About Us – Repertory Dance Theatre

About Us:

a revolutionary institution of modern dance celebrating 55 years

A revolutionary institution

RDT is the nation’s oldest and most successful repertory dance company. Unlike conventional modern dance organizations, we present you with a diverse range of modern dance styles and choreographers paired together in dynamic and unexpected performances.

New viewers often ask us what to expect from an RDT performance. We tell them grace and athleticism, beauty and power. Beyond that, we tell them to embrace the unexpected. So, what is RDT Dance all about? Simply said, we are about art. Art in motion, expressed through our bodies as modern dance. Art that in its immediacy and intimacy can be both thrilling and profound. Art that challenges you, and art that you won’t see coming.

For over 55 years, RDT has pushed the boundaries of modern dance, while preserving and celebrating its legacy. It was radical when we beat out the big city stalwarts and Utah dancers received a RockefellerFoundation grant to establish the nation’s first repertory dance company. Today, we’re just as revolutionary as we were in 1966.

Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT), founded in 1966 in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a professional modern dance repertory company dedicated to the creation, performance, perpetuation and appreciation of modern dance. For over 50 years, RDT has pushed the boundaries of modern dance, while preserving and celebrating its legacy.

Known worldwide for its collection of dance treasures, RDT is both a museum and contemporary gallery representing the scope and diversity of modern dance, past and present. From the early pioneers of the art form to today’s cutting edge choreographers, the company maintains one of the largest collections of modern dance classics in the world. As a repository for this rich heritage, RDT is a resource center and laboratory for contemporary dancers, choreographers, visual artists, writers and composers.

In addition to public performances, RDT produces a variety of community-based programs and has a long-standing commitment to arts-in-education. Outreach activities include lectures, informal performances, teachers’ workshops, open rehearsals, annual summer workshops and year-round classes which all serve to train and ignite the creative voice in people of all ages. At its home in the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, the company contributes to the cultural, social, and economic vitality of the community. RDT remains committed to building bridges of understanding that de-mystify the art of dance.