Bronte Hopkins, Class of 2020, BA in Dance Education ~ In Her Own Words:
It was such a wonderful experience working with Jesse Obremski, as he is a talented choreographer and such a generous human being. It felt like a journey. “It’s all about the humanity,” is what Jesse would often remind us throughout the entire process working with him. This was a defining period of time for us, as a company, to come together to show our love and resilience—to really become a community. I think that is what BYU DANCE has meant to me. Even and especially when our show week came in February and one of our dancers was injured, this piece was a through-line for the show that pulled us even closer. We stepped up and showed ourselves the importance of caring for one another—which only augmented and crystallized this dance for me. “To see and be seen by others” is how I would describe what Vanish means to me. Those moments in our lives when we all feel so small and insignificant, but are reminded moment by moment that we matter and our worth is much greater than we can understand. My experience at BYU has been a longer journey than most students, but it has also afforded me such life-changing opportunities. What’s interesting about the dance form is that while visual artists work in oil, acrylic, watercolor and ink, our medium is people. People matter most and it is the art that exposes their spirits and connects us to our Father in Heaven. I have so much reverence for the sacred space and time I have shared here at BYU. I LOVE these people. They have changed my life. I am full of gratitude for an ever-expanding family that I’ve come to know through dance. I will carry them with me as I move into the future.
~ Bronte Hopkins
Bronte begins a new job in August 2020 as the dance teacher at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah. She is excited to share her knowledge and love of dance with her new students!