase whatever dreams they had,” Abbey said. “Going forward, I hope to teach and remind people about the various ways that she combined her heart and passion for ballet. She was a force, an absolute force of nature and she poured her heart into everything that she did.”