Movement discipline is New York choreographer Danial Shapiro's life. Before he was into dance he did the martial arts.
"I was in junior high school before I took my first dance class," Shapiro said while in town with his partner, Joanie Smith, last August. "For about 10 years prior, I was doing Tae Kwon Do and earned a black belt. Then I decided to look into gymnastics to help with my flexiblity."That's when the dance came in," he said. "I mean, the martial arts is very choreographed, and you move with other people."
Then jokingly he added that dance gave him the opportunity to move around the floor with some good looking women.
The Repertory Dance Theatre will perform Shapiro and Smith's "Dance for Two Army Blankets" at the gala opening of the new Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. Broadway, Feb. 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Curtain is 7:30 p.m. with a special matinee Feb. 2, at 2 p.m.
"We've been talking to (Linda Smith) about doing something together for about a year," Shapiro said. "I had worked with Ririe-Woodbury (Dance Company) before, and so I'm familiar with the dance scene here. It's very close-knit, and the quality of the dancers in this community is among the best in the nation. The RDT dancers learned `Army Blankets' very fast. I've only been here for a week and a half and we've got the staging down. All we need to do is polish up a few throws."
The trick of "Army Blankets," explained Shapiro, is the dancers have to remember everyone's part, not just their own.
"With everyone being thrown around, being caught and tangled, everyone needs to be able to compensate or coordinate what is going to happen," Shapiro said. "A small miscalculation and someone could run their jaw into the ground."
"Dance for Two with Army Blankets" is actually five solos that are tied together with a blanket, Shapiro said.
"But the audience gets a view of cooperation and synchronicity while the dancers gain a sense of trust with each other."
The Alvin Ailey Dance Ensemble, one of the top dance companies in the nation, has also featured "Army Blankets" on its national and international tours.
"RDT dancers are fine-tuned for latching onto the aesthetic of a piece," Shapiro said. "They are willing to do it with 100 percent enthusiasm. I'm extremely impressed with their professionalism and dedication."
Shapiro's work will be one of many on hand at the Wagner Performing Arts Center's opening. Other works will include Laura Dean's "Sky Light," Susan McLain's "Kayro," Charles Moulton's "Nine Perso Precision Ball Passing" and Doris Humphrey's "Soaring."
As a special treat, Lynne Wimmer choreographed "Essence of a Rose" especially for the opening.
The piece, which also has sets designed by the University of Utah's department of architecture, is a commemorative dance dedicated to Rose Wagner, who gave birth to three children where the Art Center now stands.
Wagner's son, I.J., or "Izzy" as he is known, and his sister and brother were born in an adobe house at 150 W. Broadway, back in 1910.
"My mom and dad also set up a business in 1913 with just $6," Izzy Wagner told the Deseret News, referring to the Wagner Bag Company. "This (Art Center) is something I wish my mother could see."
Linda Smith said the new industrial-formed building, which is county-owned, is a dream come true.
"RDT has been wanting a place we can call home," Linda Smith said. "The architecture enhances the working creativity of our company. And it's not much different than the original warehouses that were here before. And it's a creative laboratory."
The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center contains three massive rehearsal studios, which average about 45 feet by 80 feet and a 150-seat black box theater for intimate performances.
The resident companies that "live" in the building will be RDT and Gina Bachauer. But, Linda Smith said, they won't be the only ones that make use of the new space.
"Heavens no," she said. "The Utah Opera, Ballet West, Ririe-Woodbury (Dance Company) and any other member of the Performing Arts Coalition are going to be in and out of here. The building is for the community to use.
"When the building was first being designed, we knew we wanted a stage with excellent sight lines," Linda Smith said. "And as things got going, we knew we wanted a place where the community could come and see art. We also knew we wanted to give the smaller dance companies a chance to let their art be known. And this is the perfect place for it."
With the help of former County Commissioner Jim Bradley, current Commissioner Brent Overson and the whole county commission and Performing Arts Coalition, the building began to take shape.
One day, Wagner, who owns the parking lot east of Squatters, stopped by to see what was happening to his former front yard.
"We had seen him walking up and down the street for days," Linda Smith said. "He finally poked his head in and asked what all the commotion was."
Since then, the Wagners have been instrumental in helping with the building process.
"They have especially been great with fund raising," Linda Smith said. "It's a marriage made in heaven."
Still, Linda Smith said having a new performing arts building isn't going to take away from any of the standing stages in town.
"This is another addition to the arts community and will complement the others - Abravanel Hall, the Capitol Theatre and such," she said. "Its purpose is to complement what has already been taking place in Salt Lake's art community."
- Tickets for "Premiere" are available for $10 at all ArtTix outlets or by calling 355-ARTS. Students and senior citizens will get a 20 percent discount.