Ririe-Woodbury gets new, top officials

After 44 years as artistic directors of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Joan Woodbury and Shirley Ririe have handed the artistic director reins to associate artistic director Charlotte Boye-Christensen.

In addition, the company's touring manager, Jena Woodbury, has been named as associate managing director.

"Our intention of the changes is to give the company a future," said Joan Woodbury during an interview after rehearsals Wednesday. "It needs young, new blood. And, face it, Shirley and I are getting old."

Ririe called Boye-Christensen a gifted choreographer. "I don't now how we could have found someone better qualified. I think we have been blessed to have found such a gifted and competent person to eventually take over."

Denmark native Boye-Christensen, a recipient of the Choo-San Goh Award for Choreographic Excellence, trained at the London Contemporary Dance School at the Laban Center in London and completed her master's degree at Tisch School for the Arts, New York University.

She first visited Utah in 1998 to participate in a choreographer's lab, which later became Brolly Arts. She returned in 2002 and joined the company's artistic staff.

"I never thought I'd come back and still be here after six years," Boye-Christensen said Wednesday.

Since she's been a part of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company family, Boye-Christensen has created 18 new works for the company.

"When Charlotte stepped in as associate artistic director, it was understood that this change would happen sooner or later," Woodbury said. "But if there came a time when she would leave, heaven forbid, there would be a title someone could step into when the time came."

The artistic director title makes Boye-Christensen's job official.

"There isn't any difference with what I'm doing with the company now than what I've been doing the past six years," Boye-Christensen said. "I do like the fact that over the past years we have been expanding the company's repertoire.

"The challenge has been, and will always be, to creatively challenge ourselves and the audience."

Ririe said they are confident that the repertoire, policies and the general tenor of the company will continue. "We know new ideas will be part of the future growth."

Ririe and Woodbury were introduced in 1952 by the late Elizabeth Hayes, who was the University of Utah Dance Department chairwoman. Both Ririe and Woodbury were teaching at the U.