Spring 2024

Looking Ahead: Academic Tours

In April 2024, the BYU Singers will embark on their tour to Ireland. In addition to enjoying the beauty of this country, the choir will enchant audiences with their performances at the Cork International Choral Festival and compete in its prestigious Fleischmann International Trophy Competition. Heading out in May on their first international tour ever, BYU Women’s Chorus members look forward to visiting Switzerland and also Germany, the homeland of the choir’s director, Dr. Sonja Poulter. While in Europe, Women’s Chorus will hold four concerts, perform as the featured artist at multiple festivals, and sing at a devotional for youth in the Frankfurt area. The BYU Wind Symphony is eagerly preparing for their tour in South Korea this July. The ensemble received a special invitation to perform at the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) as a part of the main concert for a conference in Gwangju. It is a tremendous honor for the Wind Symphony to be selected as a high-caliber ensemble and one of the top international wind orchestras. They will also take part in the Gwangju Fringe Festival.

BYU Singers

Women's Chorus

Wind Symphony

Spreading Light

During their midsemester tour in October 2023, the BYU Ballroom Dance Company visited Caldwell, Idaho, and the Washington cities of Richland, Olympia, Tacoma, and Camas. The company had a busy and fulfilling tour schedule, including six performances that showcased their talents and captivated audiences. Additionally, they conducted a workshop with a local dance studio, Pacific Ballroom Dance, in which the Ballroom Dance Company performers shared their expertise, performed routines, and offered insight about the BYU ballroom dance program to young students who are hoping to attend BYU in the future. Summer Benson, a dedicated member of the company, says of her experience touring with the group, “I felt the importance of our dancing when I was onstage focusing on getting into my line. This was such a cool experience for me and for the audience, and I love the focus of spreading light to the people who come to watch us.” Benson recognizes the transformative power of performance that the Ballroom Dance Company desires to share with performers and audiences alike. For three weeks in spring 2024, the Ballroom Dance Company will embark on an exhilarating journey through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. They will connect with local communities as the company members experience each country’s vibrant traditions and give performances. This adventure will not only showcase the talents and dedication of the Ballroom Dance Company but also foster understanding and appreciation across borders. As ambassadors of BYU, the students look forward to embodying the university’s commitment to develop students of faith, intellect, and character who serve others throughout their lives.

Ballroom Dance Company

Fostering Unity on the West Coast

International Folk Dance Ensemble and Mountain Strings soaked up some sun this winter on their midsemester tour in Southern California. In February 2024 they took their show to Irvine, Escondido, San Diego, Ontario, and Thousand Oaks. In addition to their performances, the groups participated in three local outreaches. Two were held at local schools, where International Folk Dance Ensemble captivated students with dance forms from around the globe. The other outreach was held at an elderly care center, where Mountain Strings connected with residents through music. Throughout their stay in California, Mountain Strings and International Folk Dance Ensemble fostered unity between diverse groups. The local receptions they attended brought together individuals of different faiths and positions: city council members, mayors, nonprofit representatives—even consuls general from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Jordan, Pakistan, Senegal, and Switzerland. To celebrate shared values, local members of various faiths were invited to commence each performance with a prayer. The students enjoy meeting alumni and sharing their love of BYU’s performing arts. Wanda Cluff, now 89 years old and a former member of International Folk Dance Ensemble, attended the show in Escondido. Her son, Jimmy, told the group, “My mom was so excited to enjoy your show and relive in part her years of dancing with the group 67 years ago. After your show, she was retelling many of the fun and silly times from her days. Dancing has been a fun part of her life ever since.” Other interactions also led to meaningful connections. Mountain Strings violinist and fiddler Ellie Geslison recounts, “There was one woman who I spoke with after the show who especially impacted me. She told me that she played the violin herself and that watching me play the violin and fiddle onstage had inspired her to start playing again. I was touched that my talents and performance could mean so much to someone watching.” International Folk Dance Ensemble and Mountain Strings will again greet sunshine in April as they embark on their tour to Mexico, where they will participate in a week-long festival in the vibrant city of Puerto Vallarta. In May they’ll head to the southern United States for a three-week tour, gracing stages in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. This monthlong journey promises a diverse range of experiences as the groups represent BYU through the performing arts.

International Folk Dance Ensemble

Mountain Strings

Celebrating Native Culture in Arizona

Despite the group’s rigorous performance schedule, BYU Living Legends always makes time to connect with the native communities their work represents. In February 2024, Living Legends traveled to Arizona and the Navajo Nation to share their vibrant dances on a midsemester tour. While in Window Rock, Arizona, Living Legends students met Dr. Buu Nygren, president of the Navajo Nation. President Nygren is dedicated to ensuring every Navajo home has basic necessities. He also places a strong emphasis on self-improvement and hard work. “One of the most memorable parts of tour was meeting the president of the Navajo Nation,” says Ben Lopez, a member of Living Legends. “Many of his beliefs about education aligned with ours. He talked about how we can use our education to build our futures and the futures of others.” Attending a Living Legends show is an incredible experience. Beyond the entertainment value, the performances feature music, choreography, and regalia that all have special cultural significance to Native American, Latin American, and Polynesian communities. Melia Losik, another member of Living Legends, had a profound experience speaking to an audience member. “One of the best interactions I had was after one of our shows,” she recalls. “A woman came up to me and told me she had been going through a lot of hard trials and that as she watched the jingle-dress dance, she felt healing power. I was so happy she told me that because a lot of times we don’t get to hear those experiences. It made me feel happy and emotional knowing she was able to feel the power of healing that comes from that dance.” In June 2024, Living Legends will travel to France and Belgium for an extended academic tour. They will perform, hold outreach events, and participate in cultural exchange as they pursue lifelong learning and service.

Living Legends

Finding Inspiration

Noteworthy and Vocal Point recently joined forces to create a unified group. In February 2024, they traveled to Wyoming and Colorado for their first combined tour. The tour was remarkably successful. One performance was held in the Wynona Thompson Auditorium in Cody, Wyoming—a venue that has never sold out before. At Noteworthy and Vocal Point’s show, all eight hundred seats in the auditorium were filled for the first time. The group also held several workshops for high school students. When they were younger, many of the ensemble members had dreamed of singing with Noteworthy or Vocal Point, so mentoring other aspiring performing artists felt like coming full circle. “One of the meaningful connections I made on tour was with a high school female a cappella group in Colorado Springs called Nuance,” says Kassie Sanders, a member of Noteworthy. “It was really cool to see how similar we were. The students were a little timid when we started to workshop with them, but by the end they were ten times more confident in their skills and abilities. We all formed a special connection by being in female a cappella groups. You could tell that the girls were inspired, and I was inspired by them and their enthusiasm.” Jensen Diederich, a member of Vocal Point, started listening to Vocal Point as a child, and that’s when he discovered that he feels the Spirit through music. He says these experiences with music were foundational to his testimony. While on tour, Diederich also welcomed a powerful, full-circle moment: “During our meet-and-greet with the audience after the show, a woman approached us and told us how she used to listen to Vocal Point when she was an atheist and how she had recently converted to Christianity. She expressed that our music helped guide her on that path. That is why we do what we do.” In May 2024, Noteworthy and Vocal Point will travel to South Korea, Mongolia, and Japan for an extended tour and will share the transformative power of music abroad.

Noteworthy

Vocal Point

The Healing Power of the Arts

In 2018, a devastating wildfire tore through Paradise, California. Over 90 percent of the buildings in Paradise were destroyed and 85 people lost their lives. On the five-year anniversary of the fire, the BYU Young Ambassadors performed for the people of Paradise. The performers witnessed many joyful reunions before the show. Kersee Whitney, a member of the Young Ambassadors, says, “We had to delay the show for 10 minutes because our performance brought people together who hadn’t seen each other in a long time because of the terrible fires, and they were all talking, hugging, and catching up in the foyer. Music and performing is a wonderful way to bring people together.” After the show, the students got to know their audience on a personal level. “The top spiritual experience I had on tour was listening to the faith of the Saints in Paradise who had been affected by the wildfire,” says an anonymous member of the Young Ambassadors. “I was overwhelmed with joy and with compassion for these people who just had so much love and faith.” While on tour, the ensemble held several workshops for children and high school students. These workshops provided opportunities for aspiring performing artists to hone their craft and also provided opportunities for the Young Ambassadors to share the gospel. “It was powerful to testify while on tour,” Young Ambassadors member JRay Kuhn says. “I was asked to share my story at one of our workshops and felt the Spirit fill my mouth with the words that needed to be said to the youth in that moment. As someone who has struggled spiritually at BYU, this served as a huge reminder that I’m a tool in God’s hands.” Whitney is also grateful to share her talents. “Singing and dancing can be considered a really self-centered art form. But the Young Ambassadors taught me that it’s more about giving to other people and sharing your light,” she says. “The arts can be such a great connective tool.” In May 2024, the Young Ambassadors will share BYU’s light in China on an extended tour.

Young Ambassadors

Bringing Jazz Overseas

This May 2024, Synthesis will travel to Europe for the jazz group’s first extended tour since the COVID-19 pandemic. International tours provide opportunities for students to learn from other cultures and gain a wider range of performing experience. These tours are also a great way to share BYU’s mission with the world. Synthesis will visit the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. Students will have the opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House, Cologne Cathedral, Porta Nigra, and other historical landmarks. In Germany, Synthesis will be featured at Trier’s Jazzfest am Dom and at Saarbrücken’s International Jazz Festival Saar. In Belgium, the group will hold a concert alongside high school jazz teacher Stefan Butterbach. “In Synthesis, we all strive for excellence and support each other as a band,” says Noelle Watts, the group’s teaching assistant. “It’s amazing to be a part of. I’m excited to watch everyone share their light and kindness as they create beautiful music and interact with the wonderful people we’ll meet on tour.”

Synthesis

Warming Hearts

In Salt Lake City, winter was anything but bleak as BYU performing groups entertained audiences and warmed hearts at the Conference Center Theater over the course of several weeks. Noteworthy and Vocal Point kicked off the festivities on February 2 and 3 with their high-spirited energy and sold out all three of their shows. The following weekend, Living Legends honored the cultural heritage of the Americas and the Pacific Islands with their performance of Storytellers. The Young Ambassadors brought lively and tender-hearted theatrics to the stage, singing and dancing to a wide range of musical compositions. Contemporary Dance Theatre celebrated emotional expression and demonstrated complex movement at the debut of their new show, Oh, the Drama!, directed by newcomers Kate Monson and Adam Dyer. Members of the Ballroom Dance Company were delighted to have President Dallin H. Oaks and his wife Kristen attend their show and enjoy their compelling choreography and infectious rhythm. The Sleeping Beauty came to life as Theatre Ballet performed a family-friendly show with beautiful costumes and elegant movement. To close out the talent-filled weekends, Mountain Strings and International Folk Dance Ensemble shared with their audiences more than a dozen cultures from around the world. With the curtains closed on Winterfest 2024, the BYU performing groups anxiously await next year’s shows!

Theatre Ballet