Tanner Dance university of utah

"We love that everyone involved in the program sincerely cares about our children as people, and wants them to feel good about who they are."

"We seek to engage the mind and spirit of every child, to train the body as an instrument, to embrace the hard work of dance, and finally, to set the imagination free."

"The motivating force behind my work is not only developing excellent dancers, but more importantly, developing young people who are useful, imaginative, worthwhile human beings."

"Without reserve; each child spun, ran, waved his arms, or joined a friend. The freedom of movement and limitless expression touched me.  I wrote a Facebook post titled, 'The Gift of a Child with Behavioral Problems'.  In it, I said, 'You’ll wonder how this ungainly bird could ever be expected to leave the nest without leaving a path of destruction in its wake.'  Watching my son leap and twirl, I thought of this quote.  Thanks to you, I saw my bird fly."

"Whether they spoke English or Swahili, whether they were Autistic or neurotypical, whether they were able or disabled, EVERY second grader at Granger was a choreographer, a dancer, an artist, and a performer this year. A wheelchair-bound 2nd grader with a severe and painful skin condition told his teacher, ‘When I go to dance, I feel like I am normal. When I dance, I feel like I am free. "

"I came away from the parent meeting tonight just full of love and joy and gratitude for CDT. It is a privilege to be a part of this nurturing, strong, visionary company, as a musician and as a parent. I am so happy that my little girls get to "grow up" in the arms of this place. It matters so much to me! "

"Besides the fact that our son loves the Elevate and the Dancers with Disabilities classes that he attends, they are also wonderfully therapeutic for him. Through these programs he makes and meets goals that are quite constant with speech and physical therapy. For speech, he works on pronunciation and participation in social experiences that could not be duplicated elsewhere. The increase in strength and agility and the joy in movement that he experiences every week are obvious physical benefits. Participating in Elevate is a dream come true both for him and for us, as his parents!"

"I feel so blessed to have found a place that reflects the values I want to instill in my children, a place that honors character and goodness.  It truly is the happiest place to dance!"