Repertory Dance Theatre Brings Natosha Washington's I AM Back To The Stage

Repertory Dance Theatre will bring back Natosha Washington's  I AM... on November 21-23 at 7:30 pm at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available now at arttix.org.

This evening-length work is a powerful narrative that delves into human experience through the lens of a Black woman, offering a transformative journey that challenges perceptions and encourages deep introspection. I AM... runs November 21-23, 2024 at 7:30 pm at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City.

I AM... premiered in October 2023, expanding on Washington's 2018 RDT commission, Say Their Names (part i).  I AM...  urges audiences to ask questions… Are we part of the problem, perpetuating misunderstandings and divisions, or are we actively seeking solutions? The movement, music, and storytelling invite us to recognize that our own life experiences should serve as tools for building bridges of understanding and compassion.

Born in the south, and now living in Utah, Natosha Washington received her BFA in Modern Dance at the U of Utah in 2005. Since then she has become a teacher, a mentor, a choreographer, and a community leader who has served as the art department chair and dance company director at West High School and is currently the Assistant Principal at East High School. Negotiating stereotyping, privilege, and identity each day as a Black woman, Washington uses art to encourage mutual respect and understanding.

Joining RDT's eight dancers again this year will be local performer Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin. Born in Baltimore, Dee-Dee has been delighting audiences with her mixture of jazz standards, R&B, soul, and funk for a quarter of a century. She has performed in countless regional theater productions and has collaborated extensively with Plan-B Theatre as an actor, educator, and playwright since 2012. 

"We invite you to immerse yourself in this journey with us," says Washington, the visionary behind I AM..."Our storytelling aims to wash over you, to inform you, and to inspire you to be part of the change our world desperately needs. By sharing this experience, we hope to create not only a better world for ourselves but also for the person next to us."

After last year's premiere, Les Roka of The Utah Review said, "Evening-length works succeed when the narrative cohesion is clear and lucid. In I AM…, Washington excels in the results and, unquestionably, the dancers knew precisely how to embody all 75 minutes, without ever sacrificing any of their authentic selves or the personal impacts of the experiences that Washington brought into the choreographic canvas."

I AM... is more than just a performance; it is a catalyst for change. By witnessing the stories unfold on stage, audiences are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences, biases, and responsibilities. Through the universal language of dance, I AM... brings people together, fostering a sense of unity and shared humanity.

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