Utahs Repertory Dance Theatre was founded in 1966 as a fully-professional modern dance company through a cooperative effort involving the Salt Lake City community, the University of Utah and a major grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. This partnership was created to establish a company which would keep alive that unique, artistic achievement which is American Modern Dance. Noted educator and Childrens Dance Theatre director Virginia Tanners dream of establishing a professional company of dancers dedicated to the performance, creation and preservation of modern dance led to the development of RDT. As a professional group of artists in residence at a university, RDT began as a bold attempt at artistic democracy which gradually evolved as the company selected artistic leadership within its own ranks. A founding member, Linda C. Smith has guided the artistic mission since 1983 and kept the thread of continuity and the "dream" of Virginia Tanner alive. Today, RDT continues to fulfill its high initial expectations. It is the oldest and most successful company of its kind, a living museum representing one hundred years of dance history, preserving the largest and most significant collection of American dance in the world. RDT acquires classic works by significant twentieth century choreographers and also commissions new works for its prestigious repertory. From the legendary Isadora Duncan and Doris Humphrey to the revolutionary Merce Cunningham and Michio Ito, RDT is both a museum and a contemporary gallery representing the scope and diversity of modern dance past and present.