The company will present a broad range of styles in their fall concert Nov. 15-16
Ballet Showcase Company will perform Nov. 15-16 (BYU Arts)
BYU’s Ballet Showcase Company — an auditioned performing group in the Department of Dance — will present their fall semester concert Nov. 15-16. The concert will feature six faculty works performed by Ballet Showcase, and three “Swan Lake” excerpts by guest company Theatre Ballet.
Ballet Showcase Company offers students the opportunity to work with guest choreographers and train in a variety of styles. This semester’s concert features a diverse collection of pieces ranging from classical variations to a comedic satire.
“It’s not boring for a moment,” company member Cassidy Wixom said of the program. “There’s such variety in it, and each piece makes you feel a different way. At one moment it’s exciting and happy, the next it’s more soft and subtle. There’s so much variety, I feel like everyone can find something they like in it.”
Performing with Ballet Showcase also provides students with the opportunity to experience different rehearsal processes and creative methods. Each choreographer had a unique way of working with the dancers, whether it be restaging old repertoire, setting original work or co-creating material with the dancers.
The concert will feature a variety of ballet styles (BYU Arts)
“There’s some pieces where we were watching a video and trying to recreate it, and others where the choreographer was working with the dancers, and trying to figure out what looks best on them personally,” said Chelsie Sherwood, student president of Ballet Showcase. “That’s a cool experience, to have something made specifically for you.”
More than anything, the students enjoy the camaraderie and growth that comes from working hard and creating art alongside their peers.
“One of my favorite things is seeing the growth and the process,” said Sherwood. “You can see in just the six to seven weeks we’ve been rehearsing how much we’ve grown together, and how much we’ve grown as individuals.”
That level of artistic growth only comes with a lot of hard work and mental determination.
“Ballet is a really interesting pursuit because it’s trying to reach a perfection that’s never going to happen — at least, not now. That can be really mentally draining,” Sherwood continued. “But the opportunity to dance is a release, and when you’re dancing with these wonderful people, that makes it so much better.”
Tickets and Show Details
Performance Dates and Times: Nov. 15-16 | 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16 | 2:00 p.m.
Location: RB Studio Theater
Price: $7
Tickets: Available in person at the BYU HFAC or Marriott Center Ticket Office, by phone at (801) 422-2981 or online at byuarts.com