Camelot has faded into the recesses of mythology-history, but a direct descendant of that chivalrous capital has found a home on the University of Utah campus; tenants of the new Alice Sheets Marriott Center for Dance find themselves in one of the most congenial spots anywhere for happy-ever-aftering, according to Lerner and Loew's formula.
Classes in modern dance, ballet and academic dance subjects have met in the center since the beginning of the school year, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in October to open the building officially.Now the coming two weekends are designated for inaugurating the Hayes-Christensen Theater and celebrating in gala performance perhaps the finest building in America constructed especially for dance.
Concerts will be held in the new theater on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1-2; and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7-9 at 8 p.m., featuring all the dance companies spawned by or now operating in the U. dance department. For tickets at $8, $4 students with I.D., call 581-DANS, or come to the Marriott Center ticket office Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Highlighting the concerts will be the Utah premiere of "Esplanade" by Paul Taylor, choreographed by Eileen Cropley on the Performing Danscompany and U. students for this occasion. PDC will also dance Loabelle Mangelson-Clawson's "Giraffe."
The Utah Ballet will perform "Song Without Words" by Mendelssohn, choreographed by artistic director Conrad Ludlow. From the Children's Dance Theatre comes "Exuberance," with music by Vivaldi, as set by Mary Ann Lee and Tina Misaka. Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company will dance Jamey Hampton's "Devouring the Bunyip," and the Repertory Dance Theatre offers "Variations and Conclusions" from Doris Humphrey's "New Dance."
Completing the program on Dec. 1 and 2 will be the grand pas de deux from "The Nutcracker," danced by Lisa LaManna of Ballet West and Mark Borchelt, formerly of Ballet West, now on dance faculty at the U. On Dec. 7-9, U. and Ballet West alumna Victoria Morgan will join Borchelt in dances from John Butler's setting of "Carmina Burana" by Orff.
A little less than a century ago (1892), Maud May Babcock, showing vision far beyond her times, initiated a combination physical education-dance-gymnastics program at the U. Those succeeding her built up a lively dance curriculum, until maturity developed during the era of Elizabeth Hayes, who came in 1940 to teach modern dance. She was followed by Willam Christensen, who began teaching ballet in 1951. Both are still active teachers after a combined 90 years of service to dance in Utah, and the theater is fittingly named in their joint honor.
Features of the elegant small space, decorated in maple hardwood, dark blue and wine, include 14 rows of seats steeply raked so dancers' feet can be seen from anywhere. The 45-by-70-foot stage, like the building's studios, is equipped with a resilient five-layer floor of basket-woven horizontal beams resting on neoprene pads, with rock wool filling to absorb shock and reduce noise. The upper surface of 1-inch maple flooring is covered by battleship linoleum - still the best thing available, with its cushiony blend of cork and resin.
Exposed catwalks near the theater's ceiling to access lighting are incorporated into the decor. The state-of-the-art lighting booth has anterooms on either side that can serve multiple purposes, from tech classrooms to conference rooms to cry rooms, or give handicapped access. Their glass panels slide out to bring viewers into the theater, or close so the hearing-impaired can utilize full volume.
For a contribution of $500, a donor can have a plaque installed on one of the theater's 333 seats, in his or her own name, or to commemorate or honor others.
Situated directly west of the Marriott Library, the Marriott Center for Dance stands as the latest incarnation of the Marriott family's generosity to the University of Utah. And while not so large or grand as the San Francisco Ballet's new home, the center is, in my opinion, more tastefully and beautifully appointed, more intimate, and far more ambient in its appeal - and all at the astonishingly low cost, by today's standards, of $5 million. (The state provided $3 million, the Marriotts $2 million.)
On a conducted tour, Kip Harris, who along with Ray Kingston and others at FFKR Architects designed the building, pointed out many of the special features, arrived at by careful consideration, consultation and painstaking effort, which translate into its magical, Camelot effect.
The building's 64,000 square feet include six airy, spacious studios (three each for ballet and modern dance) on two floors, all with 24-foot-high exposed-construction ceilings. The decor is mauve and white, with much rock maple and mirrored walls, and a combination of fluorescent and incandescent lighting. Radiant panels on the outer walls heat the objects in the space, not the air, and eliminate drafts. Cooling and ventilation come through overhead ducts.
"We had first projected no lobby at all," said Harris, a self-effacing man who nonetheless exudes quiet confidence. "But then we decided we could expand the entry hall on both floors, with a wall on each side - one side giving access to the offices, the other to the box office. The faculty willingly accepted small offices, and classrooms and many support areas are on the inside without windows, to add space and light to the studios."
Other desirable features include a scene construction room and costume shop right behind the stage, with natural daylight and large storage areas; a mirrored and skylit faculty studio to work out choreography; and tastefully appointed student lounges, restrooms and dressing rooms, crowned by a sky deck and roof space for outdoor performances.
For the exterior of red brick and Utah sandstone, economy dictated solid wall construction with "punched out" windows; but ingenuity has turned them into an architectural plus, with interior visibility possible through three walls - through an inner window to inner and outer windows across the lobby. Interesting decorative detailing comes from strips of raked joint bricks (leaving out some mortar to achieve a three-dimensional effect) and a rusticated base (bricks sticking out at the bottom).
Asked to philosophize a little about the building, Harris responded, "Our overall, pragmatic aim was to house the programs of the dance department; we wanted to provide an environment that is strong, poised and neutral, that would act as a frame for the activities it contains.
"But even more, we were given the opportunity to materialize people's dreams. And while there are always disappointments, because we've lived with the building for three years and know every flaw, we're pleased and excited about how it turned out.
"We have a feeling that in the lobby and studios the action of light in space is something we could not have visualized in advance. And we don't know for sure until after there's a show, but we have a hunch that the theater is wonderful, it feels right.
"We think we've achieved an uninstitutional feeling, a feeling of classic repose throughout the building."