History of the Company
Children's Dance Theatre (CDT), the performing arm of the University of Utah Tanner Dance Program, was established in 1949 by Virginia Tanner. The company of 280 young dancers, ages 8 through 18, performs for more than 27,000 Utahns annually. Under the artistic direction of Mary Ann Lee since 1979, the company has continued to grow in size and programming, earning state, national and international recognition. CDT is the second-oldest performing arts organization in Utah.
The goals of Children's Dance Theatre are to allow children to experience the joy of moving and the discipline of dance, to nurture the creative process and to share the results of this training with a broad population base. Technique is taught for the development of strength, flexibility, control, balance and an awareness of the body's potential. An equal emphasis is placed on creative problem-solving, balanced intellectual and physical development, and an appreciation of music, literature and visual arts.
Every spring, CDT showcases an original work at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City with matinees for school-age children and special populations. The company performs regularly with support from various private and public funding sources.
"The motivating force behind my work is not only developing excellent dancers, but more importantly, developing young people who are useful, imaginative, worthwhile human beings." - Virginia Tanner
Accomplishments
Since its inception, the company has performed at major dance festivals around the world: dance and the Child international conferences (daCi) in Sweden, England, Finland, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands, and the United States, where CDT hosted the conference in 1992; the White House Conference on Children; the International Conference and Dance Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and the Seattle World's Fair. In 1998, CDT held an exchange with the Welsh dance company Rubicon.
CDT received the 1993 Governor's Awards in the Arts. Visions of Children, the 1994 concert with Pete Seeger, was featured in an award-winning video produced by KUED. In 1998, Mary Ann Lee was honored with the Madeleine Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts and Humanities. Children's Dance Theatre celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 1999 with a year of special performances. Dancers from CDT and elementary school students who participate in the Tanner Dance Arts in Education Outreach Program performed in Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic events, including the mascot launch, Cultural Olympiad performances, Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Medals Plaza ceremonies.
Children's Dance Theatre began a partnership with the Salt Lake City Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration in 2002.
Location
CDT is housed in the Tanner Dance Building on the University of Utah campus, at approximately 190 Wasatch Drive.
[Google Map]
CDT links:
• Tanner Dance Program website
• Amy Brunvand investigates the making of The Dream Stealer in this Catalyst Magazine article
