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Really bad names were the only titles occurring to Stephen Brown as he was planning SB Dance's upcoming fundraiser.
"Then one day I cracked my head on a low door threshold, smacking my knee as I fell," Brown said. "When I stopped seeing stars, I cried, 'WTF!' "
Beyond the event's title, Brown and the rest of the event's planners agreed that outstanding food was a priority. Which explains the 'W' and 'F' in the event's title, which stand for great wine and food, thanks to contributions from Nicholas and Co., VineLore, Squatters, Trio Restaurant Group, Café SuperNatural, chef Robert Angelilli and others, Brown says.
The event will feature dessert paired with wine, in a theater transformed with a lounge-style atmosphere, with music by DJ TiDY. Party-goers will be entertained by what Brown describes as "SB Dance-style 'T,'" followed by a disco dance lesson.
Brown formed SB Dance in 1997, after performing with modern companies in New York and Utah, including Mark Morris Dance Group, Repertory Dance Theatre and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company.
He graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's in biological sciences. "Studying science helped me think critically," he says. "Despite the stereotype of artists being driven around by their emotions and imagination, methodical analysis plays a big part in art-making."
Brown says he aims to take care of the audience at his events, which prompts him to tell a story. About 10 years ago, while performing at a dive in Brooklyn, he left the stage and was excited to see a line of fans, sure they must be autograph seekers. "The crowd included the dance critic Gus Solomons, who I chatted up eagerly, until he interrupted me to say that it was his turn to use the john, which was out of service before the performance and the reason for the long line."
Brown describes his company as a rare bird, in the way it combines theater and dance, delivered with a humorous, no-holds-barred style. "We're like the South Park of performing arts with a few moments of absolute beauty thrown in," Brown says. "What I hear all the time from newcomers is that they never would suspect SB Dance exists in Utah.
Independent companies like his need the financial support of dance and theater lovers, he argues. "In film, in music, in theater, and in dance, indies are usually the source of groundbreaking work because we have the least to lose and are forced to embrace uncertainty or pack up," he says. "And indies are the first to get wiped off the map during hard times."
Several works from the SB Dance repertory will be performed during the fundraiser, by performers Stevan Novakovich, Liberty Valentine, Jenny Larsen and actor Brenda Sue Cowley.
Dancer Stevan Novakovic was born and raised in former Yugoslavia, training at the famous Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. After immigrating to the United States in 1993 at age 17, he danced with Ballet West and other ballet companies.
Later, he decided to put away his ballet shoes, exploring modern dance and choreography. During his transition, he began attending SB Dance performances, appreciating what he termed the group's "artistic edginess." Years later, on a temporary stint back in Utah, Brown invited him to perform with the company.
Novakovich thinks audiences should support SB Dance, and not just because the company's works often include nudity. After all, "in a place like Utah, where there is perhaps too much of conservative legislations going on, there is a handful of free-thinking and expressive artists who are willing to take a chance on the right to free artistic expression," he said.
For the SB Dance fundraiser, Novakovich will perform a flirtatious duet, set to the music of Judy Garland, with former Ririe-Woodbury colleague Liberty Valentine, whom he calls a "kinetic soulstress."
Also taking part in the fundraiser is actor Brenda Sue Cowley, who says she will be "swearing a lot." Cowley has a bachelor's degree in English literature, and says she went on to become a singing telegram messenger. "My messenger days gave me all the experience I needed to become a professional performer," says Cowley, who has racked up 18 years of experience as a professional performer while based in Utah.
She claims it's a slightly intimidating prospect to be an actor in a dressing room filled with dancers. "Well, let's just say that I will be wearing control tops, a padded bra and will probably do a lot of push-ups before showing up," she jokes.
SB Dance's 'WTF!'
When • Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • Rose Wagner Black Box Theatre, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City
More info • $50, arttix.org or 801-355-2787