STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – The coordinates for Steamboat Springs are 40 degrees north, 106 degrees west. But for Meg Southcott, those set of numbers are much more than a location on a map.

“My heart is here, my dancing is here, I have allowed the name to reflect that,” Southcott said. “Since college, I’ve had the idea brewing in the back of my mind to start a company.”

With a small group of dancers willing to develop skills, explore movements and styles and collaborate and create, Forty/106 Dance Project is Steamboat’s first contemporary-modern dance company.

“I decided it was time for me to make the move and just do it,” she said.

A choreographer at local dance studios, Southcott has also been involved with Steamboat Dance Theatre’s annual performances as a dancer, choreographer and one of the previous producers of the show.

Forty/106 Dance Project emerged from limitations she ran into creatively.

“Movement is what makes me comfortable,” Southcott said. “I like to tell stories with my movement. I like to create a landscape, set the mood and let the story unfold.”

The dance company will present its debut performance, “Hurry Up & Wait,” at 7 p.m. Friday at the Depot Art Center.

“I’m inspired by the idea of hurry up and wait and what that means to people, how we deal with it emotionally and how I can portray that through my movement vocabulary,” Southcott said.

The production features five pieces and five dancers — Kim Chotvacs, Loryn Kasten, Jessica LeBlanc, Mandy Quinones and Valerie Stafford — who have been rehearsing and learning from technique classes since November.

“Hurry Up & Wait” is a one-time performance; however, the company wants to grow, and for the next project, auditions will be held.

“I am hoping that through this performance, the audience will think more about how they spend their time and really be conscious of how valuable time is,” Southcott said.

To reach Audrey Dwyer, call 970-871-4229, email adwyer@SteamboatToday.com or follow her on Twitter @Audrey_Dwyer1.