About

A native of Utah, Linda began her career in dance at the age of four with Virginia Tanner’s Children’s Dance Theatre. In 1966 she become a founding member of Repertory Dance Theatre where she fulfilled her dream of becoming a performer, teacher, choreographer, writer, producer. In 1983, Linda became the Artistic Director and later in 1996, Executive Director of RDT.

Her pursuits have led to the development of the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, to the establishment of the RDT Community School, to providing commissions for established and emerging choreographers, and to the creation of multi-disciplinary activities that focus on the dance history, the environment, social issues, multi-ethnic history, sustainability and community.

Linda’s performing experience spans over 90 works. She is dedicated to Art-In-Education and was a UDAM certified Arts-In-Education Movement Specialist. She believes that dance can increase learning and create a path toward a healthier society and people. She has brought the magic of dance to students and teachers with her unique demonstrations, lectures, classes and professional development workshops in over 2000 schools.

Evidence of her commitment to dance preservation is seen in RDT’s collection of historic dance re-constructions that include choreography by 140 of America’s most revered choreographers. In the early 1980’s, Linda initiated the development of a historical dance retrospective Then, The Early Years, and later, Time Capsule,, a narrated concert spanning 120 years of modern dance.

Linda believes in the power of dance to inspire, to educate, and to heal. She is committed to using dance as a way to raise consciousness, document history and culture, and tell America’s story. She has dedicated her life to finding ways to make the arts relevant and to communicating the value of dance in the life of a community. She is most at home encouraging audiences of all ages to imagine, create and communicate with the language of movement.

Under Linda’s leadership RDT has focused on numerous community building initiatives including:

• The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center: The formation of partnerships with the Sal Lake County that designed and built as an accessible and affordable performance venue in downtown Salt Lake City for small and mid-sized performing companies.
• Separate Journeys: a concert and educational programs focusing on five of Utah’s ethnic communities that received the Utah Humanities Council Merit Award for its project collaboration with PBS affiliate KUED.
• Utah Landscape Suite: Artistic commissions inspired by Utah’s unique landscape and geological terrain celebrating the state’s bicentennial anniversary. (RDT received Spirit of the Land Award for Meritorious Achievement by Salt Lake City Olympic Committee for the Landscape Suite and Glacier, focusing on the importance of water conservation.)
• World View: Five international artistic commissions that played an active role in the community’s celebration of the Millennium and arts and cultural festivities for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
• American Masters: Concert featuring three founders of modern dance, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Helen Tamiris which was performed at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games Arts Festival.
• A Sense of Place – Commissions that explores dance as a means of social and political commentary, a reflection of our inventive spirit, and a language for communication that examined ways we interact, communicate and mature as individuals and as a community.
• THE GREEN MAP PROJECT: a transforming, community building Arts-In-Education project that created paths of inquiry, exploration and expression while inspiring young people to be thoughtful and productive citizens. Through the internationally acclaimed Green Map System, RDT used the art of dance to help young people understand the concept of sustainability.
• MANIFEST DIVERSITY: During its 2018-19 season, RDT launched an initiative titled Manifest Diversity that celebrated the diverse cultures and peoples that have made modern dance a rich tapestry of the American experience.

Linda received a BFA from the University of Utah, where she became an Adjunct Associate Professor of Dance.

She has received many honors and awards, including:

1992: YWCA for Arts and Communication/Outstanding Achievement
1998: Mayors Artist Award (Utah Arts Festival)
2001: UWABC Community Builders Award
2004: Utah Business Award: VISIONARIES “Women to Watch”
2005: UDEO Lifetime Achievement Award Utah Dance Educators
2016: U of U College of Fine Arts Distinguished Alumni
2018: One of Utah’s 15: The State’s Most Influential Artists. 15 Bytes).
2019: Utah Business Award “Women To Watch” Utah Business Magazine
2019: UNA Utah Non Profits Association Award “Outstanding Non-Profit Leader”
2019: Utah Cultural Alliance: Lifetime Achievement Award
2020: Madeleine Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts and Humanities.
2023: Downtown Alliance Award “Creator Award”
2024: Honorary Doctorate Degree University of Utah