Utah’s well-established and rich dance community results in such a large number of talented movers that the country is littered with those connected in some way to the Beehive State.
Take, for instance, this year’s Momentum-Elevated 2009 performance that will gather together Ririe- Woodbury Dance Company (RWDC) alumni from places as far flung as Philadelphia, Los Angeles … and even Utah County.
What started out as an alumni-reunion performance three years ago has turned into an annual showcase of RWDC’s long commitment to Utah’s dance community. “When Juan Carlos and I decided to produce the first Momentum,” explains co-producer Jill Voorhees Edwards, “neither of us thought that it would become an annual tradition.
Our goal was to produce a concert that reunited alumni and gave each choreographer the chance to present work as well as give Salt Lake the chance to see the many talented dance professionals that have come through RWDC.” In fact, when the duo began with that first production, they had to ask working professionals across the country to take time out of their schedules to come back home. Now, many RWDC dancer/alumni are contacting them to participate in future productions.
“I think alumni are willing to come back because of the wonderful experiences that each of them had while they were a part of RWDC,” says Edwards. “Because we have all helped create Momentum, there’s a wonderful synergy that occurs. We re-energize each other, and re-commit to continuing the cycle of excellence in dance that RWDC and Utah represent.”
Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company Momentum-Elevated 2009 @ Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, 801-355-ARTS, Aug. 27-29, 8 p.m. ArtTix.org