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Show Local dancers to perform during Children's Dance Theatre concert By TOM HARALDSEN Thirteen Davis County youth will be among performers when the Children's Dance Theatre of the University of Utah performs its annual spring concert at the Capitol Capi-tol Theatre on April 8 and 9. The Friday performance will begin be-gin at 8 p.m., with Saturday's matinee at 2 p.m. The company will debut its new work, "Anna and the Echo Catcher," an enchanting en-chanting story of a young girl who falls asleep one night only to dream vividly of her journey through the dark forest to visit the Echo Catcher, Catch-er, in search of her own echo. The story symbolizes the quest for her own person, and the meaning of life. Shru De Li Ownbey, a Salt Lake City harpist, composed the original score for this performance, which will feature 14 harps for the dance and narration of the story. Local performers will include Brigette Allen, 18, of North Salt Lake; Becca Bastian, 18; Rachael Bastian, 12; Elizabeth Bastian, 8; Heather Hale, 7; Darcie Walker, 9; Lara Walker, 19; Sarah Ward, 9; and Keli Whitaker, 9, all of Bountiful; Bounti-ful; Shirley Smith, 7, of Centervill-e; Centervill-e; Amy Moore 15, and Rachelle Tordiff, 18, both of Farmington; and Wendy Wilcox, 12, of Fruit Heights. Also featured will be three other works. "Gauntlet" is choreographer choreog-rapher John Mead's piece on hard work and rewards of achievement. "Exuberance," choreographed by theatre director Mary Ann Lee, celebrates the joy of moving to the music of Vivaldi. And New York choreographer Stephan Koplowitz will stage "I'm Growing II," a dance of the trials and tribulations of growing up. The Children's Dance Theatre was founded by the late Virginia Tanner, and is the performing arm of the Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Program. Literally hundreds hun-dreds of dancers participate in classes clas-ses and instruction each year, both at the University of Utah and its satellite sites, including the former Stoker Elementary in Bountiful. Ms. Lee, herself a student for years at the school, took over directorship after Mrs. Tanner's death in 1979. Since then, dancers from seven to 18 and beyond have taken their skills around the world as the Dance Theatre performs each year. Ruby S. Brown, a long-time accompanist who lives in Center-ville, Center-ville, remembers Mrs. Tanner as "a very gifted person. To sit at the piano day after day and watch the way she developed these dancers was phenomenal. The children just loved her." Mrs. Brown said that Mrs. Tanner Tan-ner demanded excellence from her students, and got it. "It was a constant con-stant thrill to see these kids grow and go on with their lives." Mrs. Brown has been involved in the program for 40 years, saying it's "something you love to believe and be involved in. The best part is watching how it helps the self-esteem self-esteem of these children. I truly love it.". She is one of 12 regular musicians musi-cians who help with the program. Overall, more than 800 students take regular lessons in' the program, prog-ram, and many in the dance theatre will travel to London this summer to perform in the International Children's Festival. Ticket information for the performances per-formances is available by calling 581-7374. |