After Competing at the 100th Blackpool Dance Festival, Ballroom Dancer Ava Mecham Traveled to India, Where a New Culture and Meaningful Connections Changed the Way She Sees the Art of Dance.
For BYU student Ava Mecham, this summer brought two very different experiences: competing at one of the most prestigious ballroom competitions in the world and dancing for children and families in India.
Mecham, from Bonney Lake, Washington, is studying exercise science at BYU with minors in gerontology and ballroom dance. In addition to her studies, Mecham has been a member of the BYU Ballroom Dance Touring Company for almost three years. This summer, she traveled with the team to England and India, where she competed at the Blackpool Dance Festival, performed in London and participated in outreach activities throughout India.
The first stop on their trip was the Blackpool Dance Festival, which this year marked the 100th year of the illustrious competition. This year, the BYU Ballroom Dance Touring Company had the opportunity to compete at its centennial festival and brought home first-place in Ballroom Formation and Latin Formation.
“It was a surreal experience to dance in a ballroom I have grown up hearing about,” Mecham said. “It is the most prestigious ballroom competition in the world, so the pressure was on to bring an excellent product to the floor.”
The team had spent months preparing for the competition, adding extra rehearsals and dedicating significant time to choreographing and cleaning their routines. Even after arriving in Blackpool, the work continued with early morning and evening rehearsals.
“I was exhausted from already competing and sleep deprived along with the rest of my team,” Mecham said. “In this moment of tiredness, it was so tempting to just give into the stress and exhaustion and give up, but as a team we were able to support and sustain each other to make it a little longer.”
When Mecham finally stepped onto the floor, she felt the months of work come together.
“After countless hours and months of choreographing and cleaning our routines, it felt like it all paid off when I stepped on the floor and did what I had practiced with the team I love so much,” Mecham said.
After the competition, the team traveled to India, where Mecham quickly found herself appreciating the opportunity to meet people and experience a different way of life. The team learned from traditional Indian dancers, Bollywood dancers and local craftsmen and participated in outreach activities with communities throughout the country.
“The outreaches we were privileged to do left me with a deep love for the people of India,” Mecham said. “They are so warm and welcoming and were ready to share their love with us.”
One of the experiences that stood out most to Mecham happened on the final day of the tour, when the team performed for an elementary and middle school in Bengaluru. Instead of performing on a stage or dance floor, the dancers performed in a large dirt courtyard surrounded by about 1,200 excited children.
“When I walked out in the 100-degree heat and high humidity with the kids cheering, I knew this was going to be a special experience,” Mecham said.
The team taught groups of children how to dance and spent time learning their names and getting to know them.
“Even though we were not speaking the same language and did not come from the same place, we were able to share our joy with each other,” Mecham said.
As Mecham danced for the children, she thought about how different the experience was from Blackpool just two weeks earlier.
“We had gone from dancing in the top ballroom competition in the world, in the Empress Ballroom, in front of the most prestigious judges, to dancing in the dirt for school kids almost exactly two weeks later, and I could not have been happier,” she said.
For Mecham, the contrast helped her see ballroom dance in a new way. She realized that performing was not only about creating beautiful choreography or competing well, but also about connecting with people.
“After dancing abroad, my art has become more than just what I can create and how well I can dance,” she said. “It has shifted to being about how I can touch people and share my love and appreciation for them.”
Another experience in India deepened that understanding for Mecham. The team visited a home for women with physical and mental challenges, where they were asked to bring joy and light to the women living there. Some of the women could not speak or see well, and the team initially struggled to know how to communicate with them until music began playing.
“Heads started to turn towards the music, bodies started to move and smiles spread across the room,” Mecham said. “We did what we could not help but do — we danced with them.”
The dancers moved alongside the women in whatever ways they could — sitting beside those who could not walk, holding hands with some and simply sharing smiles with others.
For Mecham, the experience showed her that connection can happen even when people do not speak the same language.
“My experience in India helped me understand that even when it seems like we have a slim chance of connecting with someone, in reality, the simplest action or words can change both of your lives so just go for it,” Mecham said.
Mecham hopes the people she met throughout the summer felt the love she and her teammates tried to share through their dancing.
“I hope we were able to bring some joy to the people we met on this trip,” she said. “I hope to have shared the love and light of Christ through our dancing and interactions even though we did not speak the same language.”
After returning home, Mecham said she will carry the people and experiences from India with her because what began as a summer of competition and performance became an experience that changed the way she views her art.
“Sometimes the greatest moments in your life are not when you are out there winning titles,” Mecham said. “Sometimes it is when you can connect authentically with other people in the world.”
