Repertory Dance Theatre began as a unique experiment.  The inspiration behind the founding of RDT was Virginia Tanner, a noted educator and director of Utah’s renowned Children’s Dance Theatre, who dreamed of establishing a professional modern dance company in Utah. In 1966, her efforts resulted in the creation of a partnership between the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Utah, and the Salt Lake City community that launched Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) which became America’s first successful modern dance repertory company dedicated to the creation, performance, perpetuation and appreciation of modern dance.

RDT is a nationally known resource center and laboratory for contemporary dancers, choreographers, visual artists, writers, and composers. We nurture the art of dance and support contemporary artists to contribute to a dynamic contemporary society as we use the arts to inspire, educate, heal and to promote creative solutions to problems.

Over RDT’s history several creative initiatives have guided the commission and acquisition of new works:

• LANDSCAPE SUITE: The Landscape Suite project brought choreographers, composers, writers, and visual artists together to create work inspired by Utah/Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin, Wetlands and Riparian Areas, Mountains and Forests. Their impressions were integrated into choreography inspired by the physical attributes of the land, the history, and the inhabitants of  the Western United States.
• WORLDVIEW ANTHOLOGY: Inspired by the spirit of the Olympic games and the 2002 Winter Olympic in Utah, RDT acquired an international collection of works by artists from Cuba, Taiwan, Africa, Australia, and Europe representing the five Olympic rings to celebrate creativity throughout the world.
• SENSE OF PLACE: RDT uses the arts to increase awareness of global and community issues. to foster community cohesion, environmental stewardship, and cultural continuity to encourage revitalization of individuals, neighborhoods and communities.
• GREEN MAP: RDT created a model arts/environmental education project focusd on developing a more sustainable future by utilizing the Green Map ® System tools for self-recognition, enlivened by the art of dance, to inspire and stimulate a dynamic understanding of ‘place.’
• MANIFEST DIVERSITY: RDT celebrates a variety of voices in our communities and in our art form that acknowledges the different cultures and peoples that have made modern dance a rich tapestry of the American experience.

RDT offers students opportunities to experience the joy of living through dance by offering movement activities and performances that enrich young lives and ignite the creative voice in people of all ages.

RDT gives its dancers opportunities to develop their choreographic skills by providing a nurturing environment, offering rehearsal space, production support, and by giving them a platform to showcase their work.

RDT performs in the local as well as national arena, in rural as well as metropolitan cities by offering life enhancing, enriching and entertaining programs and outreach activities of high artistic quality and represents Utah on tour locally, in the region, nation, and throughout the world. RDT has performed in 284 cities, 192 performances at home and 582 away.

RDT is dedicated to preserving American modern dance treasures by building a repository…. a “living library” of classics works which would preserve the great dance treasures of our country.

As part of this mission, RDT inspired a “grassroots movement” that was the catalyst in the creation of a public/private partnership between local non-profit arts organizations, the Performing Arts Coalition (the PAC) and the Salt Lake County that developed The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, a dynamic community venue for artists and audiences…right on Broadway.