Before Taylor Swift wore the Swan Lake costumes in her Shake It Off video, Tchaikovsky composed the heart-wrenching score for Swan Lake 138 years ago and Ballet West’s founder Willam Christensen created the first full-length American production in 1940. Swan Lake is the ultimate classical ballet. Filled with more than 50 dancers including ballerinas in … Read more
Going for a three-peat in Repertory Dance Theatre’s Iron Choreographer competition, Nathan Shaw, a full-time dance teacher at Judge Memorial High School in Salt Lake City, follows a few simple rules. Lay off the abstract. Tap into the humor vault. Be courageous, knowing the weakest link could be the strongest. In last year’s competition at … Read more
“I was 40 years old. I had a life. Especially with [daughter] Chiara — will we feel guilt forevermore? Of course, yes. But the truth is, I could not spend every day with her. I didn’t want to do that. I looked for all kinds of reasons not to do it. … I’ve been working … Read more
In continuing a bold season of genius choices for programming, Nova Chamber Music Series sets the right stakes in its upcoming ‘Late Beethoven and Post-Minimalism’ concert featuring the Fry String Quartet and six Utah percussionists. Jason Hardink, Nova’s artistic director, has selected two precedent-breaking works – one composed in 1824 and the other in 2009 … Read more
carry my message. carry my hope. carry its meaning. carry it home. carry my depression. carry disconnection. take this suspension. carry the clone. hop in my step. camera in my bag. calm in my soul. pen in my hand. ‘Pen In My Hand’ – Parallax song from the demo ‘Landlocked,’ lyrics by Blake Donner (c. … Read more
While it might not be an entire day of cat videos like I was hoping, PetDance Film Festival looks like a purrfect way to spend a Saturday. The folks at Pets in the City Magazine, a local weekly paper dedicated to pets, decided to claw on the coattails of Sundance Film Festival with their own petcentric … Read more
Utah Opera is back with its second production of the season: The Pearl Fishers, a tale of friendship, forbidden love and sacrifice. The rarely performed opera was written by George Bizet (better known for Carmen) in 1863 and received such harsh criticism that it was not revived in the composer’s lifetime after the initial production … Read more
Resolutions in the New Year are as difficult to keep as they are to make in realistic terms. However, how should we respond to the invitation for spiritual renewal and contemplation? Music becomes an ideal platform, as evidenced in the forthcoming program of the Nova Chamber Music Series aptly titled ‘Contemplation of the Beyond.’ With … Read more
In a year of many high marks for Plan-B Theatre, the month of December, normally a quiet period for this performing arts company, has become especially memorable. Julie Jensen’s smashing ‘Christmas with Misfits’ played a sold-out run drawing much well-deserved acclaim. Likewise, tickets also sold out for Elaine Jarvik’s ‘Marry Christmas,’ an ensemble piece celebrating … Read more
The problem with the symphony is it has a reputation for being a boring, stuffy event designed for the elderly. Luckily, there is an answer to that problem. And the answer is Vivace. Utah Symphony’s Vivace is an everyone-is-invited group of classical music enthusiasts (including both genre experts and novices) that attend the symphony together … Read more