The Ballroom Dance Company started the last week of its tour in Córdoba, Argentina, where the group had the opportunity to visit the grounds of the Córdoba Argentina Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On Tuesday, a few dancers were requested for a VIP reception with city officials that included Lieutenant Governor Martín Llaryora. The Ballroom Dance Company also had a chance to visit Manzana Jesuítica, a World Heritage Site containing a Jesuit cathedral and university. The group spent most of Wednesday on a bus traveling to Buenos Aires, where the company remained for the rest of the tour. Thursday consisted of two outreach opportunities: the first at Hospital Pedro de Elizalde, where the company performed for the patients and their families, and the second at La Fundación Julio Bocca, where the company taught dances to community members. The ballroom dancers had some time to visit sights in Buenos Aires before attending dinner combined with an Argentine tango competition at La Milonga de los Zucca. A few members of the Ballroom Dance Company were even brave enough to take the floor during some general dancing. <h6>A few dancers were requested for a VIP reception with city officials that included Lieutenant Governor Martín Llaryora.</h6> The Ballroom Dance Company had two performances in Buenos Aires at Auditorio de Belgrano and Teatro Metropolitan. Nearly 2,000 people were able to attend each show. A highlight of the tour was Saturday evening when the company attended an Argentine tango class, dinner, and show at Tango Porteño. The group had its final fireside of the tour with Church members from the Avellaneda area of Buenos Aires. Before leaving Argentina to return home on Monday, the group had the opportunity to tour the Teatro Colón, which National Geographic highlights it as one of the best concert venues in the world. The company members also visited the grounds of the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple of the Church on their way to the airport.

Chamber Orchestra arrived in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, last week and was joined by BYU International Vice President Sandra Rogers before she went on to visit BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble in Vietnam. The group got right to work as the members held a combined concert with the student orchestra at the University of the Philippines Diliman, which is often recognized as the nation’s top university. Both groups performed their individual pieces at the beginning of the concert, and after intermission the students sat side-by-side and played several numbers together. Professor Edna Marcil “Michi” Martinez, musical director and conductor for the UP Orchestra, was thrilled for the opportunity her students had to play with BYU. “This performance was amazing! My students loved spending the day with the BYU students, touring the campus, eating together, and performing together. They will remember this for many, many years,” she said. <h6>“This performance was amazing! My students loved spending the day with the BYU students, touring the campus, eating together, and performing together. They will remember this for many, many years.”</h6> Two days later, Chamber Orchestra shared the stage again, this time with Filipino star Tim Pavino, whose musical career launched after he appeared on the popular TV show <em>The Voice of the Philippines</em>. This concert was held at the Meralco Theatre and was cosponsored by the Catholic Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The proceeds from the concert were donated to Caritas Manila, a Catholic organization that provides social welfare programs for the poor. Pavino described the concert as an amazing experience and was grateful for the recommendation from Broadway star Lea Salonga to perform with BYU Chamber Orchestra. After several days in Manila, the group members flew to the island of Cebu, where they met their local sponsor, the Arts Council of Cebu. The group enjoyed a city tour, which featured stops at Magellan’s Cross, the Basilica del Santo Niño, the Casa Gorordo Museum, and Fort San Pedro. On Saturday, the Arts Council sponsored a sold-out performance at the Ayala Center Cebu. Next week, Chamber Orchestra will travel to Bohol for a performance then back to Cebu, where they will perform two concerts as part of the country’s National Heritage Month celebrations.

[embed]https://youtu.be/m8UcAqrhmgE[/embed] <em>(If video is not displayed, click <a href="https://youtu.be/m8UcAqrhmgE">here</a>.)</em> Members of International Folk Dance Ensemble were up and on their way at 4:30 a.m. Monday morning, to begin their third and final week on tour. The group flew from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. After sightseeing, the group held a social activity with young adults of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The next day, the group participated in a workshop with students of the Ho Chi Minh City School of Dance. During the workshop, BYU dancers taught American folk dance moves to the Vietnamese students, who then taught a Vietnamese dance in return. That evening, International Folk Dance Ensemble performed a well-received, public show in the Ben Thanh Theatre. In Ho Chi Minh City (commonly known as Saigon) the group visited the historic Củ Chi tunnels, the Reunification Palace, and a Chinese temple. <h6>One highlight of the group’s cultural experience was riding through the Old Quarter of Hanoi in “cyclos”—the rickshaws of the 20th century.</h6> After flying north to Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, on Thursday, International Folk Dance Ensemble workshopped with the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema. The group held a second workshop the next day with the Vietnam Dance College. In addition to workshops, the group visited some of Hanoi’s cultural sites as well. The dancers toured the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh’s residence, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, and the Hỏa Lò Prison, where American prisoners of war were held during the Vietnam War. One highlight of the group’s cultural experience was riding through the Old Quarter of Hanoi in “cyclos”—the rickshaws of the 20th century. On Friday, International Folk Dance Ensemble gave its last full performance at the Vietnam Dance College and performed for a very enthusiastic student audience. BYU International Vice President Sandra Rogers attended this performance. The tour concluded with a Sunday devotional program in Hanoi, and the group returned to Salt Lake City on Monday.

Living Legends spent most of its last week on tour in South Dakota. From there the group went on to Omaha, Nebraska, and ended its tour in Des Moines, Iowa. On Monday, Living Legends traveled to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. While there, the group attended a band and choir concert given by students at Todd County High School. The next day, the group participated in two school assemblies. The first one was a combined assembly for elementary and middle school children. The second assembly was for Todd County High School. In both assemblies, the students sat silently while Living Legends performed its cultural dances. As the show ended, the once-silent students erupted into enthusiastic applause. That evening, the show was well attended by the community. <h6>As the show ended, the once-silent students erupted into enthusiastic applause.</h6> Living Legends also participated in service projects. For one project, the women of Living Legends went to help the Boys and Girls Club of Aberdeen Area. The club offers food, recreation, counseling, tutoring, and a warm place for all boys and girls in the Aberdeen area. For the other project, the men of Living Legends went to the home of a Church member who is battling cancer to help scrape paint off the exterior of the house in preparation for painting. The project was under Paint South Dakota, which is intended to help families in need restore the beauty of their homes. Most of Thursday was spent on the road to Omaha, Nebraska, where Living Legends had performances on Friday afternoon and evening. The theater was almost packed to its full capacity. The audience in Omaha was the most enthusiastic so far. The audience members jumped to their feet prior to the finale and remained standing to the end. Living Legends did their last performance in Des Moines, Iowa. The group also toured the Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters and had an inspiring experience.

Members of Young Ambassadors had many memorable moments during their last few days in Brazil. In São Paulo, the group attended a community outreach with Associação Fernanda Bianchini Cia Ballet de Cegos, a ballet school that teaches around 200 students who are blind and who may have other disabilities. Members of Young Ambassadors not only interacted with these students but also experienced the school’s teaching methods for themselves by being taught ballet techniques while blindfolded. It was amazing for the students to have a new perspective. On Tuesday evening, Young Ambassadors performed its last show of the tour to a sold-out audience of 2,500 that was loud and appreciative. <h6>In São Paulo, the group attended a community outreach with Associação Fernanda Bianchini Cia Ballet de Cegos, a ballet school that teaches around 200 students who are blind and who may have other disabilities.</h6> Young Ambassadors then embarked for Foz do Iguaçu in the state of Paraná, where they toured Iguaçu Falls, the world’s largest system of waterfalls, on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Not only did the members of Young Ambassadors have the opportunity to experience the falls from both bordering countries, they also experienced a fairytale ending when two members of their group—Caleb Allred and Elsa Hodder—got engaged at the falls. Young Ambassadors departed from Brazil on Friday and arrived safely back in the United States on Saturday.