(upbeat music) - University of Utah's Tanner Dance program continues to grow its programming, earning state, national, and international recognition.

And here to tell us about its upcoming performance, "Salt", is director, Mary Ann Lee.

Hi, Mary Ann, welcome back.

So another big concert at the Capitol.

- [Mary Ann] Yes.

- Tell us what "Salt" is about.

- Well, it's a beautiful story, a great big story, actually, with 250 dancers.

But it's about a rich merchant who sends his three sons out into the world to find their way.

And the two older sons are a bit conniving and not very kind, but the youngest son is very lovely.

He's curious.

And so sometimes they think he's foolish, but he's not, because he finds a mountain of salt, which he barters and trades for gold and jewels and actually adds a pinch of salt into a dish for a beautiful princess, who says, "Oh, if this man can cook, I'll marry him".

(laughing) Which is wonderful.

So it has giants and serpents and ships and sailors and all kinds of things, and beautiful original music.

Julie Mark, Maggie Beers, and Tristan Moore.

- Oh, how great, how great.

And 250 kids.

- Yes.

- That's a lot.

- That's a lot of dancers, but they're so amazingly professional and beautiful.

They're extraordinary.

And four wonderful male dancers in this concert, which is just lots of other boys, but there are doing the leads, who are just wonderful.

- That is great, that's great.

And I know the Tanner Dance has been around for 74 years.

- That's a long time, yes.

- No kidding.

- We spend a lot of time in schools, as well as on the stage and in the university studios.

But also about 6,000 students each week in the schools, which is wonderful.

- Every week.

- Yes.

- Well, you're reaching a lot of kids with the joy of dance.

- Yeah, it's a wonderful opportunity.

- Yeah, and I know you just love it.

- I do.

- You sparkle talking about the kids, yeah.

Well, and the concert sounds great.

So thank you so much for being here.

- Thank you.

Please join us.

- Yeah.

And if you'd like to know more about the University of Utah Children's Dance Theatre's production of "Salt", it's March 24th and 25th at the Capitol Theatre.

Go to tannerdance.utah.edu.

Tannerdance.utah.edu.

I'm Mary Dickson.

Thanks for watching Contact.

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