The Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company was founded in 1964 by Joan Woodbury and Shirley Ririe, who were both professors of dance at the University of Utah, and has become Utah’s most established institution for contemporary dance. The Company actively embraces and commissions the work of contemporary choreographers, tours worldwide, and develops dynamic education and community outreach programming.
Ririe and Woodbury’s passion for performance, choreography and pedagogy brought them together to start sharing their talents with the world. Over the years, the company has grown from its beginning as a local entity into an internationally renowned contemporary dance company, having performed in every state in the United States, as well as in South Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the British Isles and throughout Europe.
Under the direction of Executive Director Jena Woodbury, Artistic Director Daniel Charon, and Education Director Ai Fujii Nelson, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company is committed to building upon the vision of its founders as it continues to evolve as an important voice for innovation in contemporary dance and dance education.
Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company is devoted to furthering contemporary dance as an accessible and valued art form through performance and dance education that raise standards, deepen the understanding and promote the audience’s personal connections with dance.
Through performance and educational undertakings, the Company pursues its mission to make dance a viable part of everyone’s life, whether it be as creators, performers, dance educators, critics or participating audience members. Over the 53 years of its history, Ririe-Woodbury has always advocated the philosophy that “dance is for everybody.”
The dancers of the company are Mary Lyn Graves, Yebel Gallegos, Melisa Rochelle Younker, Daniel Mont-Eton, Megan McCarthy, Bashaun Williams.
Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company will perform on the campus of Texas A&M University on April 10 at 7 p.m. in Rudder Auditorium. Additionally, on Monday, April 9, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company will be on campus to conduct educational and engagement activities within the Texas A&M campus and College Station communities in anticipation for a performance of contemporary repertory.
This promises to be a show worth seeing and an experience worth having.
