So, even though I am excited that our fans are growing, Im still determined to reach a broader audience, and wont settle for just attracting other dancers to our shows. We are also getting ready our open-technique class, which we will be offering free of charge! These remarks referred to the so-called designer series in New York City in which the most successful of the recent avant-garde (in dance, music, and visual design) were matched to produce large-scale performance works. Tracks designed for both performers and choreographers will culminate in an evening performance on June 10, 2023 showcasing the works created throughout the intensive. Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company - Events | Facebook The film was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the premiere of the original stage piece was canceled. 7:30-9:00 PM Watch WCDC perform in "On Repeat" Location: Orem Library Hall, 58 N State Street, Orem Ages: 14-18 years Level: Intermediate-Advanced Cost: $45/person (or sign up with a friend for a discount!) A dance major? Jessica: I started WCDC before I graduated from BYU, but by that time I had already made a name for myself as a professional choreographer, choreographing for musicals, pageant contestants, and high school dance teams in both California and Utah. I can still remember when the artistic director, Caroline Prohosky, called me during my lunch period at school and told me I had made the company. My husband and I manage an apartment complex together and we have an 8-month-old baby girl. Jessica: I think a lot of the power lies in the hands of dance educators. [18] They teach with the conviction that their dance is the universal basis for all dancing, and the ultimate attainment of refinement. When teachers talk to their students about dance opportunities outside of the school or university, they assure that their students continue dancing beyond the walls of their own studios. Her research investigates movement theories across creative practices, including dance, film, and sewing. Last community technique class of the year! We want to help all kinds of people learn about and love dance. The dance material is developed in the sanctuary of the studio. Art critic RoseLee Goldberg calls these collaborations of the satellite age where time and money are at a premium and electronic media (telephone, video and sound cassettes) intervene. "We have hope for the future now, but there's still a lot of things to go out there and problem-solve," she says. Learn more about the talented faculty and staff at Movers+Makers! Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company (WCDC) was founded in April 2010 by Artistic Director Jessica Heaton. As the sixties ended, they began to disband and take off on separate paths of investigation, while a mainstream of the younger generation asked What does it mean? and returned their interest to narrative content, virtuousity and theatricality. Why should you have to drive an hour to see a quality professional-dance performance? From a cultural standpoint, I believe the answer depends on why and for whom the dancer is dancing. If we were a resident company at a theater, I think that would be much easier to accomplish, but that is not in the cards for us right now. This does mean, though, that some people are very opinionated on the best genre of dance, or the best studio, but that is just the way the dance world is. Registration opens up October 10. Congratulations to "Goodbye Horses" from Dance Arts Academy! JOIN OUR DANCE FAMILY TODAY! But the first of all these revolutions, and perhaps the most extremely counter-cultural, was westernized Japans ankoku butoh (dance of darkness) with its shuaku no bi (aesthetics of ugliness), the singular case in the Orient, until recently. [12]Modernism seems to have brought change especially in the choice of themes, mise-en-scne and to have led to the creation of some new steps and positions. Jessica: It was terrifying. "The teachers are exceptional--they are mindful of each student, but provide top-notch dancing without a competitive, high stress environment. This dance and choreography workshop will also serve as auditions for WCDCs 14th season, August 2023-April 2024. I was inspired by teachers who combined their dancing and their beliefs, making dancing more purposeful and religion easier to share. Thats what we want for Utah County. The film was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the premiere of the original stage piece was canceled. U.S. historian Sally Banes traces the possible origin in print of the term postmodern dance to Michael Kirbys introduction to The Drama Review,19 (March 1975) and creates a definitive account of its American development in her article Dance in The Postmodern Moment, ed. There are discounts available for groups of 10+. We just held auditions and we are so excited to work with all the dancers we have for this next season. Many of the worlds dances now tour internationally, live and on video. This past spring 2012, I auditioned for the graduate program at the University of Utah and was accepted. Since then, choreographers have chosen gestures from every imaginable source, organized them in countless structural forms to imply as many meanings as there are spectators. PAIR is an exploration of courtship rituals, and the art of finding a mate in the Animal Kingdom, while examining gender roles and gender fluidity in nature. Presented choreographyat WestFest Dance Festival, Beta Dance Festival, Arizona Dance Festival, and Taliesin West. With such a complex range of choices, it is no wonder that choreographies tend to be interdisciplinary hybrids. 37 likes, 1 comments - Wasatch Contemporary Dance Co. (@wasatchcontemporary) on Instagram: "Dancers 14-18 yrs: get those registrations in by Friday so we can dance together this Saturday! I was also expecting our first baby, and with how rigorous and intense that program is at the U, there would be no way for me to have a baby in the middle of my first semester. While Humanimali was ultimately finished specifically as a film, Seven was initially conceived as an immersive in-person experience, but Heaton soon realized it simply wouldn't work that way "if the audience wasn't ready for it." Community Technique Class schedule for this week! There are a handful of nationally and internationally known professional dance companies based in the valley alone. One of our goals is to reach ALL people; not just dancers, and not just artsy people. Each season, we continue to improve our processes and company style. From my survey of contemporary dance histories in countries with new dance activityin written accounts, live interviews and performancesthere seems to emerge a common sequence of events. It makes me feel such satisfaction to know we are helping dancers find those opportunities, connecting them with other dancers they might not have otherwise met, helping them further their training and development and giving them the chance to share their incredible talent. That's the name of the game when you are an arts company, or at least when you've just starting out. Maybe advanced degrees would have given us more connections to pull on, but Jessie is fearless and driven. Alone in the dark and with few prescribed expectations, each audience member constructs his/her own guide to viewing and aesthetic priorities. Wasatch Comtemporary Dance Company | Mightycause Movers & Makers - Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company Weve beat some great obstacles, weve persevered where others before us have fallen short and we have a bright future ahead of us. PAIR was filmed at five different locations across the state of Utah, on the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, and Ute Tribes. Their bodies become the site for mediation between creative idea and gestural response. I was worried that only a handful of fans -- namely, our family members -- would be willing to donate, but I was thrilled to see that in the first 24 hours of our Kickstarter campaign we were already hundreds of dollars closer to our goal. I also remember dancing with scarves all around the room and loving that! Jessica: The Utah dance scene is excellent in some parts of Utah. The dance is more rarely structured by a musical score. Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company has been performing and teaching in Utah County since April 2010. ; idem Folk Dance,Folklore and Folklife (Chicago, University of Chicago. --- I'm not saying that the companies we currently have aren't awesome (well, maybe not so much the one that keeps doing Thriller every year until 2055), but the expansion of smaller productions hasn't seen a lot of action over the past 10 years, causing some to look at what can be done to support the ever-growing number of performers on the way. 1. So, I joined WCDC in 2012 for their first big show at the Covey Center and now I'm hooked! Gavin: Is there anything you'd like to promote or plug? Schedule & Prices Example Schedule Utah's Premier Dance Studio Gavin: You originally started getting funding through crowdsourcing websites. When dance anthropologist Joann Kealiinohomoku shook the authoritative foundations of ballet in 1970, by vividly revealing its ethnicity[1], she set out to shift the course of occidental dance towards wider horizons. [31]Foster, Susan, Reading Dancing: Bodies and Subjects in Contemporary American Dance, University of California Press, Berkeley, California, 1986. The Mover track can accommodate approximately 45 dancers. I thought to myself it was a shame that in a city with one of the nation's largest dance programs there would be so few connections to professional companies, making professional performance a rare career path for BYU dance graduates. 2023Wasatch Contemporary Dance CompanyAll rights reserved, Powered byDesigned with the Customizr theme, require(["mojo/signup-forms/Loader"], function(L) { L.start({"baseUrl":"mc.us3.list-manage.com","uuid":"fbd85498aaf0ab41cc47a4c20","lid":"9c0ec82800"}) }), Professional dance company in Provo, Utah, Upcoming Workshops and Intensives with WCDC, Register for the RISE Youth Workshop November 12, More About Movers + Makers Dance and Choreography Intensive, 5:20-6:30 PM WCDC Repertoire (learn choreography youll see performed on stage later that night! We also performed at a BYU talent show, a Black History Month event at BYU, and several benefit concerts. And so these choreographers and ethnographers were turning towards the study of all moving bodies, of all the bodys movements and renewed the question What is dance?[2], It was after widening my focus to include this cross-cultural lens and anthropological questioning that I began to clarify the world view embedded in my daily practice of contact improvisation. Gavin: What can we expect from both of you and WCDC going into next year? Your donations go directly towards funding WCDC concerts and providing quality dance in YOUR community. By choosing where and for whom many of the dances take place, they are also crucial in determing public taste. 8 were here. 2023Wasatch Contemporary Dance CompanyAll rights reserved, Powered byDesigned with the Customizr theme, require(["mojo/signup-forms/Loader"], function(L) { L.start({"baseUrl":"mc.us3.list-manage.com","uuid":"fbd85498aaf0ab41cc47a4c20","lid":"9c0ec82800"}) }), Professional dance company in Provo, Utah, Movers & Makers Professional Dance & Choreography Workshop, I want to sign up for a few drop in classes, I want to register for the June 10 audition only. Northampton House, 198 W. 300 North, American Fork What am I going to do with my life? What's the response been like from the performing-arts side of the city? Dancing under the consequences of these political conditions has transformed the entire undertaking of choreography, from conception to stage. The girls love their teachers and always come out smiling. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Simon Fraser University, a BFA in Dance from Rutgers University, where she earned the Margery Turner Award for choreography. Not only are these dance-makers fervently engaged in the search for an individualistic means of expression, but this imperative has changed the very nature of their work with the dancers. These classes have some remaining spots and are open for drop ins throughout the week. Originally from Colorado, Rebecca pursued her BA in dance while attending Colorado Mesa University. We truly believe there is something about dance for every person if they will just give it a chance. How was it putting your idea out there and hoping for the public to fund it? Click on the registration button below to sign up no cash accepted at the door. Most are obliged to work at second jobs in order to meet the financial demands of their companies, not met by private and public fundraising. In comparison to other dancers, I didn't get my start very young. Performances of this kind call actively upon each audience member, through personal experiences and perceptions, to formulate possible meanings. Gavin: How was it for you auditioning talent and getting a group together to handle the works ahead? - Amy P. "They are very professional and have a structure and discipline for the girls, even the younger ones, to follow, which I really admire. Jessica: To other dance companies we say, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! We know its a hard industry, and we commend our friends in the dance community for keeping dance alive and growing here in Utah. Dance Theorist Susan Foster explores this plurality of meanings within her elaboration of four choreographic models, which correspond to different modes of representation. We are hoping to integrate and collaborate with various other artists -- dancers, musicians, and visual artists -- and communities so that we can continue to reach more and more people. Study Away & Study Abroad Theater & Film: Auditions, Workshops, Classes, etc. SMASH Dance Academy188 W River Park DriveProvo. Audition to perform with Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company members as they perform in the Wasatch Mountains in Provo, Utah on August 29, 2023! But we understand this doesnt always work for everyones budgets and work schedules. - Marcie E. "Their motto is evey student counts and they really live by it. This workshop will also serve as auditions for WCDCs 14th season, August 2023-June 2024. Currently, she is dancing with Peter Stathas Dance, Oquirrh West Project and Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company, and is a passionate teacher of dance and yoga. Best of luck to Christi Harris's cast of Mambo Jambo performing at Red Rock Dance Festival this weekend! See more of Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company on Facebook. That's how I got my first taste of starting something from the ground up despite opposition. It was commissioned by Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company, and developed in close collaboration with the dancers, composers, and film makers. A Tradition of Dance Runs Deep in the City's Heart and Culture When you look at the dance community over the past few years, you can see a steady growth in the performers, but not so much in the companies. A key to understanding what they intend to communicate through their choreographies may be found within this social identity. Jessica: I am so proud of what we have accomplished. In reality artistic choices are always made within the framework of the immediate communitys social and aesthetic mores, as well as the individual artists sensibilities. Recently moved to Utah to join SALT for the 22/23 season, BA in Communications with a dance minor from BYU, Performed and choreographed for BYU DanceEnsemble. My prideful self was a bit jealous that she hadn't approached me about dancing with her! Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company explores a presentation for both in-person and virtual audiences. I believe it is possible then to distinguish an international new dance subculture. [2]This question is also the title of an eclectic collection of essays on the subject which spans four centuries, edited by Roger Copeland, What is Dance? [19]Francis Sparshott, Off the Ground: First Steps to a Philosophical Consideration of the Dance (New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1988) page xxi. I didn't do any clubs or sports at school, and we didn't have a dance program that I was interested in, so the studio was it for me. Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company - Facebook To my American eye its poignant ethos appears to have arisen from the ashes of the Hiroshima tragedy. And when the lights shone down on this 80 lb red velvet. We had to figure out how to make a positive experience for both in-person and virtual audiences. Gavin: What was the first year like, and when did you know you'd be good to continue creating works? There are discounts available for groups of 10+. I came to BYU and auditioned to be in the dance major my freshman year and was accepted to the program. If the event is cancelled and cannot be rescheduled, participants will receive their full refundable portion. Thursday, 6:45-8 PM Int-Advanced Contemporary with McCall McClellan *This class is open to adult dancers as well as intermediate-advanced youth. Jessica: Being a traveling company brings with it many challenges. Join us for the whole day or drop in for your favorite classes. Costumes will be provided by WCDC with no costume fee for the participants. If class spots remain in the Maker classes, individual class sign ups will open up on May 29. Attended the University of The Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfeild. Please email jocelynsmith@wasatchcontemporary.com for more information about bringing a group of 10+. I was skeptical, though, of whether the commitment -- time and finances -- was worth it. During my last year at BYU, I realized I needed to stop performing with the University company to finally have the time to finish my degree, so I began WCDC during this time and performed with them in community events until I graduated and could commit more time to building the dance company's influence and program. I am for the free enterprise of the spectator[32]. Im thrilled to see where year number-four takes us. We dont think the peak of your dance career should be in college. It was exciting and heartwarming to see their support for us, and we were very grateful to surpass our fundraising goal. This audience favorite piece by Christi Harris will be performed at our Movers+Makers Showcase on June 10! Audition: via video between July 6 and August 2Selected dancers will need to commit to the following: Selected dancers will be notified by the end of the day on August 4. [3]American is a common nickname for the United States of America, but does not imply Canada. Gavin: Are you looking to expand beyond what you're doing or beefing up performances, or are you comfortable with how the company is running today? Gavin: You've also stuck primarily to Provo. In any case, the visible result is that these local choreographers begin to freely adapt the foreign dance forms to suit their own expressive needs. I think preparing and encouraging dancers at all stages elementary all the way through university levels to create works of art in the community is essential. Utah Valley Universitys Contemporary Dance Ensemble guest performed with us during our last show and we enjoyed the opportunity to get to know their talented students. It is also interesting to note a reciprocal effect of this inter-cultural contact: that ballet and modern dancers have often sought inspiration from their perceptions of foreign and primitive[20] cultures, borrowing their features quite freely and being especially drawn to the exotic features of the Orient. Rachel: The challenge for us right now is getting our name known in the community, and not just the dance community. Icona Dancewear - Only one week away from Wasatch | Facebook Todays dance experimentalists draw from a pool of source material that includes all forms of academic, traditional and social dance; ideas and images generated by other art forms and electronic media; sports actions, body therapies, dance theories; and especially the complex network of muscle and nerve within their own skin. These ballet masters and mistresses, whether native-born or foreign, impress on the resident dancers their rigorous training techniques and their concept of an art dance/folk dance dichotomy. U.S. historian Sally Banes traces the possible origin in print of the term "postmodern dance" to Michael Kirby's introduction to The Drama Review,19 (March 1975) and creates a definitive account of its American development in her article "Dance" in The Postmodern Moment, ed. "An artist's first tendency is to think about the person who's there physically, because that's always been our experience before," Heaton says. #iconadancewear will be there with beautiful #Dancer #leotards, #ballet #skirts , #sweatshirt & more! Because these opportunities are far away, dancers in Utah County often find it hard to keep up their training. It seems as if the artists purposeful imagery is projected out into space where it encounters, somewhere in mid-air, each viewers aesthetic perspective. Jessica: We are always looking for the next way to expand, to grow, to provide more opportunities for dancers and to reach more people. We've getting good at knowing what we're looking for since we have auditions every six months, but it's still a time of careful reflection and also excitement as we place our trust in new and returning company members every concert season. Gavin: Once you had the funding, what was the process like in putting together a company from scratch and getting the staff you needed to make it happen? I did mostly ballet and jazz, and took my first modern class as a senior in high school. This pluralism, present at every level of new dance activity, is creating dialogue between previously separate ideas, styles, media and milieu. Artist Open technique classes every Wednesday night and Friday morning starting Jan 11. LOCATIONSDiamond Fork CanyonAlpine LoopLittle Saharain Utahon the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, and Ute Tribes. 2023Wasatch Contemporary Dance CompanyAll rights reserved, Powered byDesigned with the Customizr theme, require(["mojo/signup-forms/Loader"], function(L) { L.start({"baseUrl":"mc.us3.list-manage.com","uuid":"fbd85498aaf0ab41cc47a4c20","lid":"9c0ec82800"}) }), Professional dance company in Provo, Utah, Network opportunities with local professionals, Experience rehearsing in a company setting, Opportunity to learn from local dance professionals about work ethic, rehearsal etiquette, creative process, collaboration, and more, Collaboration with dance professionals to help create or restage work, guided by company choreographers, Preview of career options available in the dance industry, Valuable experience for your dance resume before even graduating from high school, Performance experience alongside professional company members, Professional photos and video of the performance for use in students portfolio, Entry for the student plus 1 additional guest to WCDCs fundraising event/dinner at Conrad Ranch in Provo Canyon, Rehearsal on Saturday, Aug 19 from 12:30-4:30 PM at SMASH Dance Academy, Rehearsal on Saturday, Aug 26 from 12:30-4:30 PM at SMASH Dance Academy, Performance on Tuesday, August 29 with call time at 6:00 PM at Conrad Ranch in Provo Canyon (event begins at 6:30 and will conclude by 8:30 PM). Registration opens up October 10. Courses included traditional ballet, jazz and modern dance 'taught in the black tradition.' Beginning in 1989, the College's Mary B. Burch Auditorium was its headquarters. [5]This term is frequently used in reference to all forms of theatrical dance in the 20th century, or more specifically the American genres, as in the anthology of writings edited by Anne Livet, Contemporary Dance (Abbeville Press, New York, 1978). Our audience is a lot of family and friends right now, but we hope that as we continue to work on better marketing and advertising that we will be able to build a following of people who support us because they want to support the arts in this area. This workshop includes: Location: Orem Library Hall, 58 N State Street, OremAges: 14-18 yearsLevel: Intermediate-AdvancedCost: $45/person (or sign up with a friend for a discount!). XX, no. The handful of little start-up companies I know of are each a little bit different, as well -- whether it be their actual location, their rehearsal strategy, their style and audience -- that interested dancers really do have options. daily Schedule REGISTER TODAY! Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company Jan 2020 - Present3 years 6 months Dancer Shaun Keylock Company Mar 2018 - Aug 20191 year 6 months Portland, Oregon, United States Dancer Polaris Dance. Through inventive and stimulating productions, educational outreach programs for all ages, and collaborative efforts with artists of all fields, WCDC forges a strong tradition of meaningful artistry and community engagement. By this point, I was starting to think that the life of a professional dancer wasn't really what I wanted; mostly the logistics of making the full-day schedule work with having children. When did we know we'd be good to continue creating works? Now, I am one of her wing women! Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company has been performing and teaching in Utah County since April 2010. Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company explores a presentation for both in-person and virtual audiences. Journalism matters. Heaton first conceived of using the location for dance after driving past it many times, noting that "I'm intrigued by unique spaces, and I'll think 'dance belongs there.'" The next change happens when some local dance-makers come into contact with post-modern dance ideas from the U.S. Germany and/or Japan, either during a residency in a foreign dance capital such as New York or while attending an international performance series, workshop or residency project. Once weve reached the audience size we would like to have at our two concerts every year, we would like to expand to more performances every year. Tuition refunds can only be made until March 31 (minus a $30 nonrefundable portion). After working in NYC with collaborators including Chloe London Dance, Michelle Thompson, and Alison Cook Beatty Dance, she recently relocated to Salt Lake City. There are so many dancers coming out of BYU and UVU; it is great that there are actually options now for those dancers who want to continue dancing, performing, and choreographing in addition to the rest of their lives. Home | Wasatch Contemporary Dance Co. Gavin: How did the idea to start up a dance company come about?Jessica: Before I switched over to the exercise and wellness program at BYU, I was a dance major. We are grateful for the opportunity weve had to teach high school dance teams and let them know that dance isnt just a hobby that you run out of time for after you graduate. - Monica S. BFA in Ballet from University of Utah, 1996, MFA Ballet Teaching and Choreography from U of U, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Ballet at U of U, Bachelors in Elementary Education from BYU, Over 14 years of teaching and choreography experience, Studied with LINES, NW Dance Project, chuthis., Camp Protg, SALT, and GagaLabs, Performed with Convergence Ballet Company, Scorpius Dance Theatre, JordanDanielsDance, and CONDER|dance. It's going to be available to stream online . I think I had always thought I would graduate, move somewhere with a bustling dance community and start working my way into the professional world. Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company is a nonprofit organization and professional performance company whose mission is to make continued advances for professional dance in Utah County. Gavin: When did you both meet and become friends? This year we will be performing in a studio at SMASH Dance Academy, transformed with wings, curtains and seating. [9]Deborah Jowitt, Time and the Dancing Image(William Morrow & Company, NY, 1988),313. I had great opportunities to perform with The Dancers' Company, DancEnsemble, and Contemporary Dance Theatre. WCDC requires all company members to re-audition every year, so technically all company contracts are open to auditionees. The project was funded in part by the Oakland CARES Fund for Artists. After we put together the show with Provo High School, then things took off and we've been rehearsing four to six days per week since then, with only a two-month break from Nov.-Dec. every year.
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