Michele Hamlett-Weith
Michele Hamlett-Weith

Dance

Michele Hamlett-Weith was 13 years old when her parents signed her up for ballet classes at the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Conservatory in the Center Division. An equivalent to the Conservatory’s current Conservatory Academy, the Center Division gave children and teens the most remarkable leg up they could have dreamed for by studying under the tutelage of incomparable ballerinas and instructors Tatiana Dokoudovska and Shirley Weaver.

“It was my first introduction to the conservatory,” Hamlett-Weith said. “An absolute, rigid classical training in the European technique. The physical training and mental discipline was seriously life-changing.”

black and white photo of Tatiana Dokoudovska
Tatiana Dokoudovska

During this time, Hamlett-Weith also spent summers in Paris, living with an aunt, and continuing her dance training at the Paris Opera, returning to the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Conservatory to learn from guest artists and choreographers during the school year. She was able to take what she learned at º£½ÇÂÛ̳ with her to Paris and vice versa. And with Dokoudovska being the founder and artistic director of the Kansas City Ballet, Hamlett-Weith and the other students of the Center Division as well as Conservatory dance majors were fortunate to be part of the feeder schools to that professional institution.

While performing as a principal dancer with the Kansas City Ballet and being a guest artist with several mid-states regional companies, Hamlett-Weith earned a bachelors in French from º£½ÇÂÛ̳. Her career path has included film and commercial work, directing stage productions and product development. She managed creative direction for children’s television programming with Hallmark Cards and owned and directed her own classical training conservatory businesses. She has taught at Johnson County Community College, Baker University and is currently teaching for the Kansas City Ballet School.

Building Community

For Hamlett-Weith, living her passion in the arts is something she wants to make sure others have the opportunity to do. And one of the places she knew she could make a difference was at her alma mater. She served on the Conservatory Alumni Board from 2009-2013, and began heading special projects for the Women’s Committee for the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Conservatory Executive Board.

Dean of Conservatory with Michele and Chancellor Agrawal
Dean Courtney Crappell, Michele Hamlett-Weith, chairman; and º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Chancellor Mauli Agrawal, Ph.D., at the 2022 Crescendo Gala

In 2022, Hamlett-Weith chaired the Conservatory’s annual gala, Crescendo, a performance and fundraiser unlike any other in Kansas City.

For the occasion, she introduced accomplished artists in every discipline including music, theater, dance, music therapy and education, to the students walking and dancing in their footsteps.

“I wanted to reach into history and bring alumni back to participate in the event,” Hamlett-Weith said. "I’m very grateful for the support I received from º£½ÇÂÛ̳ and the External Relations and Constituent Engagement office for helping me achieve my vision for that event and beyond.”
 
Now as Friends of the Conservatory president, she is on a mission. Realizing that she is both a part of º£½ÇÂÛ̳’s history and its future, she draws on what she learned from her original ballet mentors to help guide the school’s course.
 
“The arts speaks to all of us,” Hamlett-Weith shared. “It’s energizing and thought-provoking. It can be a positive experience as energy. It can be a dark and introspective energy. We are experiencing something as a community when we go to the symphony, when we go to the ballet. We are sitting there as community. And we are united in that beauty and that power of live performance.”
Two dancers in costume dancing together on stage
º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Conservatory students perform at the 2022 Crescendo Gala

To that end, the importance of raising funds for the new Conservatory building is the main focus of the Friends right now. Hamlett-Weith stresses the significance of new dance spaces, black box theater, technical booth and lecture and research spaces, not only for the students, but for accreditation and to reflect on the outstanding faculty the school has and continues to recruit. She is excited that the Friends have already pledged $100,000 that will be matched by 200% and says the Women’s Committee for the Conservatory has done the same.

When it comes to our Conservatory students, whether or not they ultimately pursue the arts on stage, screen, in the classroom or pivot down an entirely different road, Hamlett-Weith’s advice is the same.

“Remain true to your passion. Recognize what thrills you, energizes you and inspires you to stay constantly curious about your art form.”

Coming in May: Crescendo in Concert

When asked what’s next on the agenda, Hamlett-Weith excitedly talks about the upcoming Crescendo in Concert event at 7 p.m. on May 5 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Describing Crescendo in Concert as an exquisitely curated experience, she’s eager for the audience to be surprised by the energetic ride the extraordinary faculty are planning for this year’s concert.

Tickets to Crescendo in Concert will be available via the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts website in early April. 

Champions Spotlight showcases individuals our External Relations office has the distinct privilege to work closely with. These are champions who truly make a difference to all aspects of life at our university. º£½ÇÂÛ̳ is fortunate to have the dedicated, passionate and engaged leadership of Michele Hamlett-Weith who graciously shares her time and talent with our students, faculty and staff.