About
Through the Eyes of a Dancer, an exhibition by loveDANCEmore takes its title from a book by dance critic Wendy Perron, celebrates the last decade of choreographic innovation in Utah and the ongoing inevitable encounter between dance and photography. Here are some of the photographers and visual artists who diligently document Utah dance. These artists provide a tremendous, often invisible support to our dance community. This show is our effort to reciprocate by turning the lens back toward their artistry.
Each of the artists in the show has had their work featured on the cover of a loveDANCEmore performance journal, often celebrating a dance artist on the other side of the camera. We’ve taken some of these beautiful images and reframed them as they’ve never been seen before — on their own. We’ve also asked these artists to provide a few of their favorite “outtakes” — images that have never been shared before. They range from rehearsal shots and sketches, moments backstage, images from the daily life of the dance community, and documentation of how artists of various genres have responded to life in Utah over the last ten years. In addition to being a portrait of the dance community, this show is a portrait of a changing city and state, including documentation of artists involved in activism, dancers engaging with Utah’s wild landscapes, and various comings and goings between Salt Lake City and other dance capitals around the world.
Ching-I Chang is a lover of dance. She has performed and taught internationally in major cities, in Taiwan, Canada, Ireland, China, and the United States. She has worked with many NYC contemporary choreographers and artists such as Susan Marshall, Gesel Mason, Michel Kouakou, Maurice Fraga, Tiffany Mills, Bill Young, Kyle Abraham, Yung-Li Chen, Kiori Kawai (Visual Artist), Thai Artist Alliance (Visual Arts), HT Chen (Chinese Dance), Phantom Limbs and Loco 7 (Puppetry), the screen dance endeavors of Marta Renzi, Christy Harris, and Jason Kaufman. She was an original NYC cast member at Punchdrunk’s Off-Broadway hit production, Sleep No More NYC as well as the rehearsal director of the Sleep No More Shanghai from 2017 to 2019. She received her MFA from the University of Utah School of Dance in 2017.
Tori Duhaime (she/they) is a photographer and movement artist currently based in Richmond, VA. They grew up in Southwest Colorado as a young dancer and outdoor enthusiast. She received her BFA in Modern Dance in 2016 from the University of Utah before taking a primary role behind the lens. In 2018, they became the Marketing Director for Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company while continuing to work intimately with the Salt Lake City dance community independently as a photographer. Tori's personal artistry exists at the intersection of natural landscapes and movement - featuring dance artists, outdoor athletes, and activism. In 2020, Tori moved to Richmond, VA with her partner and two dogs and continues to be an avid advocate for the Salt Lake City and global dance community.
Winston Inoway is a native of Salt Lake City and works in graphic design, photography, and video production. Beyond performance subjects, Winston can be found making images and videos of heavy machinery and bridges in his work for the Utah Department of Transportation. He can also be found creating landscape and nature images in the beautiful wilderness of Utah. He feels privileged to be able to create images with the artists shown here.
Sharon Kain is a photographic artist who lives and works in the greater Salt Lake City area. Her work explores themes of identity, home, and the natural world. She makes photographs to capture the beautiful and magical moments in the world around her.
Nora Lang, born in the Pacific Northwest, grew up Training at Bainbridge Island Dance Center, in ballet, modern, and jazz, with a dash of Scandinavian Folk Dance and Musical Theatre. Their time spent playing folk music and attending Settle’s FolkLife Festival is where they gained an appreciation for contemporary and traditional folk arts. Nora is a believer in collaborative arts and identifies as a cross-disciplinary artist. As a performer and choreographer, they are currently researching structured improvisations, and how external stimuli like costuming or lighting enhance the performer’s experience. Their approach is surrealism in nature, juxtaposing imagery, sound, and choice, seeking multidimensional stage works.
Dat Nguyen is a dance and visual artist who was based in Salt Lake City, Utah until recently returning to his native Vietnam. He received his BFA degree in Dance at Sam Houston State University and is finishing his MFA degree in Modern Dance at the University of Utah. In 2013, he became a founding member of Nicolay Dance Works, a contemporary modern dance company directed by Dana Nicolay in Texas. In 2019, before coming back to his country, he was a founding member of Queer Spectra Arts Festival in Salt Lake City.
Gina T’ai is an Associate Professor in Theatre and Dance and Critical Identity Studies at Beloit College.