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Utah's pre-eminent modern-dance companies, Repertory Dance Theatre and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, each celebrated 50th anniversaries in the past two years. They share an audience base and a stage and rehearse in studios about 100 yards apart. Yet the two companies rarely mix during the day. So earlier this month, when RDT guest choreographer Andy Noble asked Ririe-Woodbury dancers to sit aside while he ran a 10-minute rehearsal in a shared space, it was a potentially awkward moment.

As Noble's short section of choreography came to a close, however, there was enthusiastic applause, punctuated by declarations of, "We should show each other work more often." And Noble asked the Ririe-Woodbury dancers, "Is there any movement you guys would change? Seriously, I can take criticism; I want to know."

His work, "Filament," will receive a world premiere this week as part of RDT's season opener, "Elan." (See box for details.)

Noble is no stranger to Utah's art politics; he danced with RDT for six years (1998-2004) after graduating from the University of South Florida. He heaps generous praise on RDT artistic director Linda C. Smith for jump-starting his career. Noble later received an MFA with an emphasis in dance technology from Florida State University. He and his wife, Dionne, now teach at Sam Houston State University in Texas and are co-directors of NobleMotion Dance.

"We've been running our company now for eight years and it's a tough, tough job," Noble said. "Linda has been doing this for 50 years — she's a real tiger."

Noble started out doing hip-hop and breaking, styles in which improvisation and physicality reign. "You learn how to riff off what other people are doing. It was the beginning of my choreography — learning the steps other people were doing and immediately trying to make it my own."

His work has been described as masculine, edgy and urban. He prefers to talk about juxtaposition and counterpoint. The premiere for RDT incorporates large set pieces and technology while contrasting the high-energy dance moves of krumping in one section with soft, circular movements in another.

Noble's career is as hard to pigeonhole as his style. Last season, he choreographed a scene in an episode of the Emmy-winning ABC drama "American Crime."

"I've never seen so much money poured into a 4-minute dance before, although as far as TV I guess it's the norm but it all happens really fast, and then it's time to move on to the next shot," Noble said.

"It felt good to reach 4 million viewers with challenging choreography," Noble said, "especially when the stars of the show like Felicity Huffman were super excited and tweeting about it."

Noble came back to Salt Lake this month to create "Filament," after winning RDT's 50th-anniversary choreographer competition last season. He said it was great to win the commission, but the best part of participating was getting to see old friends and colleagues.

"I really respect RDT, and repertory dancers in general because I know how hard it is to constantly adjust to new styles and ideas," Noble said. "These are very refined dancers."

Looking at the other pieces on the "Elan" program, he couldn't be more right.

In addition to 140 young musicians from Utah Youth Orchestras & Ensembles to perform a body percussion work by U.K. artists Anna Meredith and David Ogle, there are two works in the Gaga method, which were part of a sneak peek RDT offered last summer.

RDT's 2016-17 season has a few surprises as well. The family-friendly show in November, will feature the witty yet substantive choreography of Shapiro & Smith, including a new acquisition, "Pat A Cake," the female counterpoint to the male duet "Jack," performed by RDT last February. A change to RDT's Regalia choreographic competition in February is that winners receive a commission as an award, and there will be an application process for interested choreographers. The April performance closes the season with an evening-length work by Zvi Gotheiner, whose long-standing relationship with RDT has made him a favorite and familiar choreographer with Salt Lake audiences. —

RDT's 'Elan'

The season opener includes four works: "Theatre" by Danielle Agami (world premiere), "By the Snake" by Noa Zuk, "Filament" by Andy Noble (world premiere) and "Handsfree" by Anna Meredith and David Ogle, with guests from Utah Youth Orchestras & Ensembles.

When • Sept. 29-Oct 1, 7:30 p.m.

Where • Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $15-$30, $5 more day of show; 801-355-ARTS or artsaltlake.org

The rest of the season

"Brio" • Nov. 17-19, a family friendly evening of choreography by Shapiro & Smith

"Emerge" • Jan. 6-7, a full concert of choreography by the RDT dancers

"Regalia" • February, four choreographers competing for a commission the following season

"Dabke" • April 6-8, choreographer Zvi Gotheiner uses the power of dance to highlight tribal and national identities as well as to dissolve those definitions

Smith honored

Linda C. Smith, RDT artistic director, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award given by the College of Fine Arts and the University of Utah next week at the Legacy Assembly in the discipline of dance. The award honors those who have had a continued impact in art, dance, film, music, and theatre and on the creative capacity of all disciplines at the University of Utah.