Virginia Tanner
Encyclopedia
Virginia Tanner was an American dance instructor and founder of the University of Utah Children's Dance Theatre. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah
, she began her formal dance training at the University of Utah
. She studied with Doris Humphrey
in New York City before returning to Salt Lake City in the early 1940s to establish her school for creative dance for children.
's continuing education program, which survives today under the direction of Mary Ann Lee and is part of the University of Utah Dance Department. In 1943, she formed the Modern Dance Theatre, a company that she co-directed with local dancer Barry Lynn. In 1949, she formed the Children's Dance Theatre.
In 1953, the Children's Dance Theatre performed at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Theatre
in Massachusetts
, the American Dance Festival in Connecticut
, and New York University
's summer camp in upstate New York
to critical acclaim. Following the 1953 performances, the Children's Dance Theatre performed throughout the United States, including the Seattle World's Fair
in 1962 and the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
, in 1975. Ms. Tanner and her students were featured in Life, Newsweek and Dance Magazine
and on national television.
In 1960, Miss Tanner was instrumental in gaining a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation
to bring great choreographers to Salt Lake City to set work on dancers at the University of Utah. In 1966, through her efforts, a larger grant from the Foundation was awarded to the University to establish the Utah Repertory Dance Theatre.
Miss Tanner taught extensively throughout the United States through the National Endowment for the Arts’
Artist-in-the-School program. She was a contributing author to the Self-Expression and Conduct – The Humanities book series, published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in the 1970s.
Miss Tanner is the recipient of numerous awards, including an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts
from the University of Utah and a Plaudit award for inspired teaching from the National Dance Association
.
dance program was founded in 1940 by Elizabeth Roths Hayes. At the time of writing Elizabeth Hayes is 96 years old; and in April 2007 Bill Evans
restaged in her honor For Betty at the University's Department of Modern Dance alumni concert, a work that he had choreographed to music of Antonio Vivaldi
in 1970 for Repertory Dance Theatre at her request to see something "joyful and exuberant."
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, she began her formal dance training at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. She studied with Doris Humphrey
Doris Humphrey
Doris Batcheller Humphrey was a dancer and choreographer of the early twentieth century. Humphrey was born in Oak Park, Illinois but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She was the daughter of Horace Buckingham Humphrey and Julia Ellen Wells and was a descendant of pilgrim William Brewster...
in New York City before returning to Salt Lake City in the early 1940s to establish her school for creative dance for children.
Biography
Virginia Tanner began teaching children at the McCune School of Music and Art in Salt Lake City in 1941, where she was director of the dance program. She went on to establish her own school within the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
's continuing education program, which survives today under the direction of Mary Ann Lee and is part of the University of Utah Dance Department. In 1943, she formed the Modern Dance Theatre, a company that she co-directed with local dancer Barry Lynn. In 1949, she formed the Children's Dance Theatre.
In 1953, the Children's Dance Theatre performed at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Theatre
Jacob's Pillow
Jacob’s Pillow Dance is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for the oldest internationally acclaimed summer dance festival in the United States. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, the American Dance Festival in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's summer camp in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to critical acclaim. Following the 1953 performances, the Children's Dance Theatre performed throughout the United States, including the Seattle World's Fair
Century 21 Exposition
The Century 21 Exposition was a World's Fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962 in Seattle, Washington.Nearly 10 million people attended the fair...
in 1962 and the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in 1975. Ms. Tanner and her students were featured in Life, Newsweek and Dance Magazine
Dance Magazine
Dance Magazine is an "influential" American trade publication for dance, currently published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as The American Dancer. William Como was its editor-in-chief from 1970 to his death in 1989. Wendy Perron became its editor-in...
and on national television.
In 1960, Miss Tanner was instrumental in gaining a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
to bring great choreographers to Salt Lake City to set work on dancers at the University of Utah. In 1966, through her efforts, a larger grant from the Foundation was awarded to the University to establish the Utah Repertory Dance Theatre.
Miss Tanner taught extensively throughout the United States through the National Endowment for the Arts’
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
Artist-in-the-School program. She was a contributing author to the Self-Expression and Conduct – The Humanities book series, published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in the 1970s.
Miss Tanner is the recipient of numerous awards, including an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts
Doctor of Fine Arts
Doctor of Fine Arts is doctoral degree in fine arts, typically given as an honorary degree . The degree is typically conferred to honor the recipient who has made a contribution to society in the arts...
from the University of Utah and a Plaudit award for inspired teaching from the National Dance Association
National Dance Association
The , headquartered in Reston, VA, is an association within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance...
.
Creative Dance Program
The Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Program has been under the direction of Mary Ann Lee since Tanner's death in 1979. The University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
dance program was founded in 1940 by Elizabeth Roths Hayes. At the time of writing Elizabeth Hayes is 96 years old; and in April 2007 Bill Evans
Bill Evans (dancer)
Bill Evans is an internationally-known choreographer, performer, teacher, administrator, and movement analyst. More than 200 of Evans' works have been performed by professional and pre-professional ballet, modern dance, and tap companies through the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Europe and...
restaged in her honor For Betty at the University's Department of Modern Dance alumni concert, a work that he had choreographed to music of Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
in 1970 for Repertory Dance Theatre at her request to see something "joyful and exuberant."
Repertory Dance Theatre
Utah Repertory Dance Theatre, founded in 1966, is still in existence and is one of the oldest and most successful modern dance companies of its kind.Alumni
Alumni of Repertory Dance Theatre include:- Linda Smith, current artistic director
- Bill EvansBill Evans (dancer)Bill Evans is an internationally-known choreographer, performer, teacher, administrator, and movement analyst. More than 200 of Evans' works have been performed by professional and pre-professional ballet, modern dance, and tap companies through the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Europe and...
, choreographer - Douglas BoulivarDouglas BoulivarDouglas Boulivar dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. trained at the Royal Ballet School and performed with the Repertory Dance Theatre, Ballet of the Twentieth Century, Dancers in Repertory, Bill Evans, Anna Sokolow and Mel Wong...
- Gregg Lizenbery
- Joan Moon
- Karen Steele, danced with Lar LubovitchLar LubovitchLar Lubovitch is an American choreographer and founded his own dance company, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in 1968. Based in New York City, he and the company have toured worldwide....
after RDT - Kathleen McClintock
- Kay Clark, RDT artistic director with Linda Smith 1977-1983
- Lynne Wimmer
- Manzell Senters
- Martin Kravitz, danced with Batsheva Dance CompanyBatsheva Dance CompanyThe Batsheva Dance Company is an internationally acclaimed dance company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was founded by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild in 1964....
, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, after RDT - Ron Rubey
- Tim Wengerd, after RDT, principal dancer with Martha GrahamMartha GrahamMartha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.She danced and choreographed for over seventy years...
until his death in 1986
University of Utah Children's Dance Theatre
Children's Dance Theatre was founded by Virginia Tanner in 1949 in conjunction with and remains an integral component of the University of Utah's Creative Dance Program, of which she was also founder and director.Major performances
Major performances of Children's Dance Theatre:- 1952 Christmas in the Air
- 1953 Jacob's PillowJacob's PillowJacob’s Pillow Dance is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for the oldest internationally acclaimed summer dance festival in the United States. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive...
- 1960 Jacob's Pillow; American Theatre Conference, New York City,
- 1960 Tour to Connecticut CollegeConnecticut CollegeConnecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
School of Dance, New London, ConnecticutNew London, ConnecticutNew London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut.... - 1961 Cranberry Corners
- 1961 My Favorite Things
- 1962 Seattle World's FairCentury 21 ExpositionThe Century 21 Exposition was a World's Fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962 in Seattle, Washington.Nearly 10 million people attended the fair...
, Seattle, Washington - 1964 ScroogeEbenezer ScroogeEbenezer Scrooge is the principal character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. At the beginning of the novel, Scrooge is a cold-hearted, tight-fisted and greedy man, who despises Christmas and all things which give people happiness...
: The Stingiest Man in the World - 1964 Snow QueenThe Snow QueenThe Snow Queen is a fairy tale by author Hans Christian Andersen . The tale was first published in 1845, and centers on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by a little boy and girl, Kai and Gerda....
- 1964 Ceremony of Carols
- 1968 Tour to HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
- 1970 White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Conference on Children, Washington, D.C. - 1975 Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
- 1978 Dance and the Child Conference, EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada - 1978 Stonecutter
- 1978 Tribute to Virginia Tanner, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1980 Rainbow Goblins, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1981 PierrotPierrotPierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in...
- 1981-1983 Children's Dance Theatre In Concert, Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1984 Desert Landscapes, Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1985 I Am Magic, Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1985 International Children's Festival, Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
- 1986 Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, Stanford, CaliforniaStanford, CaliforniaStanford is a census-designated place in Santa Clara County, California, United States and is the home of Stanford University. The population was 13,809 at the 2010 census.... - 1986 International Children's Festival, Wolf TrapWolf Trap National Park for the Performing ArtsWolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, known locally in the Washington, D.C. area as simply Wolf Trap, is a performing arts center located on 130 acres of national park land in Wolf Trap, Virginia...
Farm Park for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... - 1986 The Dancing Man, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1987 The Dancing Man, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1988 Anna & The Echo Catcher, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1988 Dance and the Child International Conference, London, England
- 1989 40th Anniversary Concert, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1989 Together
- 1990 Anna & The Echo Catcher, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1991 Dance and the Child International Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1991 Young She & Grandmother Tree, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1992 One Hundred Years of Dance, American Dance Festival West, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1992 Tales, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1993 Dance & Sing, featuring Pete Seeger, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1993 Shout, Abravanel Hall, Governor's Awards in the Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1994 TARI '94 International Conference and Dance Festival, Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia - 1994 Visions of Children, featuring Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah, 45th Anniversary Concert - 1995 The Rag Coat, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1996 Waking the West, Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1997 Dance and the Child International Conference, KuopioKuopioKuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
, Finland - 1997 Salt, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1998 The Joy Keeper, Ogden Egyptian TheatrePeery's Egyptian TheatrePeery's Egyptian Theater is a movie palace located at 2439 Washington Blvd., in Ogden, Utah in the United States of America. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.-History:...
, OgdenOgden-Surname:* Aaron Ogden, governor of New Jersey* Bud Ogden, American professional basketball player* Carlos C. Ogden, American Medal of Honor recipient* Charles Ogden * Charles Kay Ogden, Cambridge University linguist, inventor of Basic English...
, Utah - 1998 The Joy Keeper, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1998 Wales Dance Exchange, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... - 1999 ... and We Began to Dance, Salt Lake City, Utah, 50th Anniversary Performance
- 1999 SLOC Olympic2002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
MascotOlympic symbolsThe Olympic symbols are icons, flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games. Some—such as the flame, fanfare, and theme—are more common during Olympic competition, but others, such as the flag, can be seen throughout the year.-Motto:The Olympic motto is...
Unveiling - 2000 The Quiltmaker's Gift, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2001 Crumb and the Pirates, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2002 RePETE, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2003 Sense Pass King, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2004 The Three Questions, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2005 Pockets, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2006 A Blue So Blue, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2007 The Dream Stealer, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2008 Scientia, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2009 Coming Home, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 60th Anniversary Concert - 2010 True North, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2011 Alice Through the Looking Glass, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
Dancers and choreographers
Some significant dancers and choreographers from Children's Dance Theatre:- Cynthia Pepper, has own company in the Bay Area
- Jacque Bell; independent Salt Lake City-based choreographer, teaches at University of Utah and Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
- Linda Smith, artistic director of Utah Repertory Dance Theatre
- Lisa WarenskiLisa WarenskiLisa Warenski was a Salt Lake City-based dancer and choreographer who received her early training at the Virginia Tanner School for Creative Dance where she was a member of the Children's Dance Theatre and studied with members of the Utah Repertory Dance Theatre.She taught in numerous dance...
; professor of philosophy at Union CollegeUnion CollegeUnion College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
, former dancer and choreographer - Lola Huth, danced with José LimónJosé LimónJosé Arcadio Limón was a pioneer in the field of modern dance and choreography. In 1928, at age 20, he moved to New York City where he studied under Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. In 1946, Limón founded the José Limón Dance Company...
company - Mimi Silverstein, former Repertory Dance Theatre member
- Tina Misaka, former Repertory Dance Theatre member
University of Utah Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Fine Arts Preschool faculty
- Misha Bergman, director
- Mimi Silverstein
- Rachel Kimball
- Tad Simonson
External links
- Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Program, University of Utah
- Department of Modern Dance, University of Utah
- Children's Dance Theatre, University of Utah
- Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Fine Arts Preschool, University of Utah
- Dance, Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah
- Virginia Tanner, Utah History to Go
- Utah Repertory Dance Theatre
- Repertory Dance Theatre, Dance Magazine, February 2006
- Repertory Dance Theater photograph collection, University of Utah Marriott Library
- Bill Evans Dance
- Cynthia Pepper, CPCollaborations
- Prof. Gregg Lizenbery, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Theatre and Dance
- Jacque Lynn Bell, University of Utah, Department of Theatre
- Karen Steele, Oklahoma Arts Council teaching artist roster
- Prof. Kathleen McClintock, Mills College, Dance Department
- Prof. Lynne Wimmer, University of South Florida, School of Theatre and Dance
- Prof. Mary Ann Lee, University of Utah, Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Institute
- Tina Misaka, Utah Arts Council artists roster
- Finding Aid for the Virginia Tanner Papers at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro