James Wallace had just returned to town when David Taylor made him a promising offer: a position as associate director with Taylor's dance company.

It seemed a nice opportunity for the dancer-choreographer. Little did Wallace know what he was getting into.

"That was in June, when I'd come back from dancing with a company in San Francisco for a season," Wallace said. "At that point, I'd been thinking about retiring (from dancing). I'd had injuries to my lower back, my knee and my hip. My body was telling me to slow down. I was thinking maybe I'd become a resident choreographer somewhere."

But after the two men held a few meetings, his plans suddenly changed.

Taylor offered to step down and have Wallace take over as artistic director. The reply, voiced with a mixture of confidence and trepidation, was yes.

Tonight at the King Center, on the Auraria campus, Wallace will make his debut as the man in charge of the David Taylor Dance Theatre (still named for its founder).

"It's a huge step for me, and I did give it some thought," Wallace said.

Dancing with debt

Who could blame him for hesitating? Taylor's company had been struggling with a $244,000 debt, having been forced to vacate its headquarters in Englewood (but not before reaching a deal to settle its debt with the city).

Some fans of the company had wondered about the troupe's survival. As Taylor had noted, "A lot of people thought we were already dead."

Wallace, 34, welcomed the opportunity to gain artistic control of a company he's danced with and created works for over the years (tonight's program includes two of his pieces). But what of the dreaded administrative duties of an artistic director?

"What attracted me to the job was knowing that David would be hiring an executive director (Kristin Bennett) and company manager (Kristi VanDongen). So I knew that my involvement in administrative matters would be limited," he said.

His decision to accept the position was also made easier by Taylor's confidence in him. "David had seen me work with the dancers during rehearsals," Wallace said. "He told me that my work with them was taking the company in a good direction.

"All in all, this seemed to be a natural thing for me to do - it was the direction I was going."

While the organization is still crawling out of a financial hole (Bennett reports that the debt has been reduced to $130,000 since August), Wallace suggested that it's heading in a new, more positive direction. He credits the new administrators and a more active, more responsible board, headed by Peter Warren. "They're the reason we're becoming more financially healthy," Wallace said.

Still, not all the news is good. The Christmas snowstorm caused cancellations of some Nutcracker performances, although the host Lakewood Cultural Center "took the fall" on the lost revenue, Wallace reported. "We got our full fee," he said, adding that elsewhere, touring grants were cut back and grant money for a guest choreographer failed to materialize.

Still in need of a home

Another ongoing problem is the lack of a consistent performing home.

Tonight's King Center show serves as a reminder that the Taylor company has had to shift venues at an alarming rate, having recently performed along the Front Range at Littleton, Englewood and Lakewood venues.

Wallace says the Auraria appearance will help satisfy a ruling from the Denver City Council requiring appearances in the city in order to receive funding from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Last year, the SCFD contributed $107,590 to the troupe.

Such financial concerns will now be part of his job. Another important task involves setting the artistic tone for the company. This, too, requires caution.

"I want to keep David's vision alive, but I also want to put my stamp on it. I think I can do both," Wallace said.

"I'd love to bring in some fresh choreographers who aren't that well-known, maybe one each year. I'm hoping to do a Halloween show with live music and to bring back our 'Three's a Crowd' shows. And I'd love to see us do a piece by Kylian," he said, referring to Jiri Kylian, renowned artistic director of the Nederlands Dans Theater.

For now, company goals are more mundane, he acknowledged. "We only want to do tours we can afford, such as our upcoming one in Coeur d'Alene (Idaho). And we have to make sure our shows break even."

David Taylor Dance Theatre

• When and where: 7:30 p.m. today at the Kenneth King Performing Arts Center, on the Auraria campus

• Cost: $8 to $16

• Information: 303-556- 2473

• Of note: The company performs James Wallace's Beloved, excerpts from his Carmina Burana, Taylor's Parallel and Elevated and Gary Abbot's Araignee.

Marc Shulgold is the music and dance writer. Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com, 303-954-5296

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