After last year’s successful launch of its Emerging Artists program for the Utah Arts Festival, Aimée Dunsmore, UAF’s executive director says UAF once again has opened the jury process to members of the community to help select artists and performers who will be in the festival this year. This year’s listings comprise perhaps the festival’s … Read more
NOVA CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES: DAS LIED VON DER ERDE The clearest example of Thierry Fischer’s 14-year tenure as Utah Symphony’s music director is the significant improvement in the orchestra’s musicianship. Utah Symphony musicians are now prepared to take on everything in the orchestral repertoire, including new music commissions. Fischer is set to take a similar … Read more
REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE: FLIGHT Producing a gratifying trio of works to highlight Earth Month, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) made its Flight program its strongest offering within the last four years. Zvi Gotheiner’s Dancing The Bears Ears, a 2017 commission for the company, and two first-time RDT performances of existing works — José Limón’s The Winged … Read more
With birds, rivers and the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah as the creative anchors, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) will close its regular portion of its 57th season with Flight, featuring two existing works that are being performed for the first time by the company and a revival of a 2017 commissioned piece by choreographer … Read more
Environmental politics often are mired in attitudes that spring from guilt, fear, skepticism, denial and blame. As much as facts, statistics and plain observational data are compelling, there is almost always an aggressive rebuttal to refute, dilute or compromise their significance. As more attention has been focused on saving one of Utah’s greatest natural features, … Read more
WASATCH THEATRE COMPANY: MELANCHOLY PLAY For the Wasatch Theatre Company production, Director Morag Shepherd took to heart Sarah Ruhl’s instructions for Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce: “Melancholy in this play is Bold, Outward, Sassy, Sexy and Unashamed. It is not introverted. It uses, instead, the language of Jacobean direct address.” In a very smart, gratifying … Read more
BALLET WEST: SLEEPING BEAUTY EDITOR’S NOTE: This Ballet West review is written by Chris Myers of Argyle Arts. In ballet, opera, theater, and even the classical concert world, there are a number of challenges that arise when presenting what might be considered an “historically accurate” or “original practice” version of a work. But perhaps the … Read more
In past shows, the Myriad Dance Company has achieved excellent sensory experiences in site-specific works that fit beautifully in the Dreamscapes museum but Notion, their newest production, is an outstanding hybrid that feels like a black box theater show but still functions in their usual proscenium-free staging. Notion follows true to the form that has … Read more
For the first time in three years, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) is holding Regalia, its largest annual fundraiser, in person. As usual, the stakes are significant. Four choreographers are assigned a group of dancers to create a short work (usually five but less than 10 minutes in length) in just four hours. The kicker is … Read more
In addition to their performances and extensive schedule of leading dance demonstration and learning for students and the community, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) company members also are expected to develop their skills as a choreographer, to fulfill their contract. Many of the more than 100 RDT alumni have become internationally known choreographers and some have … Read more