Taking the world by storm, the Ballroom Dance Company, Young Ambassadors and BYU Singers kicked off their respective tours this week. Read on for updates on their progress:
Ballroom Dance Company - China
BYU Ballroom Dance Company departed Monday for a three-week tour to China. After checking in 120 pieces of personal bags and equipment in the Salt Lake City airport, the 49 member group boarded Delta for their first flight to Seattle and then connection to Beijing.
The tour will include 12 major concerts in 6 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Dezhou, Jinan, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.
The company will host a master class with the Beijing Dance Academy while in Beijing; both dance groups will share the stage in an evening concert at the Beijing Dance Academy.
This will be the 27th tour by a BYU group to China since the first ensemble visited in 1979. That first visit took place right after diplomatic recognition between the two countries.
Edward Blaser, tour manager for Ballroom Dance Company and organizer of the first BYU performance tour to China in 1979 said, 'We have had a wonderful relationship with our Chinese presenters for 35 years now. Each tour has brought new opportunities and friendships. We are grateful for the wonderful Chinese presenters we have worked with over the years.'
Young Ambassadors - Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
As the Young Ambassadors left Monday morning, they were looking forward to their first show in Thailand. The concert will benefit the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health. The group will travel to several cities in Southeast Asia during their three week tour, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Khon Kaen, Thailand, which marks their first return to the country since 1999, and their fourth trip to Thailand overall.
Crossing the border into Cambodia, the Young Ambassadors will sing and dance in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, after which they will travel to the Vietnamese cities of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi where they last performed in 1996.
Randy Boothe, director of the Young Ambassadors, is excited to return to both Vietnam and Thailand and introduce the group to audiences in Thailand. 'We look forward to making new friends as we share our unique brand of family entertainment through the best of America's music and dance,' Booth said.
This year the Young Ambassadors will present their newest show Heartsongs: Melodies of Love, a 90-minute performance full of bright costumes, creative choreography, and favorite Broadway and radio tunes.
BYU Singers - Idaho, Oregon, Washington
The BYU Singers left campus Monday morning in a chartered bus, embarking on a 14-day tour of the Pacific Northwest. Headed for 10 concerts in 3 states, the talented 42-member group will also be involved in 9 choral clinics with high school, university, and community choir groups in the cities visited. Making the tour possible are several past BYU sponsoring groups, such as the Auburn Performing Arts Center, Seattle Alumni Chapter, and two Richland Washington LDS Stakes. New this year is the added support of a number of BYU Singers alumni, working with their respective connections, such as the Portland Ensign Choir and Orchestra, Caldwell (Idaho) Fine Arts, and the South Salem High School. A special joint concert will take place with Pacific Lutheran University's Choir of the West in Tacoma, WA. With an estimated 2,800 miles ahead of them, the group departed in high spirits and excited anticipation of the tour ahead
Information courtesy of pam.byu.edu