Dancing with Gratitude

I stayed up late last night writing a column about President Obama’s State of the Union address and how the President just doesn’t get it. But just as I was drifting off to sleep I decided it just wouldn’t do.
You see on Saturday we went to the Ririe-Woodbury dance concert at the Capitol Theatre. During the last week of January, Ririe-Woodbury’s dancers presented the same show we saw to 9,000 elementary school children. This was all done courtesy of The Eskuche Foundation, Larry H. Miller Charities, Wells Fargo and a grant from the Utah Office of Education and the Legislature.
I believe that out of music, dance and drama, dance is the most difficult of the arts to master. I marvel at the strength and flexibility it requires as well as a dancer’s ability to perform the movements in a precise sequence in coordination with other dancers on the same stage at the same time. Utah is blessed both by the number of dance troupes and by the fact that we have a nationally recognized school of dance at the University of Utah. Over the last two television seasons the Emmy award winning Fox TV show, "So You Think You Can Dance" has been in Salt Lake City for auditions and this past season three of the top six dancers were from Utah.
But this isn’t about dance. It’s about gratitude. Gratitude is a virtue that seems to be increasingly rare in our modern society. I think all of us like to be on the receiving end every now and then. More important is that we demonstrate gratitude in our everyday lives.
I’m a member of a facebook group whose goal it is to keep arts in the public schools. On behalf of the members of that facebook group I’d like to ask you to express your thanks and gratitude to The Eskuche Foundation, Larry H. Miller Charities, Wells Fargo and to the Utah State Legislature. Ririe-Woodbury is a wonderful group that offers innovative choreography and high quality entertainment.
I don’t know of any other city our size in the United States with three professional modern dance companies. But, the point of all of this is to recognize the good in others as well as the courage of the legislature to use a few tax dollars to give school children a little something extra during difficult economic times. A little something to expand their life experience. On behalf of the facebook group dedicated to keeping the arts in public schools, thank you. And, if you paid any Utah state taxes or fees, bought or had your car serviced at a Larry H. Miller dealership or bounced a check at Wells Fargo, thank you. (I don’t know where the money from the Eskuche Foundation originates, but a special thank you to them too)
If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, say thank you to Ririe-Woodbury, RDT, Ballet West or Odyssey Dance Theatre by attending one of their performances. Sit with your child or grandchild and marvel at the skills and wonder at the dedication and then just one more time say thank you.
And finally, I’d like to thank you too.