Ballet Showcase Company will present a broad range of styles in their fall concert Nov. 15-16 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 a diverse collection of faculty works performed by the company, ranging from classical variations to comedic satire. “It’s not boring for a moment,” said company member Cassidy Wixom. “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 diversity, I feel like everyone can find something they like in it.” 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 student Chelsie 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.” Read more at dance.byu.edu

BYU Dance Professor Shayla Bott Shayla Bott, a professor in the Department of Dance and artistic director of BYU’s Theatre Ballet, was selected to present at the Women in Dance Leadership Conference, held this year in Philadelphia. Bott’s choreography, “Weaker,” was chosen from over 400 entries from 21 countries, a record number for the organization. Dancers from BYU’s Theatre Ballet performed the piece at Drexel University’s Mandell Theatre. The Women in Dance Leadership Conference promotes the work of female choreographers, researchers and artistic directors in a field where leadership positions are disproportionately held by men. The conference provides opportunities for female dance artists to perform and present, and fosters discussion on the empowerment of women in dance. “I think that in the field, men get a little more mentoring and resources than women, and that’s why they are where they are,” said Bott. “I’m glad to see a lot of organizations starting to put more resources behind women. But so often women don’t seek the resources, and they don’t invest the time into making good on those opportunities.” Read more at dance.byu.edu

Jamie Kalama Wood is honored to accept the new role and hopes the community knows how much the group has affected her life for good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EY75r0svNc With 50 students and more than 135 pieces of luggage, Living Legends arrived in Brazil ready to make a splash. The crowds were captivated by the choreography, stunning costumes, and unique cultural appeal. Audience members thanked the students for presenting the show completely in Portuguese. While in Brazil, the group visited the Associação Fernanda Bianchini, a one-of-a-kind ballet school whose student body comprises more than 300 blind dancers. Following a dance number, the blind students led the members of Living Legends in a group activity where each student was blindfolded and taught the process for learning how to dance while being visually impaired. In Foz do Iguaçu, the local stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints partnered with the mayor’s office to collaborate on a goodwill project in conjunction with the BYU performances. They offered one show ticket in exchange for a donation of a kilogram of nonperishable food, which would be given to local families in need. This food-ticket exchange took place at nine locations throughout the city. Additionally, the group was able to present and discuss the importance of higher education with more than 30 members of Brazil’s Congress and other important opinion leaders from the area. After meeting with the large congressional group, Living Legends members divided into smaller groups with local leaders to discuss how BYU fulfills the goal to be “spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, and character building, leading to lifelong learning and service” — the aims of a BYU education. Read the complete stories: “Making Waves in São Paulo,” “Making History and Giving Charity” and “Leading and Loving in the Amazon.”