Join the School of Dance for “Unbound”
The University of Utah School of Dance will soon usher in its 2026-27 performance season with its opening concert, “Unbound.” This dynamic concert celebrates Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month through the choreography of Sandra Rivera and José Limón and also features new choreography from three members of the School of Dance faculty.
“Our opening fall concert ‘Unbound’ revels in creativity and collaboration, honors our rich dance tradition, and celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month,” said concert director Christine McMillan.
The concert will open with a new work by Associate Professor (Lecturer) and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Daniel Clifton. “Often, art and dance are created to represent an idea or tell a story,” said Clifton. “Right now, I am interested in making dances that are the things themselves.” In this collaborative piece, students will not only dance but also accompany the piece by performing live music.
The second piece of the night will be an excerpt from José Limón’s 1967 work “Psalm,” restaged by Associate Professor Natalie Desch, a former member of Limón Dance Company who performed with them for five seasons. José Limón (1908–1972) electrified the world with his dynamic masculine dancing and dramatic choreography. One of the 20thcentury’s most important and influential dance makers, he spent his entire career pioneering a new art form and fighting for the recognition and establishment of the American Modern Dance.
The students dancing in this piece will also have the amazing opportunity to perform alongside the Limón Dance Company in their September 24th concert for Utah Presents at Kingsbury Hall.
Next in the program is a new piece choreographed by Assistant Professor Timothy Lynch, his first work choreographed for the School of Dance. The neo-classical ballet piece, titled “What the Body Remembers,” “is a new work exploring how earth, air, fire, and water live inside every movement we make,” said Lynch.
Following the intermission, students will perform in “Para Tina Ramírez,” choreographed by Sandra Rivera. Rivera initially created the piece as a solo homage to Tina Ramírez, the founder of Ballet Hispánico, following her death. Rivera will be recreating the piece on U Dance students during her residency this month at the School of Dance. The piece employs the use of castanets and is set to the iconic music “Asturias” by Isaac Albéniz.
Closing out the concert is a new piece by Professor Pamela Geber Handman titled “the encroaching wakefulness that assails me at night.” Handman describes the piece as “a moody, windswept dance where the entangled performers build to a turbulent vortex.” The piece is inspired by the historical novel “The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon, which follows the events unearthed in Maine by the “long winter” of 1789.
The School of Dance invites all to “come witness an array of dance styles as our School of Dance students give a remarkable display of their versatility and artistry,” said McMillan. We hope to see you there.
“Unbound” runs October 1 through October 10 at the Marriott Center for Dance. Tickets can be purchased in advance at this link (click here) or at the door. University of Utah students get free access with their student ID thanks to the Arts Pass program, which makes hundreds of arts experiences accessible to U students each year.
Performance Dates:
October 1 @ 5:30pm*
October 2 @ 7:30pm*
October 3 @ 2:00pm*
October 3 @ 7:30pm*
October 8 @5:30pm
October 9 @ 7:30pm
October 10 @ 2:00pm
October 10 @ 7:30pm
*these performances will be live-streamed