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Dance News Archive

BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre to perform in concert

BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre (CDT) will perform in concert Feb. 23 – 25 at 7:30 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com.

This year’s performance will be a showcase of choreographic voices including British choreographer Ihsan Rustem, Salt Lake City’s Ririe Woodbury dance company’s artistic director Daniel Charon, and one of the most well-known dance entities in New York, the José Limón Foundation. The performance will also include choreography from BYU Department of Dance faculty members Nathan Balser, Graham Brown, Aubry Dalley and Elizabeth Dibble, as well as local artists.

“The experience and challenge of learning so much variety of dance style is what makes the CDT experience so valuable and educational,” director Nathan Balser said. “Rarely will students be challenged with mastering the dance styles of hip hop, contemporary and classical modern dance in one concert. It is a huge undertaking and completely rewarding.”

CDT performs a wide range of modern dance including dramatic, jazz, humorous and lyrical works. This performance will include a giant trampoline, live video feed and a comparison of commercialized hip-hop as opposed to traditional hip-hop culture.

CDT in Concert this year truly is such a diverse show from true hip-hop to an intimate café scene and even a multimedia trampoline extravaganza,” assistant director Elizabeth Dibble said, “Nathan Balser is so conscientious about giving both the dancers and the audience experiences that will entertain, uplift and encourage introspection.”

Along with their varied repertoire, CDT is one of the most widely toured university-based modern dance companies in the United States. Since its creation in 1974, the company has toured throughout the United States and to 17 countries around the world.

Adam Schraedel has been performing with CDT for two years. Schraedel said the group has been creating and workshopping their performance for several months and they are excited to share it with others.

“Performing with CDT is an amazing experience because we get the chance to touch people in unexpected ways,” Schraedel said. “Dance can help people relate to old ideas in a different way or find new perspectives that they hadn’t encountered. I believe that dance should be an important part of our culture and that everyone needs more dancing in their lives.”

CDT originates in the Department of Dance of the College of Fine Arts and Communications at Brigham Young University.

Story Highlights
Tickets and Show Details
Performance Dates and Times: Feb. 23 – 25, 7:30 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
Location: Pardoe Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU
Price: $12
Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422- 2981 or online at byuarts.com