Featured

A world premiere by LajaMartin, return of an iconic 1989 piece and a restaging of 2013 ensemble work set to mark Precipice, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s 59th season opener; 10th season with artistic director Daniel Charon

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Along with a world premiere by the locally based choreographer duo LajaMartin, Precipice, the 59th season opener for the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, will feature the reconstruction of To Have and to Hold, one of the most widely known dance compositions by Danial Shapiro and Joanie Smith also known as the “bench piece,” and the return … Read more

Connection with inspiration: NOVA Chamber Music Series opens 45th anniversary season with works by Pärt, Snider, Joachim, Medtner

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It was an easy choice for composer Sarah Kirkland Snider when, in 2015, she was one of nine composers, which the Grand Valley State University’s New Music Ensemble commissioned for their Music In Their Words project. They asked the composers to write music that incorporated the speaking voice of a 20th century composer who had … Read more

Ballet for Aliens  set to premiere as 10th anniversary entry in Plan-B Theatre’s Free Elementary School Tour program

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Jacob is hoping Sophie, the nurse who is going to administer the infusion he needs for his chronic disease, is better at needles than the last nurse he encountered. But, the 12-year-old boy also is hoping that Sophie can ease his concerns. Explaining that he is an alien, Jacob says, “I decided that was a … Read more

Focus on two independent short films with Utah significance: Arthur Veenema’s The Atomic Spawn and Lauren Caster’s Plan C

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Two independent short films – one by a Utah filmmaker who received a Next Level Grant from the Utah Film Commission and the other by a southern California filmmaker whose project premiered at this year’s Fear No Film program at the Utan Arts Festival – are featured. Arthur Veenema: The Atomic Spawn Utah filmmaker Arthur … Read more

Interstitial spaces highlight three summer exhibitions at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art; Rose Exposed! celebrates downtown arts hub’s 25th anniversary

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UTAH MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART: JOHN SPROUL, BERNARD MEYERS, TOBIAS FIKE Three Intermountain West artists are among the latest to have exhibitions to round out the summer season at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA). The connecting thread for this trio involves asking viewers to consider abstractions that reveal multiple layers going beyond typical … Read more

Memorable dance programs for summer performing arts scene: Myriad Dance Company’s Dream Spark at new Dreamscapes location; Fem Dance Company’s State of Flux

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MYRIAD DANCE COMPANY: DREAM SPARK Truly a gratifying collaboration in the best sense of the word, Myriad Dance Company’s Dream Spark could not have been a more fitting opening for Dreamscapes in its newest location. Now housed in the former Macy’s store at The Shops at South Town in Sandy, Utah, the immersive art museum … Read more

2nd season of Netflix’s UNTOLD series opens with the Manti Te’o story in The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, directed by Ryan Duffy and Tony Vainuku, Emmy winner and Utah native

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When sports media broadcasting became a 24/7 enterprise, stories which sprouted from the culture of sports became just as important as any feature about a star athlete’s performance. And, when those stories are framed around character traits in a positive way, avid sports fans absorb them, often becoming even stronger followers and admirers of a … Read more

Excellent, riveting limited docu-series The Deep End, directed by Jon Kasbe, focuses on controversial Utah-based spiritual teacher Teal Swan

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There are moments in The Deep End, the excellent four-part documentary series directed by Jon Kasbe and produced by Bits Sola and The Documentary Group and currently available on Hulu, when Teal Swan, a Park City, Utah-based spiritual guru, displays characteristics that one might admire in a maverick CEO who comprehends the power of disruptive … Read more

Eighth Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival concludes on several impressive notes, in show quality, attendance and awards

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EDITOR’s NOTE: This is the second of a two-part series offering a roundup of reviews of shows from the eighth Great Salt Lake Fringe festival. For Part 1, see The Utah Review feature here. The Great Salt Lake Fringe completed its eighth edition, in venues at The Gateway, on strong notes. Representing both weekends of … Read more

Air is fascinating, informative multidisciplinary exhibition at Utah Museum of Fine Arts, featuring internationally known and Utah-based artists

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This feature is presented in Spanish and English versions, both primarily made possible by Mark Alvarez. The Utah Review deeply appreciates his willingness and linguistic fluency to prepare proper versions in  both languages. For the Spanish version of this feature, see here. Stepping into the AIRLab, Santa Fe artist Will Wilson’s creation, one is … Read more