Join RDT Dancer, Elle Johansen, as she teaches a phrase from Dancing the Bears Ears. Suggested for Junior High/High School dancers.

Thank you so much for taking some time to learn my movement from Bears Ears. I wonder how you might tell the same story using different movements? How would your bird look and move differently from mine? What’s a unique story that only you can tell about your life? How would you make a movement phrase to tell someone that story?

Feel free to share these videos, embed them for your students, or link to this page. New online educational resources are being developed every day. If you have suggestions for what you’d like to see let us know: rdt@rdtutah.org.

Originally from Salt Lake City Utah, began her dance training at the age of 9 with the Janet Gray School in Salt Lake City Utah. There she was disciplined in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, and various forms of African dance. Elle earned her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah in 2015 where she received both the “Outstanding Senior Award” and the “Student Service Award.” Elle has a passion for dance education and is currently a teacher at the Janet Gray School, Tanner Dance at The University of Utah, South Valley Creative Dance, and a teacher with Repertory Dance Theaters AIE program. Throughout her training Elle has had the privilege to work with Hubbard Street, Alvin Ailey, and the Staaliche Balletschule School located in Berlin Germany. Elle has been a guest dancer with RDT since 2015 and officially joined the company in 2017.

RDT appreciates the generous funding provided by the Utah Legislature and the Utah Board of Education that help make our Arts-in-Education Programs possible in Utah’s Public Schools.