Members of Contemporary Dance Theatre wait to perform at the Biblioteca Marcel·lí Domingo in Tortosa, Spain.
The BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre (CDT) company departed Salt Lake City on July 1. After patiently waiting through airline delays in both Salt Lake City and Amsterdam, they arrived in Barcelona in time to experience some of the local nightlife, get some tasty Spanish cuisine, and enjoy a dance performance at Theatre Flamenco Barcelona City Hall. After church services and a beautiful, sunny bus drive down the coast on Sunday, the group checked out the spaces they would be dancing in for the next week at the 2022 Deltebre Dansa festival.
Bright and early on Monday, the group of 15 dancers and two faculty members began a rigorous routine of dancing and learning. For six hours every day, they danced outdoors in the sweltering Spanish summer, beneath the shade provided by tents. They were hot and exhausted each day but had an unforgettable experience meeting fellow dancers and making new friends from around the world. BYU student Johnathan Tanner says, “It has been amazing being able to meet so many different people from different countries around the world. They each bring their emotions, experiences, and knowledge of dance and are able to express it and share it—a lot of times without even speaking the same language.”
Tuesday evening CDT took an early break from the festival to join the missionaries and local community for an informal performance and workshop at Biblioteca Marcel·lí Domingo in Tortosa, Spain. On a glass floor above exposed ancient Roman ruins unearthed in the construction of the library, the CDT dancers were able to dance and share their talents with members of the local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and of the local community. More than 80 people packed between the book stacks to have a truly special experience. Speaking about the experience, BYU dancer Maci Dimond Williams says, “I loved interacting with the children that were at the mixer and watching us perform. They were so excited to meet us, dance with us, and spend time together. It was truly powerful to see the joy and inspiration that comes through dance and through the gospel!”
Early Saturday morning the group left Deltebre to travel back to Barcelona. In Barcelona they enjoyed the art and architecture of Antoni Gaudí while visiting Park Güell and the amazing cathedral Sagrada Família. A Saturday evening informal performance and Sunday morning church meeting with the members of the Barcelona Spain Stake brought an end to the Spain portion of the group’s journey. They are looking forward to VIP performances in Paris and Brussels next week.
