As Director of the Second Company at Sacramento Ballet, Rhodes Elliott is helping guide the next generation of professional dancers as they transition from intensive training into the realities of a professional career. Before stepping into this leadership role, Elliott spent 11 years performing with Houston Ballet, working alongside some of the most influential choreographers and artists in the field. In this conversation, he shares his vision for the Second Company, how his performing career shapes his teaching philosophy, and what excites him most about the future of ballet.
You performed professionally with Houston Ballet for 11 years. How does that experience shape the way you prepare young dancers for the realities of a professional career?
I was beyond fortunate to have the career I had and to be surrounded by some of the best dancers, choreographers, teachers, and coaches in the world. Those artists showed me what greatness looks like—not only on stage, but also at the front of the studio. I try to hold everyone to a high standard, but I also try to communicate that through honest, constructive, and often positive feedback. In my experience, that’s the best way to yield effective results.
What do you see as the most important bridge the Second Company provides between the school and the main company?
We still provide rigorous instruction and coaching in the studio, but we give members of the Second Company a lot of autonomy and responsibility for their own success. I, alongside the faculty and staff of Sacramento Ballet, am always ready and willing to offer guidance and support to SBSC members, but in a professional setting that may not always be readily available. SBSC dancers become not only stronger dancers, but they also become more equipped to handle the life of a professional dancer.
As a teacher and director, what do you prioritize most in the studio — technique, artistry, musicality, professionalism, or something else?
Tough! I guess it depends on the setting. Class is most often for technique, but there is also room for musicality and artistry. Early on in a rehearsal process the focus may just be on the steps and music, and then you layer in the artistry. At this level, professionalism is already strong within the group, but it also helps that we’re so involved with the main company. For me, I like to prioritize coordination and efficiency. Whether that’s how to move faster or how to maximize our effort, I think a lot of struggles can be eased with a focus on coordination and efficiency.
What qualities do you hope dancers in the Second Company develop beyond strong classical technique?
I hope they learn to enjoy the process and the work that they put in every day. It’s often hard to see improvements when you’re focusing so hard on something for such a long period of time. I hope that the process and the work become the fun part, because that leads to those improvements. Baby steps are still steps forward, and I think we tend to forget that.
Sacramento Ballet has an increasingly international roster and diverse repertoire. How do you incorporate versatility and adaptability into Second Company training?
We provide the Second Company with a wide range of technical backgrounds through their daily instructors. In any given week they may have six different technique teachers, all with different styles of classes. This is how I was trained, and I think it helps shape stronger, more well-rounded dancers. We also try to give them that same versatility in their contemporary training as well as their repertory.
What makes Sacramento Ballet’s Second Company unique compared to similar programs you’ve worked with or seen elsewhere?
I think it’s the balance of working alongside the main company while also having our own repertory throughout the season. We are not only regularly in class with the dancers of Sacramento Ballet, but we’re involved with every full-length production as well as select mixed-rep performances.
At the same time, we also have our own Choreographic Workshop, our annual Family Series production, the Stars of Tomorrow year-end showcase, several performances around Sacramento, and many outreach and community engagement opportunities.
How do performance opportunities factor into your approach to training the Second Company dancers?
Our days are typically full of rehearsals for performances, but we also try to balance those with technique classes as well. Whether that’s pointe class, men’s class, variations, pas de deux, or contemporary classes, we want to be a performance-based program that also fine-tunes every dancer’s technical foundation.
You’ve performed works from choreographers like George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, and Kenneth MacMillan. Are there lessons from those experiences that influence how you coach and mentor dancers today?
Performing in works by those legendary choreographers opened my eyes to unique and incredible styles of movement. Those experiences taught me the importance of being adaptable and well-rounded. I hope to instill that into the dancers of SBSC.
What excites you most about the dancers currently in Sacramento Ballet’s Second Company?
Their approach to every challenge presented to them, and their ability to rise to every occasion, is truly inspiring. This is a strong group that is constantly impressing me and those around them. I’m excited for the rest of the season!
For students dreaming of joining the Second Company one day, what qualities or mindset should they start cultivating now?
Putting in that little bit of extra effort goes a long way, especially if it’s done consistently over time. Making the work itself the fun part leads to improvement. That mindset will prepare a young dancer for SBSC and eventually the company.
How do you hope the Second Company contributes to the larger artistic vision of Sacramento Ballet as a whole?
With a strong Second Company, Sacramento Ballet is able to perform large full-length productions as well as world-renowned mixed repertory programs. As the level of SBSC rises, the level of the main company rises as well. With that comes bigger, better, and more diverse work for everyone. The possibilities on the horizon are vast and inspiring. This is an exciting time for Sacramento Ballet.
Looking ahead a few years, what would success look like for you in this role?
If we can expand the footprint of SBSC throughout our region and across the country, then I would be thrilled. I also want SBSC to continue to be a program that produces strong, capable dancers ready for the professional dance world. Whether that means dancers joining Sacramento Ballet or venturing out to companies around the world, having that track record is vital to the success of the program.
Finally, what inspires you most about working with the next generation of professional ballet dancers?
The level of dancers in this age group is astounding. The artists this generation looks to for inspiration are constantly raising the bar, and that’s incredibly exciting because it shows that ballet is still thriving. This beautiful art form is alive and well, and it looks to be in very good hands.