January 9-10, 2026, 2025 | 7:30 PM + 2:00 PM on Saturday
Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
Tickets $20 | $15 for Students/Seniors
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) is proud to present EMERGE 2026, an evening of original choreography created by RDT dancers and artistic staff, featuring performers from across the community. This annual showcase, held in the Leona Wagner Black Box Theatre, highlights the voices, styles, and stories of the artists who bring RDT’s stage to life each season.
As a revolutionary institution of modern dance and an incubator for new creative talent, RDT empowers its company members to excel as technically accomplished dancers, inspiring teachers, and innovative choreographers. This year’s EMERGE includes new works by Nicholas Cendese, Alexander Pham, Caleb Daly, Caitlyn Richter, Megan O’Brien, Kara Komarnitsky, and Ursula Perry, along with a special choreographic tribute to RDT’s 60th anniversary by Director Emerita Linda C. Smith.
Executive/Artistic Co-Director Nicholas Cendese will premiere a new work featuring students from South Valley Creative Dance, where he teaches in Sandy.
RDT dancer Ursula Perry will present an audience favorite: a work created for and performed by dance instructors from across the valley. This annual collaboration celebrates Utah’s vibrant dance community and the often-unsung educators who have helped make the state a national hub for the art form.
Second-year company member Alexander Pham will debut a piece featuring dancers from Davis High School Dance Company, while Caitlyn Richter and Caleb Daly will present a new work showcasing performers from Weber State University.
RDT Archivist and frequent guest artist Kara Komarnitsky will perform a duet with local community dancers, expanding on last year’s technically striking work that incorporated flashlights on stage.
Linda C. Smith, RDT Director Emerita, will present a tribute to RDT’s 60-year legacy of working with world-renowned choreographers. Featuring all eight RDT dancers, the piece reflects on favorite repertory and includes insights from company alumni.
Fourth-year company member Jake Lewis, who leads RDT’s Dance Center on Broadway, will premiere a new work developed through an adult-community workshop. The piece features eight participants, ages 20–50, who rehearsed over a four-week period.
EMERGE embodies RDT’s commitment to nurturing choreographic voices and fostering meaningful connections among dancers of all ages and backgrounds. The event celebrates RDT’s ongoing mission to strengthen and uplift the community through the art of dance.
About Repertory Dance Theatre
RDT is the nation’s oldest and most successful repertory dance company. Unlike conventional modern dance organizations, we present you with a diverse range of modern dance styles and choreographers paired together in dynamic and unexpected performances.
