BYU Ballroom Dancers Perform an American Viennese Waltz at the Blackpool Dance Festival Smooth Gala in England
Elegance and excellence define the artistry of the BYU Ballroom Dance Company. With grace, poise and professionalism, eight BYU ballroom dancers traveled to England this spring to represent the American Smooth style in a performance at the Blackpool Dance Festival, the world’s first and foremost festival of ballroom dance. For almost a century, dancers from across the globe have gathered to compete and perform international ballroom and Latin American styles.
These BYU dancer’s presentation on May 23 brought BYU into the spotlight, inspiring international viewers with their impressive technical and artistic standards. The four dance couples presented an original American style Viennese Waltz choreographed by BYU students and professor Brent Keck. The performance took place in the magnificent Spanish Hall at Winter Gardens for an audience of international dignitaries and renowned ballroom professionals.
Smooth is a ballroom style that is almost exclusively American. In the smooth style, couples dance the Slow Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz with the freedom to break the traditional frame, allowing for dynamic movement. The Blackpool Dance Festival is aiming to make American Smooth more internationally accessible and acceptable. Thus, it was a significant honor for BYU dancers to perform and represent the remarkable growth of the American Smooth style.
Professor Keck invited his students to help choreograph a Viennese Waltz to “Fall on Me” by Andrea Bocelli. Student dancers Ashlyn Burnside, Tanner Cole, Wyatt Jennings, Serena Keck, Katelyn Lawson, Ava Mecham, Maklain Shepherd and Garrett Shippen expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn from Keck and work together to create a powerful routine.
“Each of us had input as to what steps or movements would make sense in the routine, and we collaborated in making everything flow smoothly,” Shippen said. “The solemn song called for a routine that would be thought-provoking and powerful. It was a journey for us dancers to discover how to match choreography with the tone of the music.”
It was important for the dancers to determine the overall goal for the piece. The group asked each other questions such as, “How can we take moments of pause as a single couple to give impact later when we all dance together?” Mecham said that “by listening to each other’s ideas and relying on each other’s strengths, we choreographed a routine with purpose.”
Not only did the dancers grow as choreographers through this experience, but they also grew as disciples of Christ. Each rehearsal started with a prayer to invite the Spirit to aid the work of the dancers. Dancers took Psalm 149:3 to heart by “[praising] His name in the dance.” “[We] danced to let the Spirit in and to give the audience a chance to feel the love that our Savior has for us,” Shippen said. “I came closer to Christ as I worked through ups and downs with this small group. We had to use our faith in each other that we would each choose to perform when the moment came.”
Burnside also shared that her testimony of the gospel grows stronger every time she performs. “Sharing that testimony through dance — especially with such an amazing group of dancers from around the world — was a deeply meaningful experience because it helped me realize that the gospel transcends language and culture,” Burnside said. “I came to understand that even dance can carry light, truth and love.”
The impact of the performance on dancers and viewers lasted beyond the three-and-a-half minute routine. “My favorite part of performing at Blackpool is how many people we were able to touch through our dancing,” Mecham said. “It is so impactful to feel the love and passion for Smooth in the dancing community.”
Their performance celebrated the emerging excellence from BYU amateur ballroom dance on an international stage.
