On August 5th, Nichele will share her newest work Stranger Kin, created this summer under the mentorship of Doug Varone through his Devices program, before heading to premiere the work in NYC Aug 10&12. Following the show will be a reception and Q&A, allowing audience-members to hear and ask about the creative process and Nichele's experience working with Varone, as well as engaging with the other artists in this fantastic line-up!

All proceeds from VAULT! will benefit the creation Stranger Kin and the travel expenses required to bring the piece to New York. Your contribution and attendance is greatly appreciated!

An intimate, informal showcase,

the artist line-up draws from the pillar institutions of the Salt Lake modern dance community, presenting emerging choreographers who are actively engaged with and enriching the fabric of the city's arts scene. The showcase will feature an array of duets and solos—premieres, excerpts, and snippets of evening-length works in their early stages—by choreographers: Justin Bass, Michael Crotty, Dan Higgins, Daniel Mont-Eton, Breeanne Saxton & Eliza Tappan, and Nichele Van Portfleet.

Event Details:

Marriott Center for Dance, Univ. of Utah
Studio 240
August 5th
Music starts at 2:30, dancing at 3pm
Tickets available at the door: $10-$20 sliding scale

Treats available for purchase, provided by our generous in-kind donors: 

About VAULT!

Host and curator of the event, Nichele Van Portfleet will share a new duet, developed this summer under the mentorship of Doug Varone through DEVICES, Varone's choreographic mentorship program in New York City. VAULT! will serve as a way to share the work with the SLC community before it hits the road, and as a fundraiser to support the development of the work and travel to the NYC premiere Aug 10-12. Featuring collaborative dancers Brian Gerke and Breeanne Saxton, the duet is inspired by oppositions: the things we need and want in life but cannot have, as well as the ebbs and flows within our intimate relationships.  Van Portfleet has been thrilled by the enthusiasm of fellow choreographers in the community to participate in VAULT!, in support of her dance's tour to NYC.

VAULT! is a fiscally sponsored project of loveDANCEmore. To learn more about how you can make a tax-deductible donation to the project, please click here!

About the Guest Artists and their Work:

Justin Bass, a native of East Cleveland, Ohio, is currently performing in his fifth season with Repertory Dance Theatre. Bass will premiere Four or more, a solo work that will eventually be expanded into an evening length piece. Crafted on the ephemeral Luciana Johnson, the solo work explores love and its many forms of expression. Dan Higgins, originally from the Bay Area, is also a dancer with Repertory Dance Theatre, now in his third season with the company. Higgins, who has presented work at the Salt Lake Fringe Festival and in numerous venues throughout the state of Utah, will share an excerpt from his new work (          ). Premiering this summer at the Fringe, Higgins work is inspired by the feeling of being misunderstood, whilst bringing storytelling into the fold to experiment inside the creative process.

Choreographers Breeanne Saxton and Eliza Tappan both earned their BFA degrees in Modern Dance from the U in 2015 and 2016, respectively, where their collaboration began. Since graduation they have immersed themselves in the Salt Lake dance community and are currently developing an evening length immersive dance theater production to premiere in 2018. Together they will present one of the initial vignettes of this larger work. Performed by Saxton, the solo is a collaborative study into instant vulnerability and alternative story telling.

Daniel Mont-Eton, born and raised in Parker, Colorado, and also an alumnus of the U's Modern Dance BFA program, danced professionally in New York City and in Colorado after graduating before returning to SLC to join the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company in 2016. Mont-Eton will present a solo excerpt from an evening-length work currently in development.

Rounding out the program is recent Modern Dance MFA alumnus from the U, Michael Crotty, whose choreographic work draws on intersections between Literature and Dance, often reflecting upon our relationship to coming-of-age tales and the impact of the romantic tale on the psyche. Inspired by life in Utah, Crotty offers a first glimpse into a developing work, Pohly and Jones, a duet that looks at how varied points of view can co-exist without either being compromised.

Your Support...

Your support, through attendance or donation, will make a difference as Nichele and dancers prepare to tour to New York. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Visit the home page to learn more!