The BYU Department of Dance presents the Ballet Showcase Friday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., in the Dance Studio Theatre of the Richards Building. The showcase features eleven BYU ballet dancers performing beautiful, engaging choreography by faculty and students in both classical and contemporary ballet. BYU’s touring company, Theatre Ballet, as the guest artists, will be presenting two ballets on the program also, one classical and one contemporary. 'The dancers face an extreme contrast in styles which is challenging their technique and artistry to the limit,” said Suzi Wood, artistic director. “They are definitely rising to that challenge, and by reaching inside themselves I think they are finding great personal growth emotionally, intellectually and spiritually as they have been using the talents they have been blessed with.' The showcase includes dance majors as well as a variety of other majors in the university and range from freshmen to seniors. There will be a wide range of styles from a couple of classical ballets from 1832 and 1845, and Petipa, through examples of the style of Balanchine neoclassicism to today's extreme contemporary ballet choreography. Performance Date: Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Dance Studio Theatre, Stephen L. Richards Building, BYU Price: $6 Tickets

BYU’s Group for New Music looks towards the Orient as they prepare to showcase contemporary music by composers from China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea on Tuesday, November 1, in the Madsen Recital Hall. The concert titled “New Music From Asia” involves more than 20 BYU students and faculty who are part of BYU's Group for New Music, and includes a world premiere score for erhu (a Chinese instrument) and piano. Dai Fujikura, who composed the featured piece of the evening, Flute Concerto, is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after composers in the world. 'You've never heard a flute do anything like what's in Fujikura’s piece. Its unique character and the presence of the composer will make this a very special concert,' said Professor Stephen Jones, director of the Group for New Music. Born in Japan and now residing in London, Fujikura has worked with conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Peter Eötvös, Gustavo Dudamel, and Kazuki Yamada. “What’s even more remarkable,” said Jones, “is that this difficult concerto, written for internationally acclaimed flutist and MacArthur Fellow Claire Chase, will be performed by undergraduate student Catherine Winters.” Winters remarked that the experience of learning Fujikura’s Flute Concerto has been challenging, but also very rewarding. “I’ve been collaborating with Chase and Fujikura through email and Skype, and they’ve been very supportive and encouraging,” said Winters. “I’m incredibly excited to bring this new work to BYU audiences.” Fujikura’s Concerto pushes the performer to her limits requiring her to use what are known as extended techniques. Commenting on the piece, Jones said, “Its virtuosity is simply stunning. Watching Catherine play it will keep you on the edge of your seat!” Fujikura has also received two BBC Proms commissions, and is a recipient of a commission from BYU’s Barlow Endowment for Music Composition. “The evening has something for everyone,” said Jones. “Adventurous listeners are going to love the diversity and engagement this music will bring them.” The Group for New Music concert is free to the public. PHOTO: Jin Ohashi (© Jin Ohashi) 写真：大橋　仁 Read more about the event >>>

This comic masterpiece untangles the double lives of two well-to-do society-gentlemen, both of whom have assumed the same alias in order to escape the doldrums of everyday life.

The BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts presents The Importance of Being Earnest, a classic comedy by Oscar Wilde, beginning Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and playing through Nov. 12. This comic masterpiece untangles the double lives of two well-to-do society-gentlemen, both of whom have assumed the same alias in order to escape the doldrums of everyday life. Mistaken identities, a mysterious friend named Bunbury and a misplaced handbag lead to unexpected turns in Oscar Wilde’s time-honored tour de force of cleverness and charm. 'People should come see the show because it's a great time,' said Stephen Moore, who plays the roles of Lane and Merriman. 'It's hilarious and has a talented cast and crew behind it ready to entertain.' TMA is pleased to present both The Importance of Being Earnest and Travesties simultaneously. Travesties, which begins Nov. 11, is heavily inspired by Earnest and though able to stand alone, the scripts for the two plays share a comparable relationship. 'There are many resonances between the two,' said Rodger Sorensen, director for The Importance of Being Earnest. 'Earnest came before and in many ways inspired Travesties. However, our production of Earnest is also being influenced by our production Travesties and vice-versa. Even though the initial inspiration was linear in time, the influence now goes both ways.' Audiences are encouraged to take the opportunity to also see Travesties beginning Nov. 11, and compare not only the two program notes, but also the productions. Dates and Times: Oct. 28–29, Nov. 2–5, 8–12, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, Nov. 5, 2:00 p.m. (additional Saturday matinee performances) Location: Pardoe Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $10-16 Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

The BYU School of Music presents La Bohème, an opera in four acts, on Oct. 15 and Oct. 18-22 at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center. Dress rehearsal performances take place Oct. 15 and 18, and main performances Oct. 19-22. La Bohème, directed by Dr. Lawrence Vincent, tells the story of a poet, painter, musician and philosopher–a circle of Bohemian friends strong enough to survive anything. One of the most beloved operas of all time will transport the audience back to Paris in the early 1800s, where they will share in romance, friendship and death. 'The music is exquisite, the story entertaining and moving,' said Vincent. 'Musically and vocally it is challenging but not beyond the abilities for talented singers at Brigham Young University.' The opera lyrics are sung in Italian with English supertitles. Music for the opera, composed by Giacomo Puccini, is provided by BYU Philharmonic with Kory Katseanes as the conductor. “An opportunity to hear and watch Puccini's La Bohème is one of those ‘bucket list’ items,” Katseanes said. “It's the world's most popular opera for all the right reasons. Full of overwhelming beauty and emotion, this is simply something not to be missed.' La Bohème is Vincent's last opera production after a 20-year history of directing the opera program at BYU. Dates: Oct 15, Oct 18-22 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $10 Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

The BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts and BYU Student Film Association present Final Cut, the student-produced, student-created film festival on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 13-14, in the Harris Fine Arts Center. Final Cut showcases a collection of the best student-made fiction films, documentaries, commercials, animations and more. The festival includes two programs labeled Program A and Program B, which feature different film selections. Both programs will be shown once each evening of the festival at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Separate tickets are required for admission to each program screening and are discounted for BYU students. Immediately following the final screening on Friday, Oct. 14, an awards ceremony will take place, with prizes for best entries in categories including fiction, non-fiction, commercials, animation and the audience favorite. Past Final Cut films can be viewed at studentfilms.byu.edu. Writer: Preston Williamson See more photos. >>>>>> Dates & Times: Program A: Oct 13, 7 p.m. & Oct 14, 9 p.m. Program B: Oct 13, 9 p.m. & Oct 14, 7 p.m. Location: Pardoe Theater, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $4-5 Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

Newspapers have shifted from strongly favoring Republican candidates in the 1950s to dividing their editorial endorsements almost equally In the 1948 U.S. presidential election, republican presidential candidate and Governor of New York Thomas E. Dewey was heavily favored and endorsed by more than 80 percent of America’s newspapers. Journalists at the Chicago Tribune were so sure of Dewey’s win that the newspaper printed its morning edition early with the now infamous headline “Dewey Defeats Truman.” What was predicted to be an easy win for Dewey is now considered to be the greatest election upset in American history as presidential incumbent Harry S. Truman swept the polls. It’s scenarios like the 1948 presidential election that have Journalism Professor Joel Campbell taking a closer look at the effectiveness of editorial endorsements of presidential candidates. “It’s difficult to say if there is any strong correlation between endorsements and how people vote,” Campbell said. “But more often than not, presidential candidates with the largest percentage of newspaper endorsements have won since 1940, the notable exceptions being Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.” According to Campbell’s research published in The 21st Century Voter: Who Votes, How they Vote, and Why They Vote, there was a substantial shift in how the news media endorsed candidates throughout the last 50 years: Newspapers have shifted from strongly favoring Republican candidates in the 1940s and 1950s to dividing their editorial endorsements almost equally between the two major parties. Democratic candidates are about 10 percent more likely to receive an endorsement than Republican candidates six decades earlier. Incumbents today receive an editorial endorsement about 90 percent of the time, up from 60 percent of the time in the 1940s. In the 2012 presidential election, 77 of the top 100 U.S. newspapers endorsed candidates: 41 papers endorsed President Barack Obama, 35 endorsed GOP candidate Mitt Romney and a single paper registered a split decision. Another 23 papers did not endorse any candidates, including the two largest newspapers, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Even though the candidate with the most endorsements has traditionally won the election, Campbell predicts that editorial endorsements won’t make any difference this fall. “In this year's election there is so much information available on so many platforms, any media endorsement is likely to be drowned out by the din of voices,” Campbell said. “In the era of social media, the endorsement of those within one's circle of friends is likely to carry much more weight than that of a news organization.” It’s not just the endorsement and election result relationship that interests Campbell, but also the ethical practice of news media favoring a candidate. As a professor, Campbell teaches his students that journalists are supposed to be objective observers, but the long-standing tradition of editorial endorsements often gets in the way. The Society of Professional Journalists Ethics Committee encourages editorial pages to promote thoughtful debate and let readers know through endorsements which candidates share the newspaper’s vision, while also taking every opportunity to explain the firewall between news and opinion. But in an era of social media and frequently blurred lines between news and opinion, Campbell urges his fellow journalists to be more careful. “Most people say ‘journalism ethics’ is an oxymoron,” Campbell said. “The distrust of the media and the feeling of bias in the media is greater than ever. Newspapers and news media endorsing candidates probably feeds into that.” The College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences and the Office of Civic Engagement Leadership are partnering with Turbovote to facilitate online voter registration. If you are not registered tovote, but are eligible, or if you wish to obtain an absentee ballot, please visit the booths in and around the Wilkinson Student Center during the week of September 26 to register to vote or to get an absentee ballot. September 26, 2016 | Natalie Tripp

Editorial endorsements of presidential candidates have been a long-standing tradition for many newspapers, but new research shows a substantial shift in how the endorsements have changed throughout the last 50 years.

The BYU Department of Dance will present this year’s BYU DANCE in Concert in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center from Sept. 15-17, at 7:30 p.m. There will be a matinee performance on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. The concert will feature performances from the BYU Ballroom Dance Company, Contemporary Dance Theatre, International Folk Dance Ensemble, Living Legends and Theatre Ballet groups, in a rare opportunity to see multiple dance ensembles in one sitting.

This gorgeous stained glass window is a new addition to the BYU Museum of Art permanent collection, now on display in the current exhibition To Magnify the Lord: Six Centuries of Art and Devotion. The 11-foot window was part of the Astoria Presbyterian church in Queens, New York. Six stained glass windows were part of that original construction in 1922, donated by members of the congregation honoring benefactors and members.

The Brigham Young University BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts Series presents an evening with The Branford Marsalis Quartet, in the Pardoe Theater on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. The Branford Marsalis Quartet will be joined by guest-vocalist Kurt Elling, also a Grammy award winner, who is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. In a singular collaboration of musical forces, the tight-knit band will feature Marsalis on saxophones, Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass and Justin Faulkner on drums.

The Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications 141st summer convocation commenced Aug. 12. Dean Ed Adams presided over this year’s program that featured five speakers from a variety of majors including public relations, public relations, studio arts, dance, graphic design, and media arts studies. If you missed the ceremony or would like to see it again, you can view it online.