Professor of Dance Marin Roper Worked with Dance History Students to Create a Documentary Exploring the Mission of Contemporary Dance Theatre Over the Last 50 Years. The Documentary Will Screen Sept. 12.
Marin Roper, professor in the Department of Dance, worked alongside BYU students from two courses, Dance History and Dance and Film, to create a 75-minute documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of Contemporary Dance Theatre (CDT).
Motivated to discover and preserve stories of Latter-day Saint dance and dancers, Roper interviewed current and former artistic directors of the CDT company. The team had one driving question throughout the documentary process: “How does contemporary dance reflect a Latter-day Saint people?”
As they explored this question, the film became a time capsule for contemporary dance and its mission over the last 50 years.
“The film is a collection of stories that help trace the significant milestones and memorable moments through the years: founding documents, artistic and educational philosophy, tours, outreach, favorite repertoire and more,” Roper said. “I have also been inspired to learn about the way that teaching was originally incorporated into the mission and organization of the company.”
A distinct theme of faith in the documentary is rooted in the first faculty mentor, Dee Winterton, who founded the group in 1975.
“Winterton brought a missionary mindset into everything the company did,” Roper said. “He wanted the company to represent the Church and BYU as a religious institution. That mission — to represent all that is good and praiseworthy — has always been central to the purpose of Contemporary Dance Theatre.”
Roper added, “Each artistic director pursued that mission in their own unique way. As I watch the film, I notice what has remained the same, and what has changed over time.”
Roper hopes that as students attend the premiere, they can find purpose through watching their dance community grow in the last half century.
“I hope our current students, dance alumni and broader campus community will attend to see how the arts can connect, inspire and uplift,” Roper said. “I specifically hope our current students will feel connected to the strong history of contemporary dance at BYU and feel connected to a larger community of Latter-day Saint artists. I hope that as our students understand the history of Latter-day Saint dance, they will feel a sense of belonging, purpose and perhaps a collective mission to use their spiritual gifts to help build the kingdom of God here on earth.”
Come watch the documentary, titled “Contemporary Dance Theatre: A 50-year Retrospective,” on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Harold B. Lee Library Reynolds Auditorium.
