In some September editions past we’ve included a seasonal performing arts preview – half a dozen paragraphs describing various dance, music and theatre groups and what you might expect to see from them in the coming months. Some bright person out there has come up with something better: Rose Exposed. It’s an all-day event that gives you the opportunity to experience the variety of performing arts groups resident at the Rose Wagner Art Center in Salt Lake. And it happens this Saturday, September 1.

The six companies represent the pinnacle of their art forms and span the worlds of dance, theatre, and music: Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation, Plan-B Theatre Company, Pygmalion Theatre Company, Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and SB Dance. There will also be representation from Spy Hop, one of  the Rose Wagner’s frequent renters.  Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center is located at 138 West Broadway (300 South) in Salt Lake City. Over 50 artists, performers, and teachers are involved in this celebration of the performing arts.

“In 1983, RDT began to dream of a performing arts venue that would be a laboratory for artists in downtown SLC,” says Linda Smith, founder and Artistic Director of RDT. “In 1997, that dream was realized and the Rose is now  a ‘gem’ of a space and a great resource in the community.”

Free classes, activities, and performances suitable for all ages will be presented from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. At 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm, audiences can sample the upcoming seasons of the six companies in The Rose Exposed Variety Show for $10. Tickets are required for both free and paid events and are available at www.roseXposed.org.

“This day is going to be like the circus rolling into town,” says Stephen Brown, Director of SB Dance. “There’s something for everyone –  from Peter and The Wolf for kids to a late-night smorgasbord show for adults.”

This epic day is a first of its kind in Salt Lake City, and indeed, is unique nationally. According to Shirley Ririe, co-founder of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, “It is seldom that six disparate and successful companies share a space and get along so well. Come and see what is so captivating about being in the Rose! The Rose is such a lively place with exciting performances and classes going all day and into the night, every day. We are anxious to share the building and its events with the community ”

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Descriptions of free events currently scheduled from 9am – 5pm (others TBA):

• Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation and SB Dance: Mozart’s Piano Sonata No 16 (First Movement) and Swimming by SB Dance | Musician Arthur Schnabel described Mozart’s piano sonatas as “too easy for children but too difficult for pianists”. Possibly the most famous of the set of sonatas, this piece demands careful treatment to remain fluent and light. Constrained to “swimming motions” of the arms and torso, the dance is also deceivingly simple but achieving the full range of articulation is a butt-kicker, both mentally and physically. Pianist is Kary Billings.

• Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation and Plan-B Theatre Company: Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf: A Musical Tale for Children | Featuring Kary Billings on piano and actor Jay Perry, directed by Christy Summerhays. About Peter and the Wolf: An interactive journey through the classic story of the hungry wolf, the ill-fated duck, the fortunate cat, the fearless little bird, and the brave and cunning Peter.  For children ages 10 and under.

• Plan-B Theatre Company | Reading of #mormoninchief by Matthew Greene | Featuring Topher Rasmussen, Latoya Rhodes and Sarah Young, directed by Jerry Rapier. About: A Mormon presidential candidate shares his less-than-PC views in a church meeting.  An avid supporter shares them on Twitter and finds himself the center of a national media frenzy. #mormoninchief was originally produced by Michael Holt at the New York International Fringe Festival in August 2012.  Matthew Greene’s Adam & Steve and the Empty Sea will receive its world premiere as part of Plan-B Theatre Company’s 2012/13 season.

• Pygmalion Theatre Company: A full performance of The Mysterious, Happy Life of Brown Bag by Greg Near | A funny, poignant exploration of what it means to be different in a harsh world. It is a modern fable that tells the story of an unusual little boy who wants nothing more than to experience everything around him, including going to first grade and interacting with other children, in spite of his mother’s fears and his teacher’s misgivings. Featuring Barb Gandy, Georgia Gergersen and Bijan Hosseini.  Directed by Lane Richins.

• Pygmalion Theatre Company: Reading of The Photographer by LL West | Set in 1922 in Alabama, this is a story of art, workplace issues, racial injustice, manipulation and coercion. Directed by Shellie Waters.  Cast TBA.

• Repertory Dance Theatre: Free Classes and Rehearsals | Fun Movement Exploration Classes for Adults, Ring Around the Rose (and RDT performance demystifying dance for kids of all ages), African Class (Fast-moving West African movement to live drumming), an open rehearsal of Merce Cunningham’s How to Pass, Kick, Fall and Run, and a Movement Exploration Class for kids (they’ll run, jump, skip, hop and freeze).

• Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company: Lecture/Demonstrations, Parent/Child Workshop, and Movement Workshops | First, two Lecture/Demonstrations investigating the artistic vehicle of dance–the body, combined with dance-movement, exploring the elements of space, shape, time, and energy. Second, a Parent/Child Workshop, taught by Education Director Gigi Arrington, bringing together families for a one hour class of movement and problem-solving that is both empowering and fun. It is recommended for families with kids 4 and above, but young children are welcome. Finally, a Movement Workshop, taught by Artistic Director Charlotte Boye-Christensen (along with the Ririe-Woodbury Dancers) provides dance exploration for adults with some movement experience and is recommended for anyone above the age of 18.

• SB Dance: Sport Yoga Class | Taught by SB Dance Director Stephen Brown, this class adds an element of agility to yoga. It’s like Tai Chi meets yoga and incorporates moves like back shoulder rolls and handstand skipping. Definitely a workout, wear clothes to move in and bring water, a towel, and a yoga mat if you have one. All levels welcome.

• Spy Hop: Short films made by students ages 7 – 19 | Animation Showcase, 15 min: A variety of stop motion, claymation and mixed media animation created by students in our community programs. Even Handed, 5 min: Even Handed tells the story of a straight teenage girl who tries to answer the question posed by another student about her Human Rights Commission sticker:  “If you’re not gay, why should you care?” My Muslim Eyes, 6 min: Laela Omar and Loren Ruiz explore how growing up Muslim in a post 9-11 America has affected young Muslims’ perspectives on freedom. Sunday, 6 min: Sunday follows a yosung refugee student from Africa who dreams of a music career. Trashed, 20 min: A new breed of environmentalists known as “freegans” explain their approach to personal and spiritual wellbeing, all while one group explores the contents of local dumpsters and retrieves a bountiful supply of food, clothing, and sporting goods. River’s End, 25 min: Troubles at home convince a twelve-year-old boy to run away with his imaginary friend on a quest for the ocean.

Variety Show Descriptions

• Gina Bachauer: An excerpt of Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s Union, or Paraphrase on the National Airs | A grand piano piece by an American composer incorporating three very American themes: the Star-Spangled Banner, Columbia, and Yankee Doodle, with virtuosic and military flourishes. Featuring Kary Billings.

• Plan-B Theatre Company: An excerpt from Eric(a) by Matthew Ivan Bennett | Eric(a) is the story of a transgender man who’s fallen in love with a woman—as a man—for the first time.  Eric(a) receives its world premiere as part of Plan-B Theatre Company’s 2012/13 season.  Featuirng Teresa Sanderson, directed by Jerry Rapier.

• Pygmalion Theatre Company: A selection from Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill by Lanie Robertson | Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill reveals the great jazz vocalist Billie Holiday in the final days of her career, when she played at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.  This show features monologues that frame’s Holiday’s most famous hits.  Featuring DeeDee Darby-Duffin and Trevor Jerome.

• Repertory Dance Theatre: Selections from Gamut | RDT dancers have used compositional devices employed by Merce Cunningham and many of his followers to develop a performance event called GAMUT. A “gamut” is a collection of movement material which is used to make a piece. Each RDT dancer had the opportunity to develop a movement section.  Some are designed to be performed in a very exact manner and some give the performers choices or tasks to perform on stage. The order of the sections was determined by chance and the music was likewise assembled.  The process is always game-like and is as fun for the dancers to perform as it is for the audience to watch.

• Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company: Turf  choreographed by Artistic Director Charlotte Boye-Christensen | It is inspired by the idea of territorialism and how men and women approach the idea of space differently. Set to music by White Stripes and The Gotan Project.

• SB Dance: An excerpt from Of Meat and Marrow | SB Dance has a playful style that blends theater, dance, and circus. The company creates 60 minute works that have premiered each June for the past 15 years. This piece is an excerpt from our latest show, Of Meat and Marrow, an evening about corpses.

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UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.