RDT Hosts A Symposium On Preserving Land, Water, and Culture

In coordination with Repertory Dance Theatre's concert, FLIGHT on April 20-22, RDT, will host a free symposium, Preserving our Land, Water, and Culture, on April 21, 2023 at 6:30 pm at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.

Since the early 1990s, RDT has been commissioning and acquiring works that celebrate and examine our human connection to land and water, both critical issues here in America's Mountain and Southwest regions. As a company, we continue to create and design concerts that focus on how we relate to the environment and provide audiences with information on how to protect and preserve it.

FLIGHT, the closing concert of RDT's 57th season, responds to the beauty and fragility of Utah's environment and to the current issues that are threatening the sustainability of the Great Salt Lake, our rivers, and our streams. We are inspired by lands within the region that are among the most significant in the country; lands that speak to all of us about the spiritual and mythological connections we have to each other and to the earth, not only in Utah but across the nation.

One of the biggest concerns to anyone living in the Salt Lake Valley is the loss of the Great Salt Lake and the threat that ecosystem collapse poses to our health. RDT is also concerned about the loss of other vital wilderness spaces like the Bears Ears region that preserves thousands of years of spiritual and cultural wealth. From a broader perspective, we are concerned about the loss of valuable lands that support, inspire, and provide solace to all. RDT invites experts for a discussion of the cultural significance of our landscape and the challenges we face in protecting it.

RDT has selected three experts whose work relates to land, water, and cultural preservation - Carly Biedul, Laura Peterson, and Davis Filfred.

Carly Biedul is the Great Salt Lake Institute Coordinator and her work there includes mentoring students with Great Salt Lake related research, developing student outreach efforts, and designing interdisciplinary projects. Carly's undergraduate background is in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and she was most recently an Elementary Science Specialist while she completed her MEd at Westminster. She is passionate about education as a tool for conservation and connecting with the environment.

Laura Peterson has been a Staff Attorney for Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance since 2013. Her practice focuses on off-road vehicle management, cultural resource preservation, national monument defense, and government transparency. She holds a bachelor's degree from University of Michigan and a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law.

Davis Filfred joined and has been Board Chair for the Utah Diné Bikéyah since 2019. Davis served in the United States Marine Corps from 1990 to 1994. In 2006 he was elected into the legislative body of the Navajo Nation Government as a Navajo Nation Council Delegate. Chairman Filfred has advocated for Native American rights and continues to ensure the goals of Utah Diné Bikéyah with protecting and preserving traditions, culture, and language.

These experts will be part of a FREE 45-minute symposium offered prior to the Friday, April 21st, 2023 performance of FLIGHT. Patrons attending RDT's performance will use the expertise of these speakers to create context and connection that will deepen the audience's experience during RDT's performance. Each of the proposed experts listed above offers a different perspective on the landscape and will provide an informed discussion of land, water, and cultural preservation.

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