There were logistical problems in creating the lineup for Repertory Dance Theatre's concert "Time Capsule," according to artistic director Linda C. Smith.
"The production is the history of modern dance," Smith said, "and there are a lot of significant works that I wanted to be represented." She added with a laugh, "When I first listed all the works, the program was five hours long, so I had to cut things. And that was the hard part.
"As I was shaping it up, I didn't know what was going to happen. I knew that there would be some people who would come back and say, 'Why wasn't such and such a piece included?' or 'Why did you ignore so and so?' I was worried. And I asked a friend of mine, and she said, 'Linda, you can't tell the history of the world in two hours.'
"So I cut things, and we decided to do excerpts of certain works. So it's a nice representation of modern dance."
There are 26 pieces from 20 choreographers slated to be part of "Time Capsule," said Smith. "So you know they are all going to be short. And there is a narrative script that goes on throughout the program. I revamped it from the last time we did something like this. I wanted to make sure the younger people in the audience would stay interested."
Also featured during the evening will be multimedia visuals that will accompany the narration. "Former RDT dancer Andy Noble and his wife, Dionne, took on the visual project, and we're excited to be working with him again."
Daneil Nagrin's "Strange Hero," Doris Humphrey's "Soaring," Isadora Duncan's "Valse Brilliante," Jose Limon's "There Is a Time," Anna Sokolow's "Lyric Suite," Laura Dean's "Sky Light" and Shapiro & Smith's "Dance for Two Army Blankets" are just a few of the pioneering modern-dance works on the program.
"It is a condensed 100-year history of modern dance," said Smith. "When the Repertory Dance Theatre was founded in 1966, we were first a repertory company committed to preserve American modern dance. Throughout the years, we have acquired many works from groundbreaking choreographers. And since the history of modern dance is continually changing, we have works added to our repertoire each year. And some of those need to be represented."
A new work for the Repertory Dance Theatre is Misho Ito's "Warrior." "We are lucky to get the work," said Smith. "It was choreographed in1928 and has elements of Asia and its culture.
"I also got permission to restage an excerpt from John Butler's 'Three Promenades to the Lord.' The whole work is in three movements. It examines grass-roots religion. I got permission to restage one section called 'Holy Rollers.' It's a different type of style for Butler. It's more folk dance. And if you're familiar with Butler's style, it's different than what you're used to.
"Overall, I wanted to give the audience a taste of why it is important to preserve these historical dances. We need to show younger audiences, too, that the word 'history' is not just dust and cobwebs."
If you go . . .
What: "Time Capsule: A Century of Dance," Repertory Dance Theatre
Where: Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South
When: Thursday and Nov. 25-26, 8 p.m.
How much: $25
Phone: 355-2787 or 888-451-2787
Web: www.arttix.org
E-mail: scott@desnews.com