BYU’s Young DanceMakers took audience members “Around the World and Back Again” on Sat., May 10 in the de Jong Concert Hall.
During an “Evening of Dance”, the DanceMakers annual showcase event, dancers performed sixteen internationally themed numbers. Audience members were on the edge of their seats as the different troupes represented exotic destinations like Paris, England, Greece, Italy, Canada, Brazil and even outer space.
The near capacity crowd cheered the loudest during “Italian Amore”, a number spotlighting Italy, when dancers rolled across the stage from wing to wing on skateboards and oars imitating the famous gondola rides found within Venice.
A part of BYU’s children and teens creative dance program, the Young DanceMakers are youthful performers who range from six to 18 years of age. The children had been preparing for Saturday night since last September when their dance classes began. While the majority of the 160 dancers were female, there was an all male dance troupe that performed immediately following the intermission. Dancers are trained in technique, composition, improvisation, choreography and performance.
Many audience members were very impressed with how well the young dancers did in front of such a large crowd.
“To perform in front of a such a big audience, that’s such a big self-esteem builder,” said Meredith, resident of Salt Lake City.
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