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The first thing to notice about the opening of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company's fall season is its title: "Fall Season."
The straightforward description breaks with local convention of naming dance performances per a theme, and instead parallels professional companies in larger cities that simply announce the season.
Using the same less-is-more reasoning, R-W has also decided to drop its December show.
"It's just quality over quantity," artistic director Daniel Charon explained. "We will have three performances instead of four this year. We wanted more time in the studio — time to work and really produce something of quality that has thought behind it, and has process behind it. It takes time for a company to be cohesive."
Charon's suggestion to shift away from topical program titles was also a qualitative move: "A theme creates expectation, and I prefer the arc of the program be about balance and contrast."
The three works on the fall program clearly strive for artistic juxtaposition. Charon's contribution to the bill is a lush piece originally choreographed for a company in Minneapolis that was awarded Best Dance Performance of 2012 by Minneapolis City Pages.
In contrast, R-W brings back a theatrical, political and ironic work by German choreographer Johannes Wieland, "one hundred thousand." Wieland was in Salt Lake City to set the work, which the company performed in spring 2013, so all but new member Melissa Rochelle Younker were part of his collaborative process.
The third work on the program is a world premiere by Jonah Bokaer, recognized for his authoritative presence as a dancer and the visual design of his choreography. Bokaer was accepted into the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 2000 while still a teen, becoming the youngest member in the history of the company. The New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay described him as "one of the mystery men of American dance."
After only three days in Salt Lake, with two spent in rehearsals, Bokaer said, "The word to describe the R-W dancers is phenomenal. They are dynamic, work as a team, immediately sink their teeth into the material, and were well prepared for my arrival. They are phenomenal."
Bokaer said he was well aware of the company before landing "in this beautiful place" due to his background in media arts and visits to Park City for the Sundance Film Festival. He was also familiar with the "many well-trained dancers from Utah and the University of Utah" who use his two studio arts spaces in Brooklyn, N.Y.
"I am so touched and honored to be asked to work with this company that has such an important place in the history of American modern dance," Bokaer said. "I hope my coming here will build more bridges between the two communities."
Making national dance connections is a goal shared by Charon and his vision for R-W's future.
"I want to reaffirm that R-W is a contemporary dance company doing very current work," Charon said. "We want to stay relevant through a variety of political, social, artistic voices and statements. I want to be very clear of our ambition to bring dance artists like Jonah who ask questions and create compelling conversation."
Ririe-Woodbury's 'Fall Season'
The program spotlights three male choreographic voices from around the world: the world premiere of "Fragments" by award-winning New York-based choreographer Jonah Bokaer, whose conceptual approach to dance combines visual art and moving images; the revival of "one hundred thousand," a provocative work by German choreographer Johannes Weiland, which investigates celebrity and stardom in our society; and finally, the Salt Lake City premiere of "Storm," an energetic and vibrantly kinetic piece by RW artistic director Daniel Charon.
When • Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 25-27, 7:30 p.m.
Where • Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $35; arttix.org or 801-355-ARTS (2787)