By Jennifer Andelin
Brigham Young University‘s Christmas Around the World: Beyond in Provo is an exciting and beautiful representation of holiday sentiments. Christmas is a time when others think more of giving than receiving and are more inclined to be kind to others, looking past differences.
Founded by Mary Bee Jensen, the International Folk Dance program is one that allows students to move beyond their spheres toward understanding, appreciating, and serving others worldwide through dance. Jeanette Geslison, Artistic Director, tells us in the production’s program, “I believe the students learn first-hand that there is a distinct power in using the body to dance, to move, and to connect with others.” You could feel that in their performance. Watching these incredible dancers repeatedly deliver complex, coordinated dances from different countries, I couldn’t help but feel connected to and appreciative of the cultures that they were representing.
Before the performance, there are activities in the concourses of the Marriott Center to showcase different countries: some are represented in the show and others not. A table where children learned origami introduced them to Japan. A couple of dancers teach Tinikling from the Philippines while Mexico is represented by a Mariachi band. The various stations are a great and clever way to create even more excitement for the show. They also help connect the performers with the audience and allow them to share their love for the world in a more intimate setting.
This sharing of cultural knowledge and experience continues during the performance. Teresa Love, Script Writer, includes wonderful quotes from the performers about their experiences touring internationally and how they’ve broadened their worldview. These quotes are presented as voiceovers in-between dance numbers. There are also quotes from leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared about the brother and sisterhood of the human race. These vignettes and quotes help tie the broader message of the program to the dances: look beyond the night’s performance to what the world has to offer and can teach us.
There are five groups that perform: International Folk Dance Ensemble (IFDE), Tier II Ensemble, 10:00 Ensemble, 9:00 Ensemble, and 8:00 Ensemble. The IFDE performs the majority of the dances while the Tier II Ensemble performs three and the other ensembles one each. All the dancers are energetic and expressive. I loved not only watching the dance moves, but also the faces of each of the dancers. You can tell that they were fully enjoying themselves and often changing how they expressed that depending on the cultural norms for whichever dance they were performing. Because cultural dances are often in celebration of an event, the dancers acted as they performed. I enjoyed their exchanges with each other as they played the part of what the dance was supposed to represent: courtship, love triangle, marriage, harvest, etc. The program gives little synopses for each dance to help with context. Reading each one before the dances helped to understand the story that was being told.
The first country showcased is India. Three different types of Indian dance are performed. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the different types one right after the other as if were a glimpse into a mini dance history course. I am not surprised that India is frequently featured in Christmas Around the World as its dances are upbeat and colorful. My other favorite dances and that are featured each year are Ireland’s Riverdance and Ukraine’s Hopak. The physical strength, speed, and precision to execute these dances wows the audience every time. I enjoyed Columbia’s Cumbia as well as USA’s Go Big clogging number. They both had a contagious and optimistic energy as well as some fun, physical feats.
Mark Geslison, Music Director, offers a nice balance between live and recorded music to accompany the dances. I enjoyed hearing traditional music from each of the countries. The live music performed by BYU Mountain Strings added to the rich experience. The group has two solo numbers of which I enjoyed their performance of Tran-Siberian Orchestra’s arrangement of “Carol of the Bells”. It is a definite crowd pleaser.
Benjamin Sanders, Production Manager/Scenic Designer, and Mark Ohran, Technical Director, create a simple but stunning stage as well as effects that do not distract from the performances but set the mood and add a little holiday magic. Costumer Amy Handy along with Dennis Wright (Costume Design Go Big) make sure that the costumes represent colorfully the cultures, adding to the wonder and beauty of each performance.
The evening ends with the full cast of dancers and leaves the audience covered in snow. The show reminds us that our differences are beautiful, fun, and connect us ultimately as we learn from and serve each other. While its run is short, Christmas Around the World is a family and community tradition that has been going for almost 50 years. Make plans to see it in the future as it clearly communicates the spirit of Christmas.
Brigham Young University presents Christmas Around the World: Beyond
Marriott Center, 701 E University Pkwy, Provo, UT 84604
Nov 30-Dec 1, 2018 7:30 PM, Sat matinee 2:00 PM
Tickets: $9-22
BYU International Folk Dance Facebook event
BYU International Folk Dance Instagram
BYU International Folk Dance YouTube
BYU Mountain Strings Facebook page
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