RDT's REGALIA Offers Four Aspiring Choreographers the Chance to Create Work For RDT

Repertory Dance Theatre celebrates 56 years of revolutionary modern dance with their annual fundraiser and choreographer competition, REGALIA, this March. While initially planned as a hybrid event, the Company will return to a virtual experience this season. The competition brings four talented and aspiring choreographers the chance to win a commission for RDT.

This year, RDT is thrilled to have Stephanie Garcia, Ashley Mott, Tyler Schnese, and Shane Urton competing for votes from audience members to be awarded a chance to create a new commission for RDT's 2022-2023 season. The choreographers will each be given four hours to work with RDT dancers via Zoom to create a new work, including lighting and staging the piece with RDT's production manager. The pieces will be filmed and released on February 27.

Stephanie Garcia is a Mexican multi-award performer, choreographer, manager, producer, and arts advocator. Co-founder and Co-Director of Punto de Inflexión Dance Company and PROArtes México. Garcia was considered one of the best dancers in Mexico in 2010. She is an MFA candidate, CLAS Tinker Field Research Award recipient, and a Sorenson Legacy Foundation Fellow at the University of Utah.

Ashley Mott is a prolific choreographer and dance artist. Mott has choreographed throughout the US and taught for numerous university and secondary programs. She has significant experience as an artistic director, production and stage manager, and administrator. She holds an MFA in Dance from Saint Mary's College of California, and an MEd. and a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah.

Tyler Schnese was a soloist with the Hessisches Staatsballet and Gibney Dance Company. He has performed works by Alexander Ekman, Crystal Pite, George Balanchine, Nicolo Fonte, Bill T. Jones among many others. As a choreographer, movement director, and dancer, he has worked on short films and music videos for Steve Aoki, Sting, Damani Pompey, Naima Ramos-Chapman, and Emma Sophia Caymares.

Shane Urton, originally from North Carolina, began his career in Chicago at the Joffrey Ballet in 2009. Since 2014 he has had a successful international career performing with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Norwegian National Ballet, and now currently a company member of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (Royal Ballet of Flanders). Performing a diverse range of repertoire [including works by Bausch, Forsythe, Kylian, Naharin, Pite, Ekman, and Cherkaoui] has contributed to Shane's choreographic practice. He has created works on the dancers of each company he has been a member of.

The filmed pieces will be available to view beginning February 27, 2022. Audience members will be invited to watch the performances throughout the week, while also bidding on silent auction items online. Anyone can view the newly-created pieces on RDT's website, free of charge. Audience members are encouraged to "vote by donating" to the choreographer they would like to see win a commission for next season.

The week-long fundraiser will culminate with a live announcement of the winner on Saturday, March 5. Viewing for the entire event is free of charge, but each vote for the choreographers is $25.

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