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Ririe-Woodbury's annual December concert is contrary to most holiday dance performances. It's not specifically for children, nor does it bankroll the company for the rest of the year or promise to take us to a magical land. Yet for me, the evening of dance devoted to the work of a single choreographer in the intimate setting of a black box theater feels like an adventure.

Each year, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, who came to Utah in 2002 and became Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company's artistic director in 2009, adds to her body of work while fine-tuning past compositions. Her greatest successes — "The Visit" (2002), "Turf" (2009), "Touching Fire" (2010), and "Push" (2011) — document her exploration of topics and perceptions over time.

As in any single-choreographer performance, the restated movement vocabulary and recurring musical cadences can seem repetitious, but as Mark Rothko said of his color field paintings, they reflect the "simple expression of complex thought." And as Boye-Christensen turns the same rock over and over, she reveals something new about herself, which is all we really ask of our artists.

Boye-Christensen's bold and kinetic movement isn't everyone's "mirror neuron experience," that biological reaction that allows us to connect so deeply when we watch other people perform or play sports. But this particular group of Ririe-Woodbury dancers mirror Boye-Christensen's intentions on a visceral level. Each dancer articulates the movement in his or her own way, so the overall style has a loose quality within the exactness of the choreography.

Part of what made this year's adventure worth the ride was a 10- minute glimpse of bits and pieces of movement ideas the company is currently exploring. These were moments that may or may not be seen again.

The opening segment, performed to the lazy phrasing of a Willie Nelson song, was an interesting departure from the rest of the performance, as the movements were created in response to the dessert landscape of Arizona. Dancers, seated across from each other in chairs, began pushing each other and flopping back up, and the sequence felt both funny and referential.

The rework of "Push" from its debut in September of this year is so subtle; it's hard to pinpoint the change, other than that dancers are cast in different parts. But the piece feels more concise and the dancers more succinct. The emotionally charged closing duet between Jo Blake and Betsy Kelley-Wilberg reveals a maturity and masculinity in Blake that has never been so evident.

The restaging of last year's premiere, "Touching Fire" (2010), successfully integrates the architectural elements of reflective mirrors and glass into the work, provoking a sense of voyeurism and self-investigation into the work.

Opening night premiered Boye-Christensen's collaboration with actor and comedian Ethan Phillips titled, "But Seriously …" The performers onstage reference and respond to Phillips' projected image on a large screen. The result is a physical conversation about personal choices.

I question if younger audience members will relate emotionally to the self-deprecating, post war-era humor. But the collaboration is about examining the anxieties all performers share – and that's so much more interesting than creating a humorous dance, it's not even funny.

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Ririe-Woodbury's 'Prism'

Serious choreography — incorporating Charlotte Boye-Christensen's trademark bold, kinetic movements — finds energy in humor.

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

When • Today at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Running time • One hour and 20 minutes (including pauses and intermission)

Tickets • $30 ($15 students/seniors), at 801-355-ARTS or arttix.org.

Special • $5 off tickets for five food items to be donated to the Utah Food Bank.