Nurturing the Whole Dancer

 

Dance West is an annual contemporary dance workshop that is dedicated to nurturing the whole dancer. At Dance West, we believe in fostering curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration across various historical and contemporary points of view. We honor each individual dancer and celebrate their own unique journey.

Our commitment to dancers goes beyond just the performative aspects of the art form. We provide space and time for dancers to develop as artists and human beings, encouraging personal growth in all aspects of their lives.

Building relationships is at the core of our values. We foster strong connections with the dancers and directors of the host organizations, as well as with our esteemed guest faculty. We bring together dancers from the Salt Lake Valley and beyond, creating a vibrant and supportive community of artists with shared dedication and passion.

Looking ahead to Dance West 2024, we are excited to bring significant and influential artists to Salt Lake City, UT. These artists will share their unique artistic perspectives, diverse aesthetics, and innovative approaches to dance. This two-week workshop held in July each year will be hosted by Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and University of Utah's School of Dance.
 

 

HISTORY OF DANCE WEST

 

Dance West began in 2019, representing the collaborative efforts of three established artistic entities, each with rich histories: Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and the University of Utah’s Salt Dance Fest. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dance West was canceled in 2020 and returned in 2021 with a streamlined form of the workshop presented by the two dance companies. In the summer of 2022 and 2023 the two organizations are collaborated again on the workshop with a goal of working with the University of Utah once again starting in the summer of 2024.