Displaying items by tag: Arts Pass

“The Lighting Thief” has it all. 

A rock musical score, Greek gods and monsters, epic battles, and the search for belonging. 

Presented by the U Department of Theatre, the production is adapted from the best-selling book of the same name by Rick Riordan –– the first in the wildly popular "Percy Jackson and the Olympian" series.

It is likely that for many University of Utah students, the series needs no introduction. Take assistant director Lauren Carn, a junior studying theatre teaching, for example. 

“I grew up reading and loving the series, so assistant directing this show has definitely been nostalgic and brought out my inner fan-girl,” she explained. “It has been a bit challenging to bring elements of the book to life while respecting the changes Tracz and Rokicki made when adapting the novel to our script. We wanted to make sure that the show made sense in this new play world, while still honoring those who love the novel. I’m proud of the work we have done, and I’m eager to see if our Percy Jackson fanatics pick up on the easter eggs sprinkled throughout.”

"Because this show is set in such a fantastical world, it has been so much fun as an actor to live in a space with heightened stakes and realities."

-Alison Hagen

“The Lightning Thief” follows Percy, a teenage demigod who has newly discovered powers he can’t control, a destiny he doesn’t want, and a menagerie of monsters on his trail. When Zeus’s lightning bolt is stolen and Percy becomes the prime suspect, he and his friends embark on an epic quest to find the bolt, clear Percy’s name, and prevent an all-out war between the gods.  

“This musical deals with themes of loneliness and the challenges of discovering one's identity, a struggle that everyone goes through,” said Alison Hagen, a senior in the Musical Theatre Program who plays SIlena (amongst other roles) in the show. “There are themes relating to both biological and found family that any audience member can empathize with.”

The mythical world of the play is brought to life by director Alexandra Harbold, with wildly creative set design led by Kaitlyn Crosby, costumes by Mae Hinton-Godfrey, and lighting by Sara Clark. 

“I think Percy says it best: Greek mythology is ‘deeply weird,’” Carn said. “I love that 'The Lightning Thief' leans into this –– making each creature, God, monster, and half-blood unique. The script pulls us in, helping us understand the complex relationships within the myths, while making us feel that we are a part of an inside joke.”

For Alison Hagen, this unfamiliar world continues to stretch her abilities as an actor. 

“Because this show is set in such a fantastical world, it has been so much fun as an actor to live in a space with heightened stakes and realities. In our training as performers, we are constantly reminded to be truthful in our acting, so transferring this honesty into a melodramatic world has been very fun and challenging to navigate,” she said. 

Embrace the fantasy and come along for the ride.  

The Lightning Thief

Saturday, 9/30 @ 2 PM
Sunday, 10/1 @ 2 PM
Thursday, 10/5 @ 7:30 PM
Friday, 10/6 @ 7:30 PM*
Saturday, 10/7 @ 2 PM**
Saturday, 10/7 @ 7:30 PM
Sunday, 10/8 @ 2 PM
*ASL Interpreted performance and Audience Talkback
** Sensory-Friendly matinee

Tickets here 

Students get in free with Arts Pass! Present your UCard at the Pioneer Theatre Company box office in advance, or the venue box office just before the performance.

What’s the biggest arts celebration on campus each year?

That’d be the one and only Arts Bash, baby! And it’s coming up on Wednesday, Aug. 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Library Plaza.

Imagine the plaza full of free food, booths, live entertainment, interactive art, the chance to learn about arts offerings at the U and earn a free t-shirt. Live performances, student films, free giveaways and all the information you need to access the hundreds of arts offerings on campus each year thanks to the U’s award-winning Arts Pass program which turns your UCard into a ticket to the arts.

Swing by the Art & Art History booth to make a tie-dye shirt or stop by the Utah Center for Vocology booth to see demonstrations on easy exercises you can do with simple straws and cups of water to keep your voice healthy. 

On the stage, we’ll see performances from the Michie Jazz Quintet from the School of Music, the Department of Theatre and the School of Music. Plus, we’ll see student films from the Department of Film & Media Arts.

All arts organizations on campus will be there for you including each of the five academic units in the College of Fine Arts and our Arts Ed and ArtsForce pals, plus our three professional affiliates on campus (UtahPresents, Pioneer Theatre Company and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts). We’ll also have Red Butte Gardens, the Union Programing Council, Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, and the Marriott Library represented.

We can’t wait to see you. Let’s go!

Why do we throw this party for U students?

To celebrate all the arts have to offer at the University of Utah, of course. From our famous Arts Pass program that allows students use their UCard to access hundreds of arts experiences on campus each year for free or deeply-discounted prices to learning about all the majors, minors, grad programs, and non-majors courses in the College of Fine Arts five academic units (Art & Art History, Dance, Film & Media Arts, Music, and Theatre and our Arts Ed programs.).

The U’s commitment to the arts and creativity

A growing body of research shows that arts experiences can positively impact students’ lives – including enhancing health and well-being, tolerance, empathy, literacy, critical thinking, community building skills, and even graduation rates. Plus, the arts provide us all valuable moments of respite, reflection, and connection.

It is not often that University of Utah dance students and faculty find themselves side-by-side on stage. This coming weekend, they will get the chance in a one-of-a-kind public performance. 

“BIG BEATS,” is a 15-minute, free, outdoor dance performance by Brooklyn-based choreographer Joanna Kotze with an original sound score performed live by composer/musician Ryan Seaton. Utah audiences will have two opportunities to catch the free show, presented by UtahPresents in partnership with the School of Dance:

• Friday, August 25th at the plaza outside SLC’s Main Library downtown
• Saturday August 26th on our very own J. Willard Marriott Library Plaza. 

The cast of 24 SLC-based performers includes U School of Dance undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and professional dancers, all selected through a formal audition process. 

For Kotze, one of the things that makes “BIG BEATS” special is the relationships it fosters within the community. She has seen this in action in five previous times she has set the piece on groups of students and professional dancers: at its premiere at NYC’s Riverside Park in 2021, then subsequently at the Ailey School, University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Bates Dance Festival, and American Dance Festival. 

“I feel like I could do this forever,” Kotze said. "It feels really cool to be able to bring different parts of the community together, especially students dancing with their teachers, and with professionals. Every time I set it, I learn so much, and it gets more detailed every time we do it. You never know how people are going to take it in and communicate with one another.”

The large group of performers moves in unison throughout the entirety of “BIG BEATS.” This extended synchronicity is uncommon in choreographic works. “Often unison is just a minute or so, but this is almost 15 minutes of it,” Kotze said. “This is not normal for me. Most of my work is very individualized, and much more about creating movement specific to each person. It has been a very satisfying and challenging choreographic decision.” 

UtahPresents describes the work as “an invitation to stop and watch a group of people working together, dancing together, being together. It is also a chance to let the beat get into your own body.”

"It feels really cool to be able to bring different parts of the community together, especially students dancing with their teachers, and with professionals."

University of Utah students need do nothing more than show up at the plaza to witness the performance. Even if they aren’t planning on attending, it just might catch them off guard –– a reminder the arts on campus are just a breath away and easily accessible through the Arts Pass program. 

“The audience is on all sides of the performance area,” Kotze explained. “You can view it from any angle, as the dance keeps shifting its front. The audience is always going to feel that something is happening for them, no matter where they are standing.” Each performance will feature the piece twice, so that audiences can stay and absorb it again, and even choose a totally different perspective. 

“BIG BEATS” is also unique in that its movement is drawn from and comprises the first section of Kotze’s evening-length work “ 'lectric Eye,” which will also be performed at Marriott Center for Dance in May as part of UtahPresents’ season. Ten of the 24 dancers of “BIG BEATS” will be asked to join the “lectric Eye” cast in an exciting opportunity for students to experience a longer trajectory with a guest artist, and perform their work in a professional capacity. 

U School of Dance assistant professor Molly Heller has been dancing with Kotze since 2018 and is one of the five core performers that tour “ ‘lectric Eye,” alongside Kotze herself, Wendell Gray II, Symara Johnson, and composer Ryan Seaton, with lighting designer Kathy Kaufmann. Having been on the road with the company, she has been anticipating when the piece would transfer to her own community here in Salt Lake City. 

“We don’t really ever, except when we are teaching, have the opportunity to dance alongside one another in a decentralized power dynamic,” Heller said. “No one is grading anyone. We are all in the same boat, swimming through complex material, figuring it out. For my colleagues and I to experience it together is bonding. I can feel the excitement in our faculty meetings to be sharing this, inviting everyone to come see what we are doing.”

For Heller, the nature of Kotze’s movement is perhaps a new exploration for students. “I have been thinking about our students’ relationship to unison movement. It is often experienced as erasing an individual –– in a way it can have that framework or feeling.” she said. “But I was feeling in rehearsal that every single person in the 24 matters in the collective energy and knowledge. The unison helps to highlight the individual without having to try for it. The uniqueness is embedded in the task.”

You can’t miss “BIG BEATS.” Be there!
(And stay tuned for more on “ ‘lectric Eye” as spring draws near!)

AUGUST 25, 6:00 & 7:00 PM | SLC DOWNTOWN LIBRARY SQUARE
AUGUST 26, 6:00 & 7:00 PM | U MARRIOTT LIBRARY PLAZA - PART OF U OF U WEEKS OF WELCOME

The Babcock Theatre has seen its share of staged combat over the years, but never quite like this.

Opening Friday, February 17th through the 26th, the University of Utah Department of Theatre presents “The Sweet Science of Bruising,” written by Joy Wilkinson, and directed by Alexandra Harbold, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Flying Bobcat Theatrical Laboratory and Assistant Professor with the Department of Theatre.

Inspired by the real history of female boxing in Victorian London, “The Sweet Science of Bruising” follows four very different women in their bid to become Lady Boxing Champion of the World. As they spar and train under the tutelage of an eccentric trainer/promoter, all four women find an unexpected sense of freedom and solidarity in the “sweet science.”

Although the stakes for victory soon reach life-changing heights, a different fight awaits each of them in the world outside the ring.

"This show has challenged me to stop denying my gut instinct, and to let my body lead the way."

For actor Dorothy Mayer, this tale is deeply resonant in today’s culture, despite taking place in 1869. “The ‘Sweet Science’ subject matter is near and dear as ever, with the struggles of women within a patriarchal society continuing and evolving today.” Mayer said. “How can women support and help each other whilst still pursuing our own agendas? Where do we draw the line? What does working together actually look like?’ The Sweet Science of Bruising’ grapples with these same questions.”

Mayer plays Matty Blackwell, one of the four female boxers, who is anything but a shrinking violet. 

“Matty’s fiery resilience inspires me again and again to keep pushing through this beautiful beast of a show!” Mayer said. “When she falls, she gets back up; when she’s thrown a curve ball, she throws one back. That’s the goal.”

As is common with challenging roles, this one has taught Mayer quite a bit about acting itself. “I have learned so much about the connection between body and mind through this show, quite ironically as Matty is obsessed with ‘Cartesian Duality’ –– the body knows things before the mind does. This show has challenged me to stop denying my gut instinct, and to let my body lead the way,” she reflected. 

U Students should take a break from their rigorous studies and make their way to the theatre to see the show, particularly if they have been waiting for the right moment to use their Arts Pass. 

As Mayer described: “This show has it all! Action, relationship, conflict, and change are some of the many elements that make ‘The Sweet Science of Bruising’ so beautifully human. Students can come for a thrill, and will hopefully recognize a bit of themselves along the way.” 

“This is the kind of piece that takes a whole community of artists to put up, which feels connected to what the playwright is celebrating,” said director Alexandra Harbold. “We’ve got three different rooms per night going on at the same time in rehearsal: dialects in one room, fight choreography in another, scene work in another. It’s about collaboration, working together to make progress, to take something from vision to reality. This idea of pitting people against each other as the ultimate end, where there has to be one winner and everybody else is a loser . . . [Wilkinson] challenges that. It’s a different model for victory, and for living.”Standing L - R: Taryn McClure (Polly), CoCo Berwald (Violet), Tristian Osborne (Prof. Charlie Sharp). Seated L-R: Dorothy Mayer (Matty), Hannah Ekstrom (Anna) Photo by Meghan Gibson

Principal cast members include Tristian Osborne (Professor Charlie Sharp), CoCo Berwald (Violet Hunter), Hannah Ekstrom (Anna Lamb), Dorothy Mayer (Matty Blackwell), and Taryn McClure (Polly Stokes). Additional cast members include Lina Boyer (Aunt George), Aly Carter (Nancy), Brandon Ernst (Gabriel Lamb), Maggie Goble (Emily), Grayson Kamel (Dr. James Bell), True Leavitt (Referee, Dr. Foster, Ensemble), Luke Morton (Captain Danby, Ensemble), and Michael Tirrell (Paul Stokes). Tessa Jones and Macey J. Shackelford are the principal cast understudies.

Creative team includes  Scenic Designer Nikayla Starr Nielson, Costume Designer Mae Hinton-Godfrey, Lighting Designer Meghan Gibson, Sound Designer Summer Stevens, Prop Designer Anna Blaes, Wig and Makeup Designer Samantha Wootten, Fight and Intimacy Director Adriana Lemke, Dramaturg Laurel Morgan, and Choreographer Constance Anderson, with Stage Manager Savannah Gersdorf.

The Sweet Science of Bruising 
Babcock Theatre 

February 17 – 26, 2023
Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 pm
Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm

*ASL Interpreted performance and Audience Talkback on Friday, February 24

During the last few months, the School of Dance has been a bustling hub of creativity. Coming off a tremendous high after the wonderful run of Performing Dance Company’s greenland, our dancers are ready to take the stage once more. Spring Dance, happening February 23rd to the 25th, will showcase 4 world premieres that promise to engage, inspire, and entertain. The concert includes work by two of our own esteemed faculty members, Melissa Bobick and Molly Heller and two guest artists, Suzanne Haag, Eugene Ballet’s Resident Choreographer, and internationally renowned artist Rena Butler.   

From pure classical and neo-classical lines to broad and expansive physicality, Spring Dance will have a vast range of choreographic voices generating an eclectic display of virtuosity and energy beautifully showcased by our talented School of Dance students.

Rena Butler is a force of nature and one of the most sought-after creators of our time. In a relatively short time, she has danced, collaborated and choreographed with some of the most renowned companies around the world. When asked about her new choreography for the School she explains: “Off Shore is a collaborative exploration of symbiosis between the water in and out of us, reflective in a series of tumultuous emotions. Up to sixty percent of the human body is water, and seventy percent of the earth is covered in water. How can one move freely with the intersection of swells and various degrees of currents to find the shoreline again?”

Guest choreographer Suzanne Haag created an exquisite design of patterns and precise movement that shifts and shapes much like a kaleidoscope. In her own words: “Ornament is a non-narrative ballet, and though there is no storyline, Fanny Mendelssohn’s emotional sound evokes relationships between the artists on the stage.”

“The title, Ornament, is taken from a quote about the sibling composers Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn, spoken by their father: “Music will perhaps become his [i.e. Felix's] profession, while for you [Fanny] it can and must be only an ornament." Despite these harsh words, Fanny Mendelssohn’s music, much of which had originally been credited to her brother Felix, has been rediscovered to be appreciated by today’s audiences.”

“My hope is that this piece presents something beautiful, something seemingly ornamental, but that ultimately it gives the audience a sense of connection as heard through the music and seen through the artists’ relationships on stage.”

Through her neoclassical and powerful movement, Assistant Professor Melissa Bobick is presenting Vox Feminae, created as an artistic collaboration with the dancers from her cast. “The work grew out of discussing the difficulty we often confront when trying to speak up and voice a personal opinion in a public forum. For us, as women who have trained in the historical framework of classical ballet, the challenge of finding our voice can be uniquely difficult. Within traditional ballet training, there are few opportunities for students to voice personal thoughts or opinions. Rather, they are instructed and encouraged to find comfort and routine in silently taking direction. I am hopeful, with a new generation of dancers, that this expectation is slowly changing.”  

“In this new work, I am looking for the dancers to embody a sense of urgency. This is a physical representation of the overwhelming emotion we often feel when, in real life, we seek within ourselves the confidence to speak up. This can be true in either the dance studio or the professional world. My hope for this new generation of female dancers is that they will, with the support of one another, see the value inherent in their own thoughts, opinions, and perspectives, and, with that value in hand, bravely and confidently share their valuable insights with the world.”

Assistant Professor Molly Heller brings to us a work that swirls with energy and dynamic movement. In her own words she says: “Robust and charged, my new work, Promise the Moon, creates ongoing cinematic states within an orchestral soundscape. Eight performers interweave between internal and collective drive, curiosity and fixation, and confrontation as it meets change. This work asks, how do we know, what we know? Promise the Moon blurs hope and realism and promises to be BIG.”

Spring Dance promises to be a memorable experience for anyone interested in dance performance and music interpretation through movement.
Come join us, you will not regret it! 

Showtimes:

Feb 23 at 5:30 p.m. (in person or streamed online)
Feb 24 at 7:30 p.m. (in person or streamed online)
Feb 25 at 2:00pm and 7:30 p.m. (in person or streamed online)

Marriott Center for Dance - Hayes Christensen Theatre

In-person tickets can be purchased at tickets.utah.edu for all dates.
Free for University of Utah students with a valid UCard through the Arts Pass program.
Patrons can also stream all performances live for free.

Winter nights are made brighter with music. 

Luckily, the University of Utah School of Music's jam-packed concert calendar has something for everyone (nearly every night from Dec 5 thru 12)!

So, come in from the cold and share a moment with students across music disciplines. Each night offers a new opportunity to celebrate the season, and enjoy the talents of emerging artists. Take a peek! 

Monday, December 5 

Advanced String Quartets 
7:30 - 8:30p
Dumke Recital Hall

Tuesday, December 6

Jazz Combos
7:30 - 8:30p 
Fine Arts West

Wednesday, December 7

Utah Philharmonia
7:30 - 8:30p
Libby Gardner Concert Hall 

Thursday, December 8 

University Choirs
7:30 - 8:30p
Libby Gardner Concert Hall 

Friday, December 9

Composition Seminar and Composer Forum Concert
7:30 - 8:30p
David P. Gardner Hall

Saturday, December 10

Harp Ensemble
7:30 - 8:30p
Thompson Chamber Music Hall

Monday, December 12

Vocal Area Soloists with American West Symphony
7:30 - 8:30p
Libby Gardner Hall

All concerts presented through the Arts Pass program! Students get in free with their UCard.

Get ready to feel the love with the University of Utah Department of Theatre.

Opening Friday, November 11 through November 20 2022, “IN PIECES” is an exciting contemporary musical by award-winning songwriter Joey Contreras, directed by Eric Sciotto. Told entirely through song, “IN PIECES” chronicles the near-misses, triumphs, and tragedies of young adults searching for connection in present-day New York.

“’IN PIECES’ is a song cycle with a collection of songs that all involve eight characters. It's little snapshots of their lives as young adults growing up, and understanding what love is, understanding heartbreak, understanding how relationships develop in a really complicated way,” said Alex Marshall, music director for the production.

“The audience can expect a lot of singable lines, recognizable grooves and feels, and something that they can connect to that feels a little bit more contemporary."

Although the contemporary style of the music is demanding, stretching performers in new directions, it is particularly relatable to students because as Marshall put it, “it's music that's in their ears. It’s things they hear on the radio, more so than in the golden age of Broadway.”

Many classic musicals carry the stamp of the performers that have embodied the roles over time. For a new musical like “IN PIECES,” the cast can come with entirely fresh eyes.

“It's about creating their own vision of who these characters are and how they represent their stories through music,” Marshall said. “I think it's important for these young artists to explore new work because ideally they'll move into the career of being theater performers and get the opportunity to create new work.”

He added, “I also think this piece is wonderful because it's written by a BIPOC composer, and it's written for gender fluid or identity conscious casting – so we can recognize stories that aren't the traditional white bodied stories that we see in musical theater history. We can see modern understandings and contemporary social structures that help us tell stories that apply to us.”

So, what can spectators look forward to?

“The audience can expect a lot of singable lines, recognizable grooves and feels, and something that they can connect to that feels a little bit more contemporary,” Marshall said. “It’s a way for them to investigate their own relationships and investigate their own lives in a way that maybe challenges some of their expectations or understandings about how we relate."

IN PIECES
Babcock Theatre

Nov 11 @ 7:30 pm
Nov 13 @ 2:00 pm
Nov 13 @ 7:30 pm
Nov 17 @ 7:30 pm
Nov 18 @ 7:30 pm
Nov 19 @ 2:00 pm
Nov 19 @ 7:30 pm
Nov 20 @ 2:00 pm
Nov 20 @ 7:30 pm

Talkback and ASL interpreter November 18th!
Free admission for U student with Arts Pass, and free admission for high school students with valid ID. 

Join the University of Utah Department of Theatre for "SOMEWHERE: A PRIMER FOR THE END OF DAYS," opening Friday October 28th, 2022 in Studio 115. 

Written by Marisela Treviño Orta and directed by Penelope Caywood, the play explores a world transformed by climate change – but it's not what you may think. Treviño Orta was originally inspired by the idea of a world without insects. “I came across an article that was literally about the question of what the world would be like if there were no more insects." she wrote. "And the moment I read the title, I kind of knew, this is an interesting world to set a play in.”

The play tackles an important subject without preaching to its audience. It incorporates magical realism and puppetry and draws on history, biology, and mythology, and more. 

As the Department of Theatre describes: 

"Sometime, somewhere, something went wrong. Now almost all the insects are gone, and crops are failing everywhere. With society on the verge of collapse, entomologist Cassandra and her brother Alexander prepare to follow the migration of the last monarch butterflies in the world.

But it’s not just butterflies that they’re following: sometimes Cassandra has visions. These tiny glimpses of the future don’t always make sense, but they always come true. When they encounter a group of survivors at a remote truffle farm, the pieces of Cassandra’s latest vision begin to fall into place.

Poetic, provocative, and magical, 'SOMEWHERE: A PRIMER FOR THE END OF DAYS' presents a vision of the future where evolution is not only essential but inevitable." 

SOMEWHERE: A PRIMER FOR THE END OF DAYS
Studio 115
Performing Arts Building

Oct 28 @ 7:30 pm
Oct 29 @ 2:00 pm
Oct 29 @ 7:30 pm
Oct 30 @ 2:00 pm
Nov 3 @ 7:30 pm
Nov 4 @ 7:30 pm
Nov 6 @ 2:00 pm
Nov 6 @ 7:30 pm

TALKBACK and ASL INTERPRETER
Friday, November 4

Free for University of Utah students through Arts Pass! 

University of Utah School of Dance presents “Utah Ballet,” featuring premiere works by guest artist and alumna Sayoko Knode and faculty artist Christine McMillan, plus a historical re-staging of the complete third act of Marius Petipa's “Sleeping Beauty,” by faculty artist Christopher Alloways-Ramsey.

Get ready to see pointe work three ways— one classical work, and two different flavors of contemporary work.

“Sleeping Beauty” is the pinnacle of the collaborative work between Marius Petipa, the 19th-century's most outstanding ballet choreographer, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the greatest Romantic composer of the late 19th century. 

“Sleeping Beauty represents the height of classical ideals in the refined technical challenges,” said Chris Alloways-Ramsey. “The harmonious balance Petipa creates within the patterns for the corps de ballet and the various divertissements create a spectacle that became Petipa's hallmark.”

Utah Ballet is presenting Act III of Sleeping Beauty which features the wedding celebration between Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré. The royal court, including the King and the Queen, are in attendance along with many of the characters from beloved fairy tales: Puss n' Boots, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, the enchanted Princess Florine and the Bluebird, the Lilac Fairy, and Prince Florimund and his Sisters. Some of these characters will include our very own Sean Carter (SoD admin), Joselli Deans (SoD faculty), and Alloways-Ramsey himself.

“The Ballet Program dancers have grown artistically and technically through Petipa's challenging choreography and the hours of coaching that have brought this production to life” said Alloways-Ramsey.

“Becoming,” a new contemporary ballet choreographed by University of Utah alumna and guest artist, Sayoko Knode, introspects the often unspoken experiences that accompany many of life’s accomplishments. 

“The piece is portrayed across musical compositions by Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns, and Dvorák,” said Knode. “It delves into the darker and bittersweet recognition that certain triumphs bring an end to one’s former self.”

The title of Christine McMillan’s new contemporary ballet piece, “Here we are/We are here,” invokes the concept that every moment is a new moment and embracing that. We can only be where we are at the present moment, and we can also pro-actively own the moment we are in.  

"I seem to keep returning to the idea of vigilance/watchfulness within several of my works, and the constant effort in maintaining personal safety. This relates to the environment we find ourselves in, hence Here we are,” said McMillan. “I've also been thinking about the deep friendships I've built with various people over the years. Vigilance is tiring, and it’s easy to forget the sustenance we get from others. I’m interested in how we balance these aspects of our lives. The piece starts with this sense of vigilance, along with ideas of fierceness and drive to move forward. Within the piece, a trio embodies the literal and figurative support we get from one another. The final section furthers the journey of the dancers into a sense of confidence, comradery, and joy - embodying the assertiveness of the statement We are here."   

Utah Ballet opens October 27th at the Marriott Center for Dance and is sure to be a dazzling display of movement utilizing both classical and contemporary pointe work.

Utah Ballet 2022

Oct 27 at 5:30 p.m. (in person or streamed online)
Oct 28 at 7:30 p.m. (in person or streamed online)
Oct 29 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (in person or streamed online)
Nov 3 at 5:30 p.m. (in person only)
Nov 4 at 7:30 p.m. (in person only)
Nov 5 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (in person only)

Free for University of Utah students with a valid UCard through the Arts Pass program!

Join the Utah Philharmonia this week for the 21st Annual Haunted Orchestra concert: "Fantastic Notes and Where to Find Them."

A fully costumed orchestra and stage will present spooky Halloween fare from the Harry Potter films, in addition to works by Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and more.

As always, there will be surprises and a chance for the audience, young and old, to show off their costumes. 

Don’t miss this magical concert, with two performances!

Fantastic Notes and Where to Find Them
Friday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m.
Free for U students through Arts Pass, just show your Ucard at the box office!