This year’s selections in The Utah Review for the top ten moments of the Utah Enlightenment in 2025, the eleventh annual edition, stood out for being fearless, fierce and indomitable in human spirit. Wholly liberated, art ensures nothing is erased, censored or compromised. Reiterating the core premise of the Utah Enlightenment: In Utah, there are … Read more
In between pieces in Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT)’s sensational Ovation production, Nicholas Cendese, a former RDT dancer who is now executive/artistic co-director for the company, talked briefly about the company’s 60th anniversary as an occasion to celebrate its “luminous pinnacle.” Indeed, this phrase encapsulated the astonishing quintet of commissioned works, including two gorgeous world premieres, … Read more
A celebration of commissioned works, including two world premieres, is set for this week’s blockbuster Ovation production by Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT). As part of its 60th anniversary season, the five works for Ovation constitute one of RDT’s most technically and stamina demanding programs in recent seasons. Just as dynamic as the company’s mission to … Read more
Choreographic works encompassing a tongue-in-cheek reflection upon the sacred and profane cultural dimensions of the many representations of Maria in Latin America, an inspired commentary on sancocho through the story of a 17th-century Afro-Hispanic painter who was an enslaved artisan to a Spanish master artist and a balletic celebration of Cuban music and dance styles … Read more
Sensitive to their historical legacies, two of Utah’s greatest dance institutions opened their new seasons with respective themes of reverberation and migrations, as well as new artistic director leadership at the helms of both companies. RIRIE-WOODBURY DANCE COMPANY: REVERBERATION As noted in a preview at The Utah Review, Leslie Kraus became the company’s fourth artistic … Read more
Repertory Dance Theatre’s (RDT) 60th anniversary season’s first production this week will highlight a profound and fruitful relationship with choreographer Zvi Gotheiner, which spans more than half of the company’s history and whose works have produced some of its most memorable performances. Gotheiner’s Migrations (2022), which also has been restaged by Doron Perk, will receive its … Read more
The first lines in the new chapter of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s history will be written this weekend when the company opens its 62nd season with Reverberation. Along with the reprise of Keith Johnson‘s A Century, A Day, which the company premiered in 2024, there will be two premieres: one by Leslie Kraus, the company’s new … Read more
The Utah Review offers reviews of several recent excellent downtown Salt Lake City performing arts events. ChitraKaavya Dance: In a forest, a deer… In a talkback following ChitraKaavya Dance’s production featuring In a forest, a deer…, an Indian-American audience member who was visiting downtown Salt Lake City on the most recent Labor Day weekend commented … Read more
Marking its tenth anniversary season, UtahPresents, a major performing arts presenter at the University of Utah, has a blockbuster slate for the 2025-2026 season. This includes a phenomenal four-concert jazz series, a trio of internationally acclaimed dance companies on tour, several intriguing theatrical productions touching on contemporary social issues, programs featuring some of Utah’s best-known … Read more
TWOFOLD: REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE LINK SERIES In an internationally recognized hub of modern and contemporary dance such as Salt Lake City, nearly every week brings a show that reflects just how high the bar of excellence is pitched when it comes to movement. As part of Repertory Dance Theatre’s Link Series offerings, always worth checking … Read more