Dancers from the International Folk Dance Ensemble worked with artists from across the world to bring a diverse performance to BYU
Christmas Around the World is almost synonymous with the Christmas season in Utah Valley. The International Folk Dance Ensemble (IFDE)’s annual concert has been bringing people together across distances and generations for 60 years. This year’s theme — “A Light in the Window” — celebrates the courage and hope of migrants as they travel and adapt. Featuring the talents of over 175 dancers and musicians, Christmas Around the World is a celebration of unity, diversity and Christmas joy. This year’s performance includes dances from all over the globe, including Ukraine, Wales, Indonesia, Haiti, Germany and Scotland. The world dance program highly values accuracy and authenticity, and brings in international choreographers whenever possible. Recently, artists from India, Mexico, China, Canada and more have visited campus — teaching, choreographing and coaching dancers on genre-specific styling. “Almost all of our dances are not choreographed by the teachers or directors, but by specialists or people from that country,” said IFDE member Ashley Jex. Go to dance.byu.edu for a sneak peek at some of the guest artists featured in this year’s concert. Tickets and Show Details Performance Dates and Times: Dec. 6-7 | 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 | 2:00 p.m. Location: Marriott Center Price: $9-22 Tickets: Available in person at the BYU HFAC or Marriott Center Ticket Office, by phone at (801) 422-2981 or online at byuarts.com