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Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: Two of the festival’s newest dance offerings feature Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl de Utah, Carnaval de Barranquilla Utah

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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.  A point often made in The Utah Review is that dance … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: Shea Freedom: ‘I make music that makes party people think and thinking people party’

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Shea Freedom: June 24, 6:15 p.m., Park Stage The Utah Arts Festival’s inaugural Emerging Artists program is an impressive mix of artists, literary figures and musicians who see their creative expressive and community activism as going hand in hand. With an expanding base of international shows, Shea Freedom is one of the program’s most dynamic … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: The Round stage welcomes perennial favorite 1520 Arts and Emerging Artists newcomer Salt Lake Dance and Parkour

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With seven dance companies being represented at this year’s Utah Arts Festival, the range of movement styles, techniques and languages is comprehensive. The Round stage next to the City Library will be the performing site for a crowd favorite, 1520 Arts, which specializes in hip hop, break dancing and other styles, as well as a … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: A sure winner in this year’s Art Yard for kids: Dinosaurs!

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When it comes to facts about dinosaurs, kids seem to know enough to suggest that they have already started down the bath of becoming budding paleontologists. In Utah, dinosaurs always are a trending topic. Geologists and paleontologists have developed a timeline spanning many millions of years while documenting the existence of more than 115 species. … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: 19th Fear No Film will feature most internationally diverse slate ever, with 71 short films, 23 countries, 11 languages

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the centerpiece preview feature of the 19th Fear No Film program at the Utah Arts Festival. For a complete rundown of the Utah Made Film slate, see here. For a complete rundown of the Midnight film slate, see here. In its 19th year, the Fear No Film program at the Utah … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: Mason Fetzer will keep crowd guessing as long as possible in 10th 100 Artists/1 Image installation

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In the first year of the 100 Artists/1 Image installation at the Utah Arts Festival, the image was an Indigneous American but since then every image has been an animal. Mason Fetzer, who has designed the project based on ideas from color theory that he has consistently tested over the years, normally prefers having those … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: Fitting in, Mark Zirinsky’s metalwork pieces celebrate the ubiquitous presence of geometry in our lives

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Nearly one-third of the artists in this year’s Utah Arts Festival’s Artist Marketplace are appearing for the first time in Salt Lake City. Now retired from his career as a mining engineer, Mark Zirinsky (Booth 142) has been gaining nice traction on the arts festival circuit, with 48 shows in eight years. Zirinksy, who lives … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: Jamal Jackson Dance Company to present Utah premiere of 846, contemporary restaging of The Rite of Spring

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Next to The Nutcracker,The Rite of Spring, with Igor Stravinsky’s music, likely is the most choreographed piece of music in Europe and the U.S. Since its 1913 premiere, on average, at least one choreographer per year has set a work based on a work that caused a riot following its debut in Paris. Many of … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: Two of Salt Lake City’s legendary dance institutions — Repertory Dance Theatre and Tanner’s Children Dance Theatre — set to perform.

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Two of Utah’s most prominent historical dance institutions will be among seven dance companies being featured this year at the Utah Arts Festival this year, signifying the enormous place that dance occupies in the area’s performing arts culture: The University of Dance Tanner Dance Program’s Children’s Dance Theatre and Repertory Dance Theatre. Tanner Children’s Dance … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: With a mission of preservation, reverence and joyful fusion, Toubab Krewe set as one of closing day headliners

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Ever so slowly but certainly, the realization is growing among musicians of all stripes and colors how unhelpful and unsatisfying the genre label of world or global music. Immediately, one recognizes how the name of Toubab Krewe supersedes the problem described above. It suggests a name that is elucidating about its musical mission and the … Read more