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Bon Voyage from the Sofa: How BYU Dance is Bringing the Culture to Your Living Room

BYU’s International Folk Dance Ensemble shares the beauty of culture through virtual performance

Photo by Brittany Neal

Globetrotters from all parts of the world were forced to stay put last year with the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gaining new experiences through rich cultures is no longer just a bag check away. While some fear that 2021 will be more of the same, the International Folk Dance Ensemble is debunking that myth.

IFDE’s semester opener titled “Journey” provided just that — a tour of 10 different countries including India, Mexico, Indonesia, Ireland, China, Serbia, Hungary, Russia and even Texas-style ‘kickers’ to boot.

With a wide array of traditional dress and ethnic music, paired with phenomenal footwork, one thing was for certain: the culture on this trip was all-inclusive.

“‘Journey’ provided a unique opportunity for audience members to experience a variety of cultural dance and music representation together in one production,” said director Jeanette Geslison.

The event was broadcast via online livestream. Where normally the company would perform for about 650 people at the Covey Center for a live show, the stats from the live stream showed that this performance of “Journey” was able to reach over 4000 viewers across more than 30 countries.

“Any wanderer will tell you that there is something magical about discovering new places and old traditions,” read the show program.

Although traveling has changed, the ensemble still made you believe you were front-and-center in a thrilling place learning a new tradition. With performances like “Discowale” from India, or “A Lovely Madness” from Ireland, audiences were treated to a full international experience.

IFDE’s next performance will be March 5 at 5 p.m. on Dance Live! Tune in to be captivated all over again.