Fifty years ago, someone at BYU wrote a memo.

Just a piece of paper asking the administration to let a group of dancers form a touring company.

Did they know they were setting something in motion that would still be moving five decades later: that the Dancers’ Company would become Contemporary Dance Theatre, and that as an organization it would carry hundreds of dancers through the RB, across global stages, and eventually out into every kind of life a person can build.

On Saturday, September 12 at 6 pm, in the Reynolds Auditorium of the Harold B. Lee Library, we get to watch this whole story unfold and what happened after Dee Winterton’s memo spurred this company into existence.

BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre: A 50-Year Retrospective is a 75-minute documentary told by the directors themselves. Every living former and current artistic director, in their own words, helps tell the story of how the company evolved from that first memo to what it is today.

If you took a modern or contemporary dance class at BYU, doesn’t matter if you performed with BYU Dancer’s Company or Contemporary Dance Theatre, this screening is for you.

Why This Matters to Me (and Probably to You Too)

I was never a dancer on CDT. I didn’t tour with the company or perform in its concerts. But I am genuinely excited for this documentary, because the preview we received at our alumni reunion in 2025 was inspiring. We celebrated 50 years of the Dancer’s Company/Contemporary Dance Theatre that year and hearing the stories transformed me.

While I didn’t have a role on the company I have had a relationship with it. The people participating with the company and the works created by the company did help shape my experience as a dancer at BYU and by extension, my life. I studied alongside their influence. I learned from faculty and choreographers whose own artistry was built inside this company’s history. The principles, the values, the creative process that this company was founded on has refined many performers, choreographers, and directors whose artistry impacted the environment that shaped me as a dancer.

That’s why I’ll be there on September 12^th, not just to learn and celebrate this great history, but to place myself back in the environment that nourishes me in a way no other space can. To spend time connecting once again with the community and ideas that make up my artistic roots. I hope you’ll be there to benefit from this opportunity too.

The Details

BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre: A 50-Year Retrospective

Reynolds Auditorium, Harold B. Lee Library

Saturday, September 12

6:00 PM

Bring someone who danced next to you. Bring your kids so they can understand more where you come from too.

We’re excited to celebrate again this great legacy. Thank you to Marin Roper for shepherding the production of this film and her commitment to preserving and celebrating our past. It’s a beautiful gift to our community.

Born in Kanab, Utah, the youngest of seven children, Maida Rust graduated from Brigham Young University in the very first class of BYU dance majors in 1958. After completing graduate work in dance at the University of Utah, she accepted a teaching position at Rick’s College where she met and married her husband of 60+ years, Arlen Withers. Together, they moved to Arlingon, Virginia where they raised four children and where Maida was hired as a professor of dance at George Washington University. She taught at GW for over 50 years, retiring in 2024 at the age of 87.

Maida has played a pivotal role in the dance community of Washington DC. She began the Maida Withers Dance Construction Company in 1974. Shaped by the postmodern movement, her work is characterized by a commitment to experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration that tackles big issues: political, environmental, interpersonal. She has created works in 13 countries, often collaborating with dancers from the host country. Of those countries, she has worked most consistently with artists from Ukraine and Russia and she has a deep love of these two countries and cultures. Her choreography is presented on stage and in other environments: parks and city streets, museums, on DC monuments, cemeteries, sand dunes, red rocks, an ice house, even a Russian gulag.

Maida’s first BYU residency was in 1974, where she created two site specific works with students - one performed in the gymnastics building and the other performed by dancers moving along campus sidewalks and viewed from the tower in the old JFSB building. In 2023, she returned for a week-long residency in the Department of Dance, and to deliver a lecture as part of the Kennedy Center’s “Preserving and Transforming Culture” lecture series. She also engaged with dance and art majors, and directed a devised improvisation performed in the Leid Gallery of the MOA.

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There is certainly more to share about Maida’s life and influence on the field of dance, but you’ll have to join us on April 11th to learn more!

Join us on April 11 to hear directly from Maida, reconnect with fellow alumni, and reflect on your own evolving dance story. Be sure to register by April 2 to reserve your spot—we would love to have you in the room for this meaningful conversation.

Register for the event by clicking here.

Recently, a group of us—alumni from across years and cohorts—gathered online to begin something new: the early exploration of a performance piece that would stem from our collective and individual dance histories. What unfolded was less of a meeting and more of a weaving. Across screens and spaces, we stepped into stories of past, present, and future.

We got to know each other and started off introductions by describing our present-day dances, and they all looked and sounded different, but familiar, as dancer’s descriptions of life hit different than a regular “how are you?”

Some of us spoke from lives immersed in research, teaching, and choreography. Others named the choreography of parenthood—the rhythm of drop-offs, pickups, and the constant motion of caring for children. Some are still performing. Others are improvising in entirely new careers. And yet, each story felt threaded with the shared language of time, space, energy, effort, and motion that we all still speak, even if differently now.

The weaving of stories from the past was a natural consequence of even gathering together. We drizzled names of friends who shaped us, professors who challenged and inspired us, and revisited the particular kind of connection that formed during our time at BYU.

From there, we moved, exploring our “front body” and “back body” as metaphors for the past and future.

We began with a body scan along the front of the body—forehead to toes—attuning to interoception, touch, and presence. Then we internally traced the back body, from the backs of our ankles up through the spine to the back of the cranium. We then explored movement through space—forward and backward—letting the front and back bodies inform our direction, our momentum, and our awareness of time itself.

After each exploration, we paused to reflect.

Phrases that emerged in that reflection included:

• “Widening my heart forward”

• “Waves of support pushing me forward”

• “Always something lingering in the past”

• “Feeling wisdom seeping in that finds a channel”

• “Finding an eternal round”

We closed with a simple but profound prompt: What is your dance for the future?

Each response felt like an offering. A glimpse of what still calls to us, what still moves us, and what might yet be created. We had hopes of continuing the conversation and movement into a full piece: the desire to move, create, rehearse, and perform was strong. While it was not able to pan out this year, we hope this dance dream can be realized in the future.

What stayed with me most was the connection. I didn’t know everyone very well when we began. By the end, I felt a genuine sense of understanding, understanding of myself and those who joined me.I felt buoyed up by understanding the ways our shared experience, shared values, and shared history are continuing to shape us.

It reminded me of last year’s 50th anniversary of CDT. The celebration was meaningful, but what truly filled my cup were the relationships, the conversations, and the chance to move together again.

This kick-off event made me so excited for our next alumni event on April 11th!

If this virtual evening was any indication, it won’t just be an event. It will be a space to reconnect, to remember, to move, and to imagine forward together.

I hope you’ll join us and that you bring your dancing stories from the past and present with you to contribute to the future of our community and contemporary dance at BYU. Registration closes April 3rd. Register here

This past Thursday, July 24th, we celebrated Pioneer Day—a moment to honor those who’ve paved the way before us. Whether through Mormon pioneers, immigrant ancestors, artistic innovators, or modern-day trailblazers, we each carry stories of courage and legacy.

As dancers, we understand that heritage isn’t just remembered—it’s embodied. It pulses through our blood, lives in our stories, and is evidenced in the way we move.

It’s my privilege to share a piece of the Dancer’s Company/Contemporary Dance Theatre documentary where choreographer Becky Phillips speaks about her dance work Songs of Deliverance. Inspired by her great-great-grandmother who died at Winter Quarters, the piece is a poignant example of how personal heritage can become shared expression.

In Becky’s story she recalls how the dancers were strengthened by both envisioning the life of someone who came before and imagining how their lives continued after death. This shows how testimonies were fortified through the opportunity to dance the stories of the past and turning them into living stories of the present.

Becky transformed generational memory into movement, allowing herself and her dancers to feel history, heritage, and identity in a deeply embodied way.

Inspiration from Martha Graham’s Blood Memory

Just as the early pioneers used music and dance to express their longings, process their lived experience, and connect with home and heaven, we continue that tradition today. At BYU, many of us have translated our heritage into choreography—using the stage as a place to remember, honor, and commune with those who came before.

For me, this kind of work resonates on a personal level. As a student dancer at BYU, I was profoundly influenced by Martha Graham’s reflections in her autobiography Blood Memory. She wrote, “Sometimes it's blood memory... not the blood your mother and father gave you... but that which stretches back two or three thousand years.” Graham believed that the body holds an ancient knowledge — something deeper than biology, something spiritual and ancestral. She spoke of an ancestral “footstep walking behind you,” a presence that moves with you through space and time.

The concept that our bodies carry the wisdom of generations transformed how I approached both dance and life. I’ll never forget one dancEnsemble performance when I felt my great-grandmother dancing with me. I could almost see her footsteps tripleting and swirling beside mine under the stage lights in the RB Studio Theatre. Her spirit lifted the performance and affirmed my path as a dancer and educator.

Years later, while going through my great-grandmother’s belongings, my grandmother found a porcelain ballerina doll with my name written on the bottom. She had set it aside for me before she passed.

Share Your Story of Dancing With the Past

As we reflect on Pioneer Day and the legacy that lives on through us, I invite you to share your reflections.

• What are your favorite pioneer dances or stories of heritage expressed through movement?

• If you could create a dance today to honor your ancestors, what would it look like? What story would it tell?

Just a reminder you can donate to the Contemporary Department Scholarships Fund through the Cathy Black Legacy Foundation. This is another way to honor the heritage we come from and to support the generations to come.

Donate Today

On February 15th, 2025 the BYU Contemporary Dance Dance Department hosted an unforgettable alumni reunion, a night filled with laughter, memories, nourishing, fun, and fast movement sequences, time spent barefoot, and the rekindling of cherished connections.

Old friends embraced, new friendships formed, and the spirit of the RB studio reminded us all of what it means to us to be a dancer – to connect body, spirit, and soul.

Celebrating 50 Years of The Dancers’ Company

The event doubled as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Dancers’ Company, later named Contemporary Dance Theatre. Throughout the evening, alumni and current dancers alike celebrated the rich legacy and impact of this performing group.

Moving the History, Sharing the Stories

The evening began with an invigorating movement class taught by Becky Phillips, CDT Artistic Director from 2003-2007. Her workshop was a beautiful reflection of the Contemporary Dance Theatre’s past performances, echoing its energy and expressive movement. Truth be told there were even a few “flap flaps” in the sequence across the floor. Don’t know what a flap flap is? Then see the video below.

At dinner, we were honored to hear from Kathie Debenham, the founder of The Dancers’ Company in 1975. After a sneak peek of a documentary chronicling the company’s history, Kathie shared her inspiring journey. She spoke of her arrival at BYU, her mentorship under Cathy Black, Chris Ollerton, and Dee Winterton, and the ‘golden years’. A particularly touching moment was her story about hesitating to ask Dee if she could miss rehearsal for a theatre performance so that she could be baptized—a remark that brought a chuckle to the room.

Everyone had their phones up to take pictures of a quote Kathie shared by Merce Cunningham.

"You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive. It is not for unsteady souls." - Merce Cunningham

The evening also recognized all past and present artistic directors of the company (listed below), honoring their contributions to its enduring legacy.

• Kathie Parsons Debenham

• Pat Debenham

• Caroline Prohosky

• Marilyn Berrett

• Becky Phillips

• Michelle Nielsen

• Nathan Balsar

• Keely Song

• Kate Monson

• Adam Dyer

Again the phones came up as Kathie shared the words of Dr. Barbara Holmes, a spiritual teacher and writer focused on African American spirituality.

“We are born with an inner fire. I believe that this fire is the God within. It is an unquenchable, divine fire. It warms us, encourages us, and occasionally asks us to dance.

Suppose that at the entrance to heaven there is a scale—not a scale to weigh good and bad deeds—but a scale to measure joy.” - Dr. Barbara Holmes

She concluded her remarks. “Each of us here tonight has been blessed by the experiences we have had dancing and by our association with BYU… May we all find such joy, wherever our life dances lead us. Thank you and God bless you.”

The Contemporary Dance Theatre Performance and Alumni Reception

Following dinner, we enjoyed a performance of Flux by Contemporary Dance Theatre. The show embodied the artistic evolution and excellence of the group, with a delightful piece of dance history with the performance of Tensile Involvement by Alwin Nikolais at the end.

At the reception, the full trailer of the documentary was shown, offering a glimpse into the history and impact of the company.

Of course, no BYU gathering would be complete without signature treats. Guests enjoyed BYU brownies, raspberry bars, cookies, along with a selection of vegetables and fruit. We sent the current CDT dancers home with copious amounts of carbohydrates to restore them from the evening’s performance. More importantly, the studio remained alive with conversation well past 11 PM, as alumni reminisced, reconnected, and relished in the studio space.

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The Dance Studio: A Space for Connection and Growth

The night reaffirmed what we as dancers know deeply—that the dance studio is where personal, professional, and creative lives intersect. It is where we learn to hold, lift, and support one another, leading and following in meaningful ways.

A Call to Continue the Connection

As we move forward, let us continue to invest in these connections. Let’s share our stories, memories, and insights throughout the year, strengthen one another, and support the next generation of BYU dancers by shining a light on them and the lessons we’ve learned dancing together. As Kathie Debenham so beautifully put it during her dinner presentation:

"Each of us in this room has our own cellular memory of working and playing and being exhilarated and exhausted, of sharing in the struggle and inherent chaos of the creative process, of recognizing the power of dance to heal, to affirm, and to testify."

This is our gift, our legacy, and our responsibility. Let’s share it with the world.

A special thanks to the faculty and alumni who shared their time and talents to make the reunion possible, namely: Keely Song, Marin Legat, Kori Wakamtsu, Karen Jensen, Liz Dibble, Dena Merrill (Alum), Krista Di Lello (Alum), Susan Record (Alum) Shauntai Johnson (Alum).

Action and Announcements

Save some time in 2026! The next alumni reunion will be held at BYU in March 2026.

If you would like to donate to the Alumni Scholarship fund visit cathyblacklegacy.org and select “Donate in Honor of Cathy” to contribute

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Welcome, dancing alum!

Welcome to the substack designed for those who enjoyed modern and contemporary dance in the RB these past many decades.

Whether you traveled in socks or on barefeet, the BYU Dance Department was a part of your journey through life, and that is something to appreciate and celebrate!

Hello! I’m Heather Gemperline Francis (Dance Ed, 2013) and I am a proud barefoot-wearing, sock-suspicious graduate of BYU Contemporary Dance. Currently, I’m sitting with my wiggly one-year-old who wants to push all my keyboard buttons, and we’re waiting to leave for work and childcare.

My current dance includes spending time with my children, moving through career transitions, improvising with my community, and enjoying the way the relationships I share in life right now move me in deep, funny, and enriching ways. Life certainly isn’t a perfect turn-day around here, I step on toys, my toes get stepped on, but I still love dancing.

I love movement and the way it has taught me to appreciate and relate to my world and I credit my experiences in the BYU Dance department for this love.

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Why Substack?

My gratitude for the time I spent studying dance at BYU and my associations since has motivated me to start this newsletter on Substack. I want to create it for all of us.

I know in the RB studios I danced with those who had already exited the studio learning stage, and for those still waiting in the wings. I want to connect with all generations of modern and contemporary dancers who also cherish their time dancing at BYU.

I want to connect with YOU, the alumni.

YOU, who know what it felt like to glide on the marley, to roll on the floor with a significant purpose, to share your human experience vulnerably on stage (well and in the studio when the expression was less approved of society #contactimprov).

I also love the current faculty and appreciate their continuation of the legacy of teaching, research, service, leadership, mentorship, and production in the department. I’ve started this Substack to support them in gathering us together, keeping us connected, and supporting communications.

Where are you?

How are you dancing through life? (Anyone else have Wicked songs in their head? Way to go Nathan on the YA music video, woot, woot!)

Where are you on your journey? Are you dancing? Mothering? Fathering? Serving your community? Leading? Teaching? Administrating? Researching? Relaxing?

Are the paths on your journey straight? curving? zig-zag? suspended in the air?

Are you floating? Simmering? Stalling? Stomping? Exploding? How about … sizzling or smoking? #ooolala

Summary: we want to know where you are, how you’re doing, and how we can connect with you. So subscribe if you haven’t already and join our group on Facebook.

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What can you expect?

You can expect a newsletter with reflections from the past four times a year. I will work with alum to post photos, videos, stories, track lists, and tidbits about our individual and collective experiences dancing at BYU. I will recruit messages from my connections, current faculty recommendations, and our Facebook group.

I will also post once a year with a message from the current faculty and a calendar for the current season so you can be informed about the present happenings and show your support in the ways you would like.

There will also be one post a year to advertise our annual gathering and another one to recap the gathering. These will be used to remind you of this space and the details and resources you can find here as well.

In summary, you will receive 6 posts a year on this substack.

• 4 journal entries

• 1 state of the studio address

• 1 invitation to the reunion with 1 recap of the reunion

Where are our friends?

Where are our colleagues, friends, and fellow dancers? If you know where your improv/study/dance partners are please share this substack with them.

Here you can subscribe or unsubscribe from the list. You can share the link with others and let them join the list if they wish.

Any dance alumni or dance fan interested in sharing, discussing, or learning about the impact of receiving a dance education in the BYU Modern Dance Division/Contemporary Area can subscribe! So please share this with them.

Join us for the Alumni Reunion 2025

We celebrate as a contemporary area the 50th anniversary of CDT!

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