linda c. smith

Finding close community in and out of the studio: Repertory Dance Theatre set to open 58th season with world premiere of Natosha Washington’s I AM…

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Just as essential as a choreographer’s skills in setting the most impactful movement upon a dance company in the studio is their capacity to trust the dancers as collaborators in rendering themes they envision, particularly when the work is steeped in the choreographer’s autobiographical experiences.  In an interview with The Utah Review, choreographer Natosha Washington … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: Two contemporary dance titans – Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company – set to perform

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Two of Salt Lake City’s internationally known dance institutions return to the Utah Arts Festival stage this year.   REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE (June 25, 5 p.m., Festival Stage) Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) holds a special distinction in the history of the Utah Arts Festival. The historic contemporary dance institution has performed in every festival, save one (when … Read more

Where the audience has the voting power: Repertory Dance Theatre’s Regalia available this week in virtual format, as 4 choreographers set their sights on commission prize

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Unquestionably, dance companies in Salt Lake City have done a remarkably good job in keeping their presence active during the last year. Last year, less than two weeks before the pandemic brought live performances to a halt everywhere, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) held its annual Regalia, the company’s largest fundraiser. The event always has been … Read more

Repertory Dance Theatre’s Flying Solo concert film stands out in season of virtual, streaming productions

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A modern dance artist’s solo is more than an opportunity to demonstrate technique. It offers a rare moment for the individual artist to command the stage: to present their inner persona in ways that transcend the kinetics of the company ensemble performance. Repertory Dance Theatre’s (RDT) latest concert film Flying Solo stands out as the … Read more

Historic collaboration Double Take virtual concert, with 2 world premieres, set to open Repertory Dance Theatre’s 55th season, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s 57th season

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Modern dance always has adapted to extraordinary circumstances. “We always have been willing to improvise, adjust and be flexible,” Linda C. Smith, co-founder and executive artistic director of Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT), explains. “If we couldn’t afford a theater, we found a rooftop. If we didn’t have a budget for costumes, we performed in pedestrian … Read more

Dan Higgins: A profile of an emerging choreographer in Salt Lake City

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In explaining the unrelenting discipline of training, the Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote, “Then when the contest comes on, you have to ‘dig in’ beside your opponent, and sometimes dislocate your wrist, sprain your ankle, swallow quantities of sand, sometimes take a scourging, and along with all that get beaten. After you have considered all these … Read more

A cornucopia of kinetic performances highlight Repertory Dance Theatre’s Sounds Familiar Concert

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EDITOR’S NOTE: All photos are credited to Sharon Kain. Before recounting the overflowing cornucopia of kinetic performances that embodied Repertory Dance Theatre’s (RDT) most recent concert Sounds Familiar, it is worth considering the aesthetic epiphany that emerged from asking a dozen choreographers to set a work of their own interpretation to some of the most … Read more

Repertory Dance Theatre’s Sounds Familiar concert to be double-barreled adventure of music, dance appreciation

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Anthony Tommasini, a New York Times music critic who has written some of the best-selling books about classical music, says that no one really has to be knowledgeable about the art to appreciate it. “Newcomers to other performing arts, like theater or dance, don’t seem to feel this level of intimidation. I’d encourage those who … Read more

Inside Outside concert featuring 3 Utah premieres set for Repertory Dance Theatre’s 54th season opener

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Three dance works – a trio from 1949 by one of the greatest American choreographers and two 2018 compositions by internationally known artists from New York City and Tel Aviv, respectively – will receive their Utah premieres next week in the opening concert of Repertory Dance Theatre’s 54th season. Rounding out the Inside Outside concert … Read more

Inaugural Dance West festival, workshops unite 3 pillars of Utah dance culture: Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, University of Utah’s Salt Dance Fest

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As a compelling testimony to the impact of three immensely successful artistic institutions coming together in the heart of Utah’s dance culture, the inaugural Dance West Summer Fest – hosted by Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and The University of Utah’s Salt Dance Fest – is poised to become the destination event in the … Read more