Repertory Dance Theatre Performs I AM... in October

Repertory Dance Theatre, the nation's oldest and most successful modern dance repertory company, opens its 58th season with I AM..., a powerful narrative that delves into human experience through the lens of a Black woman. This powerful evening-length work by local choreographer Natosha Washington offers a transformative journey that challenges perceptions and encourages deep introspection. I AM... runs October 5-7, 2023 at 7:30 pm at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City.

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, and a choreographer and community leader who has served as the art department chair and dance company director at West 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 on stage 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."

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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