Choreographer Doris Trujillo said one of the influences that caused her to create "El Baile" for the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company was the music.
"I met an artist last year from Argentina who now lives in Provo," Trujillo said during an interview. "He was part of the `Tango Argentina' and introduced me to the music of Astor Piazzolla. I knew I needed to choreograph a piece to his music."Trujillo's work will premiere during Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company's "Detour" performance at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. Broadway (300 South), on Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances are Dec. 12-13, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $10 at the ArtTix box office at the Capitol Theatre or by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787).
Other works presented during "Detour" will be Dorcas Roman's "Quitte Me Pas?" Winnie Ladd's "Remote Control," a new work from University of Utah senior Stephanie Sleeper and additional premieres from Ririe-Woodbury dancers Jill Voorhees Edwards, Jillian Harris, Julie Manchester and Patrick Damon Rago.
The "Detour" program, which was named because the company will perform at the Wagner Center instead of the Capitol Theatre, will give the company dancers and area artists a chance to display their talents as choreographers and dancers.
"I have fabulous dancers in my piece," Trujillo said about the company. "Each has a different background with unique qualities. They give me a chance to explore where I want to go.
"The piece I created wasn't anything like the one I had envisioned," said Trujillo, who danced with Ririe-Woodbury 20 years ago. "It seemed to go its own way.
"Part of the reason was the music," said Trujillo. "It is so rich and complex. There is an intensity, an energy, a passion that runs through it. It made me want to create a dance based on pure movement."
But instead of becoming too abstract, the work, Trujillo said, has something for everyone.
"As the piece unfolds, there are many opportunities for the audience to find some personal meanings," she said. "Whether they find something to do with relationships or the way we communicate with others, it's up to them.
"I found as I was working with this piece that I could relate to things that were happening in my life and relationships with others."
While there are hints of the Tango and other Latin-based dances, Trujillo said the steps are not authentic but have a more personal meaning than the other dances she's choreographed.
"I tried to steer away from the stereotypical movements, but there were certain spots where I couldn't resist," Trujillo said with a laugh. "This one is very special to me because my grandfather was from Argentina."
"El Baile" was suppose to be part of the Contemporary Danceworks concert earlier this year, said Trujillo, who is currently the State Dance Consultant for the State Board of Education. "But with scheduling and things like that, I had to put it on the back burner and choreograph a solo. After the concert was finished, I began working on this again, and that's when (Ririe-Woodbury) called me."
Unlike the solo she created for the Contemporary Danceworks, "El Baile" is comprised of three sections. The first is a quartet of four solos, the second is a duet and the last is another quartet.
"Each movement explores the different ways we communicate and interact," Trujillo said. "The dancers I used really grasped the intent of the piece, and we all moved as one."