Repertory Dance Theatre records

Collection

Identifier: ACCN 0725

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Repertory Dance Theatre records (1965-2004) consist mainly of the financial and business papers of this Salt Lake City-based modern dance company. Included in the collection are correspondence, notes, invoices, receipts, requisitions, purchase orders, applications, programs, reports, and other materials.

Dates

1965-2004

Creator

Repertory Dance Theatre (Salt Lake City, Utah) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Historical Note

Utah's Repertory Dance Theatre was founded in 1966 as a fully-professional modern dance company through a cooperative effort involving the Salt Lake City community, the University of Utah and a major grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. This partnership was created to establish a company which would keep alive that unique, artistic achievement which is American Modern Dance.

Noted educator and Children's Dance Theatre director Virginia Tanner's dream of establishing a professional company of dancers dedicated to the performance, creation and preservation of modern dance led to the development of RDT. As a professional group of artists in residence at a university, RDT began as a bold attempt at artistic democracy which gradually evolved as the company selected artistic leadership within its own ranks. A founding member, Linda C. Smith has guided the artistic mission since 1983 and kept the thread of continuity and the "dream" of Virginia Tanner alive.

Today, RDT continues to fulfill its high initial expectations. It is the oldest and most successful company of its kind, a living museum representing one hundred years of dance history, preserving the largest and most significant collection of American dance in the world. RDT acquires classic works by significant twentieth century choreographers and also commissions new works for its prestigious repertory. From the legendary Isadora Duncan and Doris Humphrey to the revolutionary Merce Cunningham and Michio Ito, RDT is both a museum and a contemporary gallery representing the scope and diversity of modern dance past and present.

RDT's mission, to aid in the decentralization of the arts and to reach audiences outside the metropolitan centers, resulted in the creation of a versatile and flexible national touring company which has been seen in more than 300 cities throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. RDT has performed for diverse audiences from Bicknell, Utah to Vienna, Austria, in school rooms and opera houses, from gymnasiums to the Kennedy Center. As ambassadors for Utah, RDT proudly represents its community and its art form throughout the world.

The company has a long standing commitment to arts-in-education. In the early 1970's RDT was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts to develop multi-faceted arts residency programs for public schools. RDT has created activities which educate audience of all ages through classes, workshops, lectures and performances which reach over 30,000 school students each year in Utah alone. Projects have focused on ecology, literature, history and cultural diversity which give students and teachers tools to increase communication and develop self esteem as they increase their understanding and appreciation of world culture.

RDT strives to broaden the public's understanding of the art of modern dance through a variety of community based programs and acts as a resource center and laboratory for dancers, choreographers, visual artists, writers and composers. The company offers annual summer workshops and year-round classes to train aspiring professionals as well as inspire the creative potential in people of all ages.

In the early 1990's, RDT played a pivotal role in helping to revitalize downtown by embarking on a project to build a new performing arts center in the heart of Salt Lake City. The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, RDT's home, enables the company to expand its potential and better serve the community. RDT is committed to increasing the public's awareness and deepen their understanding of the arts through a variety of activities, free lectures, informal performances and open rehearsals bringing alive an area of cultural and social activity.

(Historical Note taken from Repertory Dance Theatre's website at http://rdtutah.org/about.html)

Extent

26.75 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Repertory Dance Theatre records (1965-2004) consist mainly of the financial and business papers of this Salt Lake City-based modern dance company. Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) was founded in 1966 with the help of Virginia Tanner (1915-1979). It has become a well-known touring company, performing internationally, and displays its dedication to the arts through various community programs. Included in the collection are correspondence, notes, invoices, receipts, requisitions, purchase orders, applications, programs, reports, and other materials.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Boxes 1-45 were donated by Repertory Dance Theatre in 1982 (26.25 linear feet).

Box 46 was donated in 2005 (0.5 linear feet).

Map case folder 1 was purchased from Tschanz Rare Books in 2020.

Separated Materials

Photographs and audio-visual materials were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0039 and A0619). A CD version of the Archives Index in box 46 is located in the Manuscripts Division's CD case.