Tanner Dance at the University of Utah

Virginia Tanner created the Tanner Dance Program in 1949, and today the program continues to nurture an appreciation of dance, music, literature, theater and visual arts in a beautiful home, the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex. The program reaches over 40,000 children and adults throughout Utah each year.

It may be fall break, but Tanner studio dance, music, and art classes and CDT classes are still happening this week.  Exceptions: There are no classes Wednesday - Saturday for the Contemporary Companies, Leadd program, and Elevate. Satellites may or may not be holding classes. Please check the satellite classes page for your satellite dates.

Tickets are now on sale for "Something to Say"

Each November, several of our Tanner Dance classes  perform as part of the Ring Around the Rose series at the Rose Wagner Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City. This year's show is called "Something to Say".

RDT’s Ring Around the Rose is a “wiggle-friendly” performance series for children and families that explores the magical world of the arts, including dance, theatre, music and storytelling.

Where: Rose Wagner Theatre, 138 West 300 South in Salt Lake City

When: November 9, 2019 at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm

Tickets: Only $6 and available by clicking below* or by calling ArtTix at 801-355-2787

*Ticketing fees apply. Ticket fees are usually lower if purchasing in person at ArtTix or over the phone.

NEW! Drumming Class  with Wachira Waigwa-Stone

Our new drumming class is designed for beginning to intermediate level, junior high and high school age drummers. Students will learn fundamental technique and basic rudiments (the syllables that are used to form the words and phrases of the drumming language), as well as explore rhythmic patterns, call and response, reading, and improvisation. Drills and exercises will be done each class with a practice pad and sticks, and then students will learn musical phrases, as well as create their own two or three-part layered rhythms using re-purposed and found objects such as buckets, pot, and pans.

Students will be expected to practice an hour a day throughout the week, in preparation for the following week’s class. A packet of take-home exercises will be provided.

During the second half of the semester, the class will have the opportunity to work with the Trash Panda Drum Group (see video to the right), who will come teach some masterclasses, set a piece on the group for the end of semester performance, and help the students come up with ideas for their own group composition, also to be featured in the performance.

Welcome to Tanner Dance!

Virginia Tanner began teaching children’s dance classes in the early 1940s,  but it was in 1949 when the Children’s Dance Theatre gave its first official performance at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus. We mark the beginning of this incredible program of dance for children from that time when Doris Humphrey, a leader in American modern dance first saw Virginia’s small company perform and wrote to Virginia, “Your children have left an indelible impression with me of true creative dance.  Your children offer a wonderful proof of the power of the young artist, guided wisely, untarnished by dogma or routine, un-stereotyped and lovely.  This source of fresh ideas in dance-art is a treasure house to which you have found the key.  Only to one who believes in children and understands them could this treasure have been unlocked. Congratulations for bringing Children’s Dance Theatre to reality, and for being its faithful guardian and creator. Their performance I saw in Salt Lake gave me a lift in spirit which I shall always remember.  I think beautiful children dancing have more to teach us than we have to teach them.”

Please refer to your Tanner Dance eNews emails, or click below for important studio dates. Bookmarking our calendar on your computer and phone is a great way to stay up-to-date!