theater and dance
Birds of a Feather: Avian Allure
Avian Allure is a Lyra (also known as an aerial hoop or a Cerceau) Duet performance group created by Andrea Hansen and Mandi Johnson. There is no denying the allure of these two beauties—they look like sisters, and they tell me that I’m not the first to think so. … read more
Wicked @ Capitol Theatre 07.09-08.24
Now that Wicked is back in Salt Lake, and Capitol Theatre is hosting the second in what looks to be a long line of sold-out shows, it’s clear that Utahns still have a hankering to defy some gravity. … read more
Daughters of Mudson @ Rose Wagner Black Box 06.14
Daughters of Mudson is the culminating performance hosted by Ashley Anderson Dances to encourage both emerging and established choreographers to produce work in Salt Lake City. Her umbrella organization, loveDANCEmore, hosts the Mudson works-in-progress series at the Masonic Temple throughout the year. These five Mudson pieces were selected by New York–based choreographer and loveDANCEmore board President Ishmael Houston-Jones for this curation. … read more
Land @ Jeanne Wagner Theatre 04.10-12
Attending Repertory Dance Theater’s “Land” felt like visiting an old house, the home of someone who’d lived in Utah a long time. She loved the idea of the West as much as she loved the landscape itself, and had surrounded herself with objects, books and memories that recorded a history of her sentiments. … read more
Feast @ Now Dance Co. 05.24
O, Utah! Should I stay or should I go? That’s the question at the heart of Feast, last weekend’s evening-length performance from choreographer Charlotte Boye-Christensen’s NOW-ID. … read more
Who is the Penguin Lady? Interview with Natosha Washington
Ten years later the Penguin Lady is working in an entirely different vein. I am sitting on the edge of a black box theater inside Judge Memorial Catholic High School. Natosha Washington is next to me casually watching her troupe rehearsing a series of dances they’ll perform at the Rose Wagner this September. … read more
War Horse @ Capitol Theater 04.22
The performances in the play were solid, but considering the emotional content of the film, it would be hard to be anything less. The story is so strong that it carries the actors through it. A half hour into the performance I was completely zoned in. … read more
Beer and Ballet: A Fun Night with Ballet West and...
Beer and Ballet, a fundraiser for Ballet West, was a magnificent event. Guests enjoyed an elegant gala (with beer!) and a preview of “The Rite of Spring.” Epic Brewing co-hosted the evening, providing bottles of a few of their most popular brews. Mingling in the lobby of the beautiful Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, delectable bites were served by The Annex, Epic’s gastro-pub located in Sugarhouse, in addition to Epic Brewing’s ales and lagers. I happily used my three drink tickets (and one of my husband’s) on the Spiral Jetty IPA. Food and beer lines moved quickly and service was friendly. … read more
Sambo Fogo’s Inspiraçâo Do Fogo @ Rose Wagner Performing Arts...
Sambo Fogo, in addition to presenting Brazilian dance as fine art, also shows a clear commitment to the non-formal aspects of dance, specifically its capacity for improving cultural awareness and fostering social relations. In line with this, the company warmly encourages spontaneous audience response and interaction with its work, while the work is being performed. Thursday’s crowd did not fail to applaud, cheer, and rise to its feet at key moments during the evening. … read more
12 Minutes Max – First Iteration @ The City Library...
12 Minutes Max has long been a staple in the dance and performance world. It’s the signature program of Seattle’s famous On the Boards and now, Paul Reynolds has brought it to Salt Lake City’s downtown public library. This past Sunday at two in the afternoon, a respectable crowd––faces familiar to me from our city’s film, dance and visual art communities––filed into the auditorium at the library. … read more
Ghouls and Dolls: Bad Kids Pageant Preliminary #1 @ Metro...
Faced with an overwhelming response upon the announcement of their second yearly pageant, the Bad Kids decided to give every applicant a chance to compete, splitting the pageant into two preliminaries before the actual main event, to be held on June 5. … read more
Two Arrows Through My Heart: Coleman Barks and David Darling
The pairing of the two friends was really interesting to watch again, as it seems they balance each other in their friendship much like Shams did with his student Rumi. Throughout the night, Barks kept emphasizing that the beloved is in everything. He talked about watching Allen Ginsberg read “Howl” in 1955 and that he’s “Seen the greatest minds prowling the street for a fix, and that’s the beloved, too.” On the plane over to Utah he watched Louis CK for the first time, and Louis CK is the beloved, too. … read more
