Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company celebrates 50 years of talent with its new production “Momentum,” a show welcoming past alumni. Housed at the Rose Wagner Center in Salt Lake City, the performance will run Dec. 12-14. The Black Box Theatre, located inside the Rose Wagner Center, is where dancers will showcase their talent.
Daniel Charon is the company’s new artistic director. “[It’s] the nature of the celebration of the performance, and our 50th anniversary is my favorite part,” Charon said. “The depth of the celebration, the alumni and our performance is what I believe in.” The show presents the choreographic talents of not only students, but respected artists and educators throughout the country.
A unique piece to this production is the return of 14 Ririe-Woodbury alumni. The dancers will make a special collaboration and perform on stage with each other once more.
“The eclecticism of choreographers that are coming back varies over a span of generations here at Ririe-Woodbury,” Charon said. He also believe’s the spectacle’s abstract, optimistic and happy tone is the key to upcoming success.
“Momentum” is not a spur of the moment creation. The show was originally imagined by Ririe-Woodbury alumni Jill Voorhees Edwards and Juan Carlos Claudio. “The idea of ‘Momentum’ has been going on for six years, but [this is] the first year that Ririe-Woodbury is now producing this dream,” Charon said. “Some pieces are brand new, and some were done years and years ago when choreographers were dancers in the company.” Edwards and Claudio will also make appearances in the sequence of pieces with goals of highlighting the choreography of former company dancers. In fact, all creators behind the set of dances will appear in “Momentum.” Ririe-Woodbury opted to display choreographers alongside dancers in order to demonstrate the wide variety of the company’s artistry.
The run of “Momentum” is presented in two different packages: one Thursday and Saturday evening, and the other Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Alumni choreographers for the Thursday and Saturday performances include Juan Carlos Claudio, Jill Voorhees Edwards, Jillian Harris, Keith Johnson, Stevan Novakovich, Stephani Nugent and Doris Trujillo. Choreographers John Allen, Chia-Chi Chiang, Juan Carlos Claudio, Aaron Draper, Patrick Damon Rago, Emmy Thomson, Andy Vaca and Prentice Whitlow will continue the show Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
As an added bonus, Ririe-Woodbury will be holding a series of master classes at Rose Wagner from Dec. 9-11 at 9 a.m. The class is for anyone of any talent bracket.
[email protected]