The BYU Ballroom Dance Company Tour in Southeast Asia Builds Bridges Across Cultures and Brings Joy to Hundreds, Even the King of Thailand Himself
“There we stood — just some regular, American university students — watching their king leave our performance. It’s a moment I will never forget,” Zara Brunson said.
This spring, the BYU Ballroom Dance Company traveled to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Student dancers immersed themselves in Asian culture with a total of nine concerts, six workshops and three service projects during the two-week tour.
For communications student and ballroom dancer, Zara Brunson, dancing for international dignitaries including King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida of Thailand was the “opportunity of a lifetime.”
Another BYU dancer, Darby Jo Hart, added, “Developing my dancing for years, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to dance for the king of Thailand.”
On April 30, the BYU Ballroom Dance Company joined two traditional Thai performing groups in honoring the King of Thailand’s 72nd year of reign at the “East Meets West: Celebrating His Majesty the King’s Jubilee.” Before performing at the Jubilee, BYU dancers were trained on proper demonstration of respect for the King — they learned how to bow and sing the royal anthem “The King’s Song.”
When the King arrived at the Jubilee, “it seemed as if everyone in attendance stood still and held their breath,” Brunson said. “As I caught glimpses of him between people, I saw that his face was stoic and serious, making it difficult to tell what he was thinking or feeling.”
The Jubilee began with performances from Thai dancers from the Rajini and Rajinibon schools in Bangkok, Thailand. For BYU dancers, it was inspiring to observe the similarities and differences with Thai dance styles. “Even though we didn’t speak the same language, we communicated through our performances,” Brunson said. “We cheered each other on as we performed, and we congratulated one another with big smiles and heartfelt gestures backstage.”
Ballroom dancer Caroline Money added, “It brings meaning and purpose to our performances when we are not only here to entertain but also build bridges between diverse communities.”
Just before BYU dancers went on stage, the group gathered for a prayer and powerful message. Ling Goh, a representative from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Asia Area, invited the dancers to reflect on the story of the conversion of King Lamoni from “The Book of Mormon.” Goh encouraged the dancers to perform from their hearts because hearts can be softened as bridges are built through sharing the light of Christ.
Brunson was eager to perform, “The feeling of excitement backstage was palpable. When the lights came on, all I remember feeling was happiness and joy.” Over 600 attendees watched as the ballroom dancers lit up the stage with their impressive routines and beaming spirits.
Following the spectacular performance, the audience joined dancers to stand and face the king and queen in their thrones. “Even though they sat so far away, I looked around the room trying to mentally capture the feeling of connection that coursed through the room as we all rejoiced together,” Brunson said.
As the King came around to greet the ballroom dancers, he surprised everyone in the audience — his eyes lit up and he smiled from ear to ear! A royal smile is a rare occurrence; the Thai locals said they were baffled to see the King so expressive. Audience members were in tears at the sight. “I’ll never forget the way I felt while performing that night — or the look of pure joy on the king’s face as he left our performance,” Brunson said.
Hearts can soften, even the heart of a king. Brunson said, “Although we may never truly know the significance that our performance had on the King or the people in the audience that night, the look on the King’s face said more than what any words could say.”
To learn more about the BYU Ballroom Dance Company tour to Asia, view this video published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.