Ririe-Woodbury Names New Artistic Director

Daniel Charon

Ririe-Woodbury Names New Artistic Director

On the eve of its 50th Anniversary, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company is proud to announce the appointment of Daniel Charon as Artistic Director. Charon becomes the second full-time, and first male, artistic director after Shirley Ririe and Joan Woodbury stepped down in 2008. Charon has been based in New York since 1995 and has worked with such prestigious companies as Limón Dance Company, Doug Varone and Dancers, Dance Kaleidoscope and Doug Elkins and Friends. He’s been choreographing since 1998 and led his own project company from 2004 to 2011. Since then, he has completed his MFA in Choreography and Integrated Media from CalArts.

The 50th Anniversary Season will feature an unprecedented nine new commissions. In the fall Ririe-Woodbury will take a look back at the formative works of the Company by Joan Woodbury and Shirley Ririe, as well as a look forward with a new creation by Daniel Charon. In December, six prominent alumni from the Company return to set their new works on the Ririe-Woodbury Dancers and fellow alums. In January and February, the new show for all ages by circus and dance maestro Tandy Beal, takes what is before us and turns it inside out and upside down, revealing unexpected delight or mystery. In April there will be three new premiers – a new multi-media collaboration between New York choreographer Doug Varone and University of Utah professor and filmmaker Ellen Bromberg, a new commission by Sweden-based Ririe-Woodbury alumnus Miguel Azcue, as well as a new work by Daniel Charon. Season tickets for the 50th Anniversary Season will be available at www.ririewoodbury.com on June 3rd.

Quotes:
“It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome the opportunity to take on the role of artistic director for the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. I am eager to give my full attention and effort as the ambassador and artistic leader of this respected organization.”
       ~ Daniel Charon, Artistic Director

“I believe the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company proudly fits on this world stage as a dance organization of the highest caliber. It combines a strong educational initiative with outstanding goals toward artistic vision by performing historical repertory, commissioning world-class artists, as well as supporting the work of an artistic director. Success and longevity in these multiple facets is truly unique. Salt Lake City is extremely fortunate to be the home of such an amazing company.”
       ~ Daniel Charon

“Looking forward, my goal is to continue this great legacy that is inclusive of all audiences, while pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance. My aim is to continue to bring great artists to Salt Lake City, to expose a variety of quality choreographic perspectives, to expand the national and international presence of the company, and to continue to inspire meaningful conversation about humanity through the art of dance.”
       ~ Daniel Charon

“Daniel brings experience and a fresh point of view in contemporary dance to Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. We are extremely excited to introduce a new artistic voice to the Utah, national and international community. We would like to thank our Artistic Director Search Committee, Boards and public for all of their support.”
       ~ Jena Woodbury, Managing Director

“As a choreographer, Mr. Charon’s dances have a beautiful sense of craft and design. He has a tremendous eye for how bodies can move in special relationship with each other, gently shifting the emotional balance of a work.”
       ~ Doug Varone, Artistic Director, Doug Varone & Dancers

About Daniel Charon
Daniel is a dance artist who has been active as a choreographer, teacher, and performer since 1995. His performing and choreographic career spans 17 years in which time he performed with numerous dance, opera, and theater companies. He choreographs extensively throughout the country and maintains a project-based company. His substantial background in teaching spans more than 20 years. Daniel is a B.F.A. graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts and a 2013 M.F.A graduate in Choreography and Integrated Media at the California Institute of the Arts.

Daniel was a full-time member of Doug Varone and Dancers for ten seasons (1999 – 2010). As a member of the company he was part of over 20 new works and served as the rehearsal director. He was a member of the Limón Dance Company for three seasons (1996 – 1999) where he was featured in work by choreographers such as José Limón, Anthony Tudor, and Jirí Kylián. Additionally, he performed with Doug Elkins and Friends, the Metropolitan Opera, the Aquila Theater Company, the Mary Anthony Dance Theater, Opera Colorado, Minnesota Opera, Music Theater of Wichita, Mordine and Company, and Dance Kaleidoscope (Indianapolis).

Daniel’s choreographic career encompasses a variety of experiences. His work has been produced by the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Festival, the Inside/Out series at Jacob’s Pillow, the Dance Complex (Cambridge, MA), and by East Tennessee State University. He has also presented two full evening concerts at Joyce SoHo (NYC). Daniel has been commissioned to choreograph new work for many companies, universities, and festivals; including the Summer Stages Dance Festival (Concord, MA), the VIA Dance Collective (NYC) , the d9 Dance Collective (Seattle) and most recently the Zenon Dance Company (Minneapolis) where his piece Storm was named “Best Dance Performance of 2012” by Minneapolis City Pages. He received a choreographic fellowship from the Summer Stages Dance Festival and has been the artist in residence at the Silo at Kirkland Farm three times. Daniel is a recipient of Dance Theater Workshop’s Outer/Space Creative Residency and of Topaz Arts Solo Flight Creative Residency. He has created over 15 new works on students in workshop situations.

Since 1996 Daniel has been teaching in New York at respected studios such as the Limón Institute, the 92nd Street Y, Peridance Center, 100 Grand, Dance New Amsterdam (formerly Dancspace Center), and University Settlement. He regularly teaches master classes and workshops around the country and has taught at the Metropolitan Opera, the Bates Dance Festival, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Comprehensive, the Varone Summer Dance Workshop (2000 – 2009), and the Limón Summer Workshop (1996 – 1999). He has been a guest artist at numerous universities and was an adjunct faculty member at Hunter College (NYC) as well as the California Institute of the Arts.


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