Ballroom Dance Company

Dancing Across Germany

The Ballroom Dance Company visits the Victory Column in Berlin.

On Monday, May 2, the BYU Ballroom Dance Company crossed the border from France into Germany and stopped in Kaiserslautern. They acquainted themselves with the area by exploring the ruins of an old castle, Burg Lichtenberg, with local church members. While in Kaiserslautern, the Ballroom Dance Company hosted a workshop for youth and held two performances, all in the same day. 

On Wednesday the group set off to take in the beauty of Cologne and then traveled to Essen to put on an activity for youth in the area. The dancers worked together on Thursday to turn the Dortmund Germany Stake Center into a performance hall, and local members filled the available space in the building for an unforgettable performance. The Ballroom Dance Company bid farewell to the area with one last performance on Friday at the Stadthalle Hilden, just outside Düsseldorf. 

BYU dancers pose with Ukrainian refugees who were among their audience in Kaiserslautern.

Saturday was a long day of travel mixed with activities organized by BYU Performing Arts alumni. The Ballroom Dance Company stopped for lunch and an activity with the Braunschweig Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ, organized by former BYU ballroom dancer Amanda Luschin. The evening finished in Berlin with a performance, workshop, and after-party arranged by a former member of the BYU Singers, Jennie Litster. The students loved being able to connect with Luschin and Litster and reminisce about their shared BYU experiences. 

BYU student Rebekah Seely teaches youth to dance at KMC Onstage in Kaiserslautern.

BYU dancers Serena Keck (left) and Liesel Hansen prepare for a performance in Germany.