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Children’s Dance Theatre: ‘The Umbrella’
Special | 3m 6sVideo has Closed Captions
The Children’s Dance Theatre discusses its anniversary and performance, “The Umbrella.”
As Tanner Dance celebrates its 75th anniversary, Mary Ann Lee joins Mary Dickson to talk about Children’s Dance Theatre and its upcoming performance, “The Umbrella,” playing March 22-23 at the Capitol Theatre.
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Contact is a local public television program presented by PBS Utah
Contact
Children’s Dance Theatre: ‘The Umbrella’
Special | 3m 6sVideo has Closed Captions
As Tanner Dance celebrates its 75th anniversary, Mary Ann Lee joins Mary Dickson to talk about Children’s Dance Theatre and its upcoming performance, “The Umbrella,” playing March 22-23 at the Capitol Theatre.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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(light music) - It's the 75th anniversary of the University of Utah's Tanner Dance Program.
Director Mary Ann Lee is here with all the details about the upcoming Children's Dance Theater's performance of "The Umbrella".
Hi, Mary Ann.
Welcome.
- Thank you.
- So the 75th anniversary of a program that has trained so many dancers in this state.
- Many, many, yes.
In fact, we see 8,500 dancers every week.
7,500 in the schools that are on scholarship and then another thousand students who come to the University of Utah to dance.
It's fantastic.
- That is a lot of dance training.
- Yeah.
- And I know you get to kind of showcase them now at the upcoming performance by the Children's Dance Theater.
- Yes.
- At the Capitol Theatre.
- We have about 230 dancers.
The piece is called "The Umbrella".
It's a piece about kindness and generosity, which is something we need right now.
- [Mary] Oh yeah.
- This is a space-traveling family that their little planet gets hit by a comet, so the mom goes off to see if she can find some light for their planet.
She makes umbrellas and she gives umbrellas away to everyone she sees and she makes friends because she does this and she uses these as a measure of kindness.
Her family finally travels after her.
They learn lots of lessons, go to many planets, where they learn to listen to people, to understand people's point of view and eventually they're reunited, of course, and the planet begins to turn, but the whole idea is by simple acts of kindness, we indeed make a world that's lovely to live in.
- A beautiful and timely metaphor.
Really nice and I know you've got a new score- - Yes.
- To go along with it and all those young people dancing on stage.
- Right and also alumni.
60 alumni dancing in three pieces that begin the show.
- [Mary] Okay.
- So, that's very exciting.
- A lot.
I mean, it's big and there are five performances.
- There are five performances, three for schools and two public performances on the 22nd and 23rd of March.
- Okay, great.
Well, thank you so much for coming and good luck with that big celebration.
- It's my pleasure.
Come celebrate.
- I will and if you'd like to know more about the Children's Dance Theater upcoming production "The Umbrella", March 22nd and 23rd at the Capital Theatre, go to tannerdance.utah.edu.
That's tannerdance.utah.edu.
I'm Mary Dickson.
Thanks for watching "Contact".
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Contact is a local public television program presented by PBS Utah