About the Company
Children's Dance Theatre (CDT) is the performing arm of the University of Utah Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Program. The company was established in 1949 by Virginia Tanner. Since 1979, under the artistic direction of Mary Ann Lee, the company has continued to grow in size and programming, resulting in continued state, national and international recognition.
This company of young dancers, ages eight to eighteen, shares its performances annually with more than 45,000 Utahns. Every spring, the company showcases an original work at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. CDT is the second oldest performing arts organization in Utah and performs regularly under the auspices of the Utah Arts Council's Performing Arts Tour, with support from the Zoo, Arts and Parks fund, and in collaboration with other arts organizations and individuals. In keeping with the mission to share dance with a broad population base, most CDT performances include matinees for school-aged children.
Accomplishments
Since its inception, the company has performed at major dance festivals around the world: dance and the Child international conferences (daCi) in Sweden, England, Finland, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands, and the United States, where CDT hosted the conference in 1992; the White House Conference on Children; the International Conference and Dance Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and the Seattle World's Fair. In 1998, CDT held an exchange with the Welsh dance company Rubicon.
CDT received the 1993 Governor's Awards in the Arts. Visions of Children, the 1994 concert with Pete Seeger, was featured in an award-winning video produced by KUED. In 1998, Mary Ann Lee was honored with the Madeleine Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts and Humanities. Children's Dance Theatre celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 1999 with a year of special performances. Dancers from CDT and elementary school students who participate in the Tanner Dance Arts in Education Outreach Program performed in Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic events, including the mascot launch, Cultural Olympiad performances, Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Medals Plaza ceremonies.
CDT links:
• Tanner Dance Program website
• Children's Dance Theatre's Facebook page
• Salt Lake Tribune article about the making of Scientia [PDF, 175 KB]
