Editor’s note: This is one of two stories in the eighth installment in a series highlighting arts organizations around Utah.
Ai Fujii Nelson exited the backstage door after another successful performance as a member of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company.
With her stage makeup removed and her costume replaced with street clothes, she blended in with the crowd, giving her the chance to stop and observe.
She watched as hundreds of children made their way back to their buses, prancing, jumping, leaping and spinning along the way — mirroring to some small degree the artistry they had just witnessed onstage.
It is during moments such as that one that Nelson, who is now the company’s education director, is reminded of her gratitude for the art of dance and the responsibility she feels to share her passion with others.
“I’ve received so much from this art form, and I’ve always just wanted to keep being this person that could be a conduit — taking in — but also now it’s time to give back,” she said.
And giving back and sharing dance are among Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s primary goals.
Since its creation in 1964, the contemporary dance company has continued to promote its philosophy that “dance is for everybody.”
Daniel Charon, the company’s artistic director, believes this is happening today through what he described as a two-fold mission: to educate as many people as possible about the art and to present thought-provoking contemporary dance choreography from around the world.
Empowering through education
Education has been a part of Ririe-Woodbury since its inception. Two Utah women — Joan Woodbury and Shirley Ririe — formed the company while working as dance professors at the University of Utah.
“It started 50 years ago because they wanted to dance, they wanted to choreograph and they were excellent teachers,” Charon said.
It was in 1972, according to the organization’s website, that the company’s education programs were able to really take off and grow when Ririe-Woodbury was selected as one of 20 dance companies in the nation to participate in the Dance Touring Program and Artists in the Schools Program.
More than 40 years later, Ririe-Woodbury’s education programs have blossomed into a variety of offerings that continue to reach thousands of individuals each year.
Among the company’s programs are its free student matinees. Daytime performances are scheduled during the company’s Fall Season and Spring Season for high school and middle school students to attend, and elementary school-aged children are invited to matinee performances during "Flabbergast," the company’s annual family show.
It’s the chance for students to get out of the classroom and get face to face with art. Nelson said the experience of coming to the theater instead of watching art through TV or the Internet is similar to the difference between taking a walk and riding in a car to reach a destination. The destination may be the same, but walking is more immersive.
“You get to notice the colors and the smell, and you have the chance to open up your senses,” Nelson said. “I think everybody needs that, and coming to the theater to see a live performance is just like that.”
Ririe-Woodbury also takes dance directly to the schools through its performance demonstrations and residency program.
The residency program, known as Kids in Motion, gives students the opportunity to participate in “creative movement” classes with members of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. The dancers break into groups of two and spend two weeks visiting schools and preparing students to perform in their own mini concerts. These intimate workshops allow students to create, move and work together, which, according to Nelson, ends up being an enriching experience for the dancers as well.
“Every time I get to work with children, I realize it’s not that you’re teaching steps, but it’s more mutual,” she said. “You learn a lot from kids’ imaginations.”
The company reported that it reached 19 school districts, 113 schools and 34,303 students during the 2013-14 school year through its education outreach programs.
“I think it’s doing great things to Utah students, and we’re very happy to continue being part of that effort,” Nelson said.
Reflecting society
In addition to educating others about dance, Ririe-Woodbury members hope to also make the art form accessible by making it about things going on today.
“I feel like that’s really important because often art is reflecting what’s going on in society, so it’s a really important way to create dialogue and conversation around issues that are happening around the world,” Charon said.
Ririe-Woodbury celebrated its 50th anniversary last season, which Charon said served as a reminder of the enduring foundation the company is building upon today.
“We’re a contemporary dance company, so our mission is really to keep generating and keep encouraging brand-new work,” he said. “We’re continually reconsidering and reinvestigating ways to present dance.”
While many companies around the country perform the work of a single choreographer or focus on a specific vision, Charon’s hope for Ririe-Woodbury is that the company will keep exploring and asking questions so audience members will do the same.
“The more I’m here, the more I want to keep it as broad as possible, and that means to keep bringing in artists from all over the world … and different perspectives on life,” Charon said.
If you go …
What: Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s Fall Season
Where: Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South
When: Sept. 25-27, 7:30 p.m.
How much: $35
Phone: 801-355-2787
Web: arttix.org
Email: wbutters@deseretnews.com, Twitter: WhitneyButters