dance ensembles

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Brigham Young University’s Theatre Ballet premieres Alice in Wonderland, an original, full-length ballet that brings Lewis Carroll’s beloved fantasy novel to life with Tchaikovsky’s enduring music in the de Jong Concert Hall on Jan. 28-30, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, with discounts available for alumni, students, employees, senior citizens and groups. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com. This premiere of the ballet takes audience members on an exciting journey through Wonderland. A visual feast, the production features beautiful new sets, stunning costumes, expressive makeup and playful choreography designed and created by students as mentored by faculty and staff Priscilla Hao, Michael Handley, Shani Robison, Benjamin Sanders and Rory Scanlon. When Robison, Theatre Ballet’s artistic director, began preparation three years ago, she felt it necessary that the ballet be a collaborative experience for students as to involve them on a deeper, creative level. “We felt that a shift in the production paradigm, wherein the students were actually the designers, choreographers and creators could offer a real-life experience to catapult them from their BYU experience into the real world,” Robison said. “I felt that Alice in Wonderland would be a unique and perfect opportunity for this experiment as it offers so many interesting characters, places and an endless palate of creative possibilities.” To this end, Theatre Ballet received substantial grants from the Laycock Center for Student Collaboration and the Mary Lou Fulton Endowment, and partnered with guest performers from the Ballet Showcase Company, BYU Children Creative Dance Program and dancers from around campus who auditioned specifically for this production. In addition, student choreographers, make-up designers, set designers, prop designers, costume designers, lighting designers, graphic and illustrative designers, a sound designer and a stage manager went to work with mentors to engage in a creative process unlike what they have ever done before. “This is the first time anything like this has been done at BYU on this scale,” said Robison said. “It’s not just Theatre Ballet, it’s a campus-wide production.” Prior to the performances, the annual tradition of the annual Prince and Princess Party continues as princes and princesses of all ages can dress in their royal best and meet Alice, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Queen of Hearts. Tickets and Show Details Performance Dates and Times: Jan. 28-30 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee on Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. Location: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $15 (discounts for senior citizens, BYU students, groups and alumni) 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 PHOTO: Riley Duck as Alice. Photo by Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo, All Rights Reserved.

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Contemporary Dance Theatre students spent a rewarding exchange with the Young Single Adults of the Prague and Brno LDS branches. Dances were performed by CDT and then taught to the Czech members. The group is excited for the festivities of The New Prague Dance Festival this week. Landing in the Czech Republic on Friday morning was an exciting moment for members of Contemporary Dance Theatre (CDT). It meant after all the practice and preparation, they had arrived in Europe at last! The group is eager to share their dancing and expertise. After a quick check-in to their Prague hotel and lunch, the group set out on a trip into the countryside. In a little town, Dobrichovice, surrounded by cherry trees and wheat fields, the group spent 90 minutes with a group of orphan children at Flight’s Children’s Home. Together they toured the facility, exchanged English and Czech sayings, and practiced cartwheels and handstands. Afterwards, the BYU dancers performed several dances for the children including American dance styles, Lindy Hop and tap dancing. Then the children joined the CDT dancers in learning a simple yet fun-filled line dance. Many hugs and well wishes were shared during the reluctant goodbyes. Many hugs and well wishes were shared during the reluctant goodbyes. Next the group traveled to and toured the Karlstejn Castle, one of the homes of the 14th Century Bohemian King and Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV. The history lesson continued the next day as the group traveled to UNESCO sites in Kutna Hora to better understand medieval history. The Gothic cathedrals and bone church, Kostnice, reminded the students of the long and storied past of dedicated believers. Saturday evening, Contemporary Dance Theatre students spent a rewarding exchange with the Young Single Adults of the Prague and Brno LDS branches. Dances were performed by CDT and then taught to the Czech members. New friendships were begun that would be furthered the following morning as CDT joined the members of the Prague Branch in their Sunday services. The Branch extended themselves showing love and generosity towards the BYU performers by providing them a meal and attending their devotional that evening. The Mission President, James McConkie, conducted the devotional presented by the CDT dancers, which was well received. More reluctant goodbyes were had as the students left. President McConkie expressed gratitude and thanked the group for coming to visit the members in Prague. The group is excited for the festivities of The New Prague Dance Festival to commence on Monday. They look forward to sharing their talents and friendship with the other festival participants this coming week. Source: Performing Arts Management

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Tickets for all events are available at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, byuarts.com/tickets. 6-8 — BYU’s Young Ambassadors will present “Heartsongs: The Melodies of Love” at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. These young performers combine contemporary music and dance for a fast-paced showcase of American musical theatre. 7-22 — “A Man for All Seasons” will be performed in the Margetts Theatre. Directed by David Morgan, the play demonstrates how conscience and corruption collide in the powerful historical portrait of Sir Thomas More – counselor to King Henry VIII and Lord Chancellor of England. More resists entreaties to condone the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, marriage to Anne Boleyn and separation from the Catholic Church in Rome. Though he is ultimately condemned for his silence, his unwavering dedication to principle makes him a true “man for all seasons.” 8 — The Primrose Memorial Concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 11 — The BYU Philharmonic (Evening Concertos) will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 12 — The Folk Music Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. 12-15 — BYU will host the largest amateur DanceSport event in the country during the U.S. National DanceSport Championships at 7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Center. Ticket options include main floor “ringside” tables, public arena chair seating and student seating. The competition will feature dancers from across the country in more than 30 different divisions. National amateur titles will be awarded in Latin, standard, smooth, rhythm, cabaret and formation in all age categories. The DanceSport Championships are sponsored by BYU’s Ballroom Dance Program. Tickets will be available online at the Marriott Center Ticket Office at byutickets.com. 13 — The “Group for New Music” will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 19 — The Diavolo Dance Theater will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Internationally renowned for the unique way in which it reinvents dance, reimagines theatre and redefines thrills, Diavolo Dance Theater takes movement, athletics and daring to the extreme, creating abstract narratives about the human experience through surreal tableaux. The company has an extensive performance history in its home city of Los Angeles, as well as throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. In more than 14 seasons of touring, Diavolo has performed for hundreds of thousands of concertgoers worldwide, as well as millions more on television. For its BYU debut, the company will present two of its most celebrated and exciting pieces, “Transit Space” and “Trajectoire.” 21-22 — 2014’s dancEnsemble will feature contemporary dance works by students at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. 21-22 — The BYU Men’s Chorus will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 21-April 4 — Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” will be on stage at the Pardoe Theatre. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of this favorite story of love, manners and social status in 19th-century England, BYU Theatre presents a newly commissioned stage adaptation of Austen’s seminal work. Laugh, cry and delight with the quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters as they search for love. After all, “a lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” The play is adapted for the stage by Melissa Leilani Larson and directed by Barta Heiner. 25 — The Jazz Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. This group is BYU’s Synthesis-in-training band, and they perform locally and regionally. They provide a tremendous training situation for up-and-coming jazz musicians. 25 — A Flute Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free and is open to the public. 26 — A Trombone Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 26 — A Saxophone Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free and is open to the public. 27 — The Jazz Combo Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 28 — A Woodwind Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free and is open to the public. 28 — The BYU Singers and the BYU Concert Choir will perform together at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 28-29 — Students from the Department of Dance will present their final projects at the Senior Dance Projects Showcase, Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. 29 — BYU’s non-auditioned choir, the University Chorale, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. All month at the Museum of Art: “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz” through May 10, 2014. “e.g. Sarah O’Donnell: The Light is the Source of the Land” from March, 28 through Aug. 9, 2014. “Simpler, Brighter, Stronger: Southwestern Art and Early Modernism, 1910-1960” through July 26, 2014. “e.g. Monika Bravo: Landscape of Belief” through March 15, 2014. “Shaping America: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection of American Art.” through March 2018. “Timothy O’Sullivan: The King Survey Photographs”through May 26, 2014. “Edward Burtynsky: The Industrial Sublime” through June 14, 2014. “michael whiting: 8-bit modern” through April 26, 2014. Admission is free to all exhibitions. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday. For more information, visit moa.byu.edu. Source: BYU News

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The Diavolo Dance Theatre, internationally renowned for the unique way in which it reinvents dance, reimagines theatre and redefines thrills, visits Brigham Young University with “Transit Space” and “Trajectoire,” Wednesday, March 19, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets start at $20 ($10 off with BYU or student ID and $3 off for senior citizens or BYU alumni) and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, or at byuarts.com/tickets. The Diavolo Dance Theatre is part of BYU’s BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts Series, and takes movement, athletics and daring to the extreme, creating abstract narratives about the human experience through surreal tableaux. The company has an extensive performance history in its home city of Los Angeles, as well as throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. In more than 14 seasons of touring, Diavolo has performed for hundreds of thousands of concertgoers worldwide, as well as millions more on television. “Architecture in motion—a unique and fascinating approach to making dance—is the perfect way to describe this unique and fascinating dance company,” said BYU professor Jeffrey Martin, presenter of The Diavolo Dance Theatre. “However, even calling Diavolo a dance company imposes unwanted limits and restrictions upon its work; as you will soon experience, it seems to reach beyond that somehow.” The cast crew consists of Jacques Heim as artistic director, Jennifer Cheng as executive director and Dusty Alvarado, Ana Brotons, Leandro Damasco Jr., Alicia Garrity, Brandon Grimm, Shauna Martinez, Ezra Masse-Mahar, Chelsea Pierce, Rick Santizo, Amy Tuley and Garrett Wolf as performers. Founded in 1992 by Jacques Heim, choreographer of Cirque du Soleil’s KA, Diavolo has developed a reputation for stunning, innovative movement on oversized surrealistic sets and everyday structures. Diavolo performs a distinct style of Architecture in Motion that uses abstract and recognized structures to explore the relationship between the danger of our environment and the fragility of the human body. The dance theatre is a fusion of many different movement vocabularies such as everyday movement, ballet, contemporary, acrobatics, gymnastics, martial arts and hip-hop. For more information contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

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Tickets for all events are available through the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, byuarts.com/tickets. 4 — The BYU Singers, Concert Choir, Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus will perform at the Winter Choirfest at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 6-8 — China’s Golden Dragon Acrobats will visit BYU with “Cirque ZÁva,” a technically innovative show featuring a large athletic cast and spectacular scenic and lighting elements, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. There will also be a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. With superb artistic merit, high production values and a solid commitment to cultural exchange, “Cirque ZÁva” demonstrates why the Golden Dragon Acrobats have been recognized as the preeminent Chinese acrobatic company touring the United States. Filled with contemporary music, impressive acrobatics, theatrical enhancements and Chinese traditional dance, “Cirque ZÁva” promises to thrill the young and the young at heart. 8 — BYU faculty pianist Jeffrey Shumway will perform with guest artist Del Parkinson from Boise State University as the American Piano Duoat 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 11 —The Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Voices will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Jazz Ensemble is BYU’s Synthesis-in-training band. They provide a tremendous training situation for up-and-coming jazz musicians, performing locally and regionally. 13 — Pianist Marc-André Hamelin will join the BYU Philharmonic, the BYU School of Music’s flagship orchestra, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. This will be a special concert performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 to inaugurate the school’s new Fazioli grand piano. Hamelin’s unique blend of musicianship and virtuosity brings forth interpretations remarkable for their freedom, originality and prodigious mastery of the piano’s resources. 13-15 — Dance in Concert featuring BYU’s Contemporary Dance Theatre will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. 14 — The BYU Wind Symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. The finest woodwind, brass and percussion players at BYU play in the Wind Symphony and have received national recognition for their performances. 14 — The Invitational Songwriter Showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 15 — The BYU Singers, under the direction of Ronald Staheli, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 19-22 — Selections from favorite operas will be presented by vocal performance students from the BYU School of Music at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. 21-22 — Polynesian, Latin American and Native American music and dance will come alive in the Living Legends performance at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 21-22 — BYU’s nationally recognized musical theatre program will present Broadway Revue (previously known as the Music/Dance/Theatre Showcase) at 7:30 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre. Admission is free and is open to the public. A matinee performance on Saturday at 2 p.m. will require a ticket. 25 — The BYU Symphonic Band will perform under the direction of Kirt Saville at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 28 — John Lithgow, world-renowned actor, will present “Stories by Heart,” featuring works by P.G. Wodehouse and Ring Lardner, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Following his triumphant appearances at New York’s Lincoln Center and London’s National Theatre, the Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor offers a touching and humorous reflection on storytelling as the tie that binds humanity. Invoking memories of his grandmother and father before him, Lithgow traces his roots as an actor and storyteller, interspersing his own story with two tales that were read aloud to him and his siblings when they were children — 'Uncle Fred Flits By' by P.G. Wodehouse and 'Haircut' by Ring Lardner. 28-March 1 - Faculty Dance Works will feature BYU’s talented faculty at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. All month at the Museum of Art: “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz” through May 10, 2014. “Simpler, Brighter, Stronger: Southwestern Art and Early Modernism, 1910-1960” through July 26, 2014. “e.g. Monika Bravo: Landscape of Belief” through March 15, 2014. “Shaping America: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection of American Art.” through March 2018. “Timothy O’Sullivan: The King Survey Photographs”through May 26, 2014. “Edward Burtynsky: The Industrial Sublime” through June 14, 2014. “michael whiting: 8-bit modern” through April 26, 2014. Admission is free to all exhibitions. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday. For more information, visit moa.byu.edu. Source: BYU News

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Tickets for all events are available at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, byuarts.com/tickets. 9 — The Utah Symphony returns to BYU with a program of classical masterworks featuring guest conductor Matthias Pintscher and pianist Inon Barnatan at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. The symphony will play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8, and Matthias Pintscher’s “Towards Osiris.” 11 — The annual Utah Crosstalk contemporary music concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 16 — The Mexico City Woodwind Quintet will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 18 — Vocal Point, BYU’s premier nine-man a cappella ensemble, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 21-25 — The Young Artists of Voice competition, featuring top student talent from BYU’s School of Music, will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. Visit byuarts.com for information on individual evening programs. 23 — “Timothy O’Sullivan: The King Survey Photographs” will run through May 26 at the Museum of Art. Although details of his life are scarce, the photographic legacy of Timothy H. O’Sullivan is far-reaching, and his images are regarded as some of the most compelling photographs taken in the 19th century. This exhibition showcases images captured by O’Sullivan for the King Survey, a government-sponsored expedition to gather practical and scientific information from the vast territory between the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean. His images of mining operations, barren landscapes, unusual geological formations and meditations on his own presence in the West represent a powerful, raw vision of this little-known territory. Visit moa.byu.edu for details and exhibit hours. 23-25 — Iran’s Leev Theater Group will present “Hamlet, Prince of Grief” at 9 p.m. in the Margetts Theatre. There will also be a Saturday matinee at 4 p.m. Household objects and children’s toys are used to play out a domestic and political history of betrayal and death as Shakespeare’s tragic hero comes to terms with his violent fate through an obsessive retelling of the moments preceding the tragedy. “Hamlet, Prince of Grief” was first presented in Iran by Leev Theater Group, featuring acclaimed Iranian actor Afshin Hashemi. It was chosen as Iran’s Best Theater Group by the Critics and Writers Association of Iran’s Theater House and was named Tehran’s Best Theater Group by the Dramatic Arts Center. 23-25 — The Theatre Ad Infinitum will perform “Translunar Paradise” at 7:20 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre. There will also be a Saturday matinee at 1 p.m. “Translunar Paradise” takes audiences on a journey of life, death and enduring love. After his wife, Rose, passes away, William escapes to a paradise of fantasy and memories, a place far from the reality of his grief. Returning from beyond the grave, Rose revisits her widowed companion to perform one last act of love: helps him let go. With live accordion accompaniment, this exquisite piece of mask and movement theatre was a multi-award winning, critically acclaimed sellout at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011. Theatre Ad Infinitum is an award-winning international ensemble based in London, developing new and original theatre for a multi-cultural audience. 23-25 — Australia’s Perth Theatre Company will present “Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer” at 6 p.m. in the Nelke Theatre. There will also be a Saturday matinee at 2:40 p.m. This multi-award-winning one-man micro-epic puppet show melds technology and multimedia into a touching story of enduring love and the end of the world. Creator and performer, Tim Watts employs a unique blend of mime, puppetry, live and recorded music, and live animation to present an exploration of the oldest and next frontier: the deep blue sea. The seas have risen, billions of people have died and those who are left live on farms on mountaintop skyscrapers. The scientists have tried everything. Floating islands sank, space probes found nothing, and the giant sponges, visible from the moon, are now rotting icons of failure. Now science and humanity are turning to the oceans. A last ditch effort to save the human race requires journeying down through the mysterious depths of the deep blue sea to find a new place to live. These are the dire circumstances that surround the tale’s central hero, Alvin Sputnik. Having just lost his wife, Alvin accepts this perilous mission to follow her soul down to the underworld to be with her once more. 29 — The Q'd Up Jazz Quintet will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 30-Feb. 1 — The BYU Theatre Ballet will present “Swan Lake” during 'Ballet in Concert' at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. 31-Feb. 8 — William Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” will be on stage at the Margetts Theatre. Lightheartedly adapted (twice) and directed by Teresa Dayley Love, Shakespeare’s adventurous romance gets the double treatment – and a happy ending – in two special adaptations: as a fairy tale suited for youngsters and as a noir mystery perfect for the young at heart. Exploring the Bard’s common themes of mistaken identity, innocence wronged and jealousy, “Cymbeline” tells the story of a princess in a pickle, her banished husband, a villainous queen and “a whole lotta mayhem” in Britain. Caution: audience participation ahead! All month at the Museum of Art: “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz.” through May 10, 2014. “Simpler, Brighter, Stronger: Southwestern Art and Early Modernism, 1910-1960.” through July 26, 2014. “e.g. Monika Bravo: Landscape of Belief.” through March 15, 2014. “Shaping America: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection of American Art.” through March 2018. Admission to all exhibits is free. Hours are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sunday. For more information, visit moa.byu.edu . Source: BYU News

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December 2013 Arts Calendar Tickets are available at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981,byuarts.com/tickets. 3 — BYU’s University Orchestra and University Strings will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 3 — A String Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N. University Ave., Provo. Admission is free. 4 — The BYU Symphony Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 4 — A Flute Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free. 5 — The BYU Jazz Lab Bands will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free . 5 — A Brass Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free. 6 — The BYU Songwriter Showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 6-7 — “Christmas Around the World: See the Wonder,” BYU’s popular holiday display of folk dance and music, will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Marriot Center. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. Using a cast of more than 200 talented dancers, singers and musicians in colorful costumes, different cultures unite to give the message of peace on earth and goodwill toward all. Tickets can be purchased at the Marriott Center Ticket Office, (801) 422-BYU1, or at byutickets.com. 6-7 — THIS EVENT IS NEARLY SOLD OUT: The BYU Combined Choirs and BYU Philharmonic present the Celebration of Christmas, an annual event featuring the sounds of the holiday season at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 3 p.m. 7 — “Tuba Christmas” will be performed at 11 a.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 7 — The Harp Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. 10 — The BYU Wind Symphony and the BYU Symphonic Band will perform together at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 11 — Conductor Kory Katseanes will lead the BYU Chamber Orchestra in a performance in the de Jong Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. 12 — BYU’s non-auditioned choir, the University Chorale, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. All month at the Museum of Art: “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz.” Nov. 15, 2013, through May 10, 2014. “Simpler, Brighter, Stronger: Southwestern Art and Early Modernism, 1910-1960.” through May 2014. “e.g. Monika Bravo: Landscape of Belief.” through March 15, 2014. “Shaping America: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection of American Art.” through March 2018. “People in a Hard Land: Iconic Images of Life in the Southwest” through Dec. 28, 2013. “Golden Days: California Art and Artists from the Edenhurst Collection.” Dec. 13, 2013, through Aug. 14, 2014. Admission to all exhibits is free. Hours are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sunday. For more information, visit moa.byu.edu. Source: BYU News

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This month, the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing will host BYU’s Contemporary Dance Theatre (CDT) in a performance of their latest show, “Encounters.” The performance is part of the larger “Chun Hua Oiu Shi” festival, a week of selected performances from arts universities in China. Stephen Jones, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity of BYU students and faculty to take part in the event November 13. “Our Department of Dance is honored to be invited to participate with you in this prestigious festival, honoring the growth, the strength, and the superb skills of our students,” Jones said. The invitation to perform at this festival emerges from the relationships that BYU has been building with the Chinese audiences and arts administrators for more than thirty years. “Despite our differences in language and the differences that separate us in geography, the value of the arts, including those human expressions of love, goodness, truth, beauty and excellence that unite us,” Jones said. For Jones, the invitation is a natural outgrowth of not just of the mutual admiration between BYU and its Chinese counterparts but also from the hard work and creativity espoused by BYU’s dance program. “These students and their faculty strive for excellence and regularly receive national and international recognition for the quality of their performance,” Jones said. The NCPA has been host to hundreds of outstanding dancers, musicians and actors since its inaugural concert in 2007. BYU’s contemporary dance team joins this long list of world-class talent with their performance. “The meaning of the title of our concert, Encounters, include the ideas, images and possibilities of all the ways that we might connect, and the notion that every encounter might change us,” said Marylin Berrett, chair of the Department of Dance. The CDT will dance to the music of composers George Gershwin, Ishan Rustem, and others as they portray captivating encounters with people, places and ideas. After exploring all of these encounters, the show will reach its fitting culmination in a collaboration between BYU and the Beijing Dance Academy. “We are so thrilled that the students from the Beijing Dance Academy are joining with the students from Brigham Young University in an East meets West encounter. This is a most remarkable opportunity for us,” Berrett said. Visit dance.byu.edu for more information on BYU’s dance programs.

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November 2013 Arts Calendar Tickets are available at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, byuarts.com/tickets, (801) 422-4322. 1-2 — Austria’s Salzburg Marionette Theatre will present “The Sound of Music” Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and “Hansel and Gretel” Saturday at 10 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. To experience the Salzburg Marionettes is to witness the beauty and magic of a group rarely seen outside of Europe. For 100 years the company has performed dramatic presentations utilizing the remarkable life-like movements of its elaborate costumed, two-foot tall, string-manipulated puppets on lavish backdrops set to beautiful recorded music. Featuring a skilled ensemble of behind-the-scenes professional puppeteers, the performance presents the charm and wonder of a long-standing European tradition in a fresh, exciting way. 5 — The Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Conducted by Steve Call, the Dixieland-style showcase ensemble has performed at festivals and conferences throughout the United States. Admission is free. 6 — The Jazz Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. This group is BYU’s Synthesis-in-training band, and they perform locally and regionally. They provide a tremendous training situation for up-and-coming jazz musicians. 7-8 — BYU Men's Chorus and BYU Women's Chorus will perform together at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 8-9 — Students from the Department of Dance will present their final projects at the Senior Dance Projects Showcase at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. 9 — The BYU Wind Symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. The finest woodwind, brass and percussion players at BYU play within the Wind Symphony and have received national recognition for their performances. 12 — The Folk Music Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. 14 — Joshua Bell, whom the Boston Herald praised as “the greatest American violinist active today,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. This performance is sold out. 14 — The Jazz Combo Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 15 — The BYU Singers and the BYU Concert Choir will perform together at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 15 — The Student Composers Showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 15 — Saxophone Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo (northeast corner of University Ave. and University Parkway). Admission is free. 16 — A Trombone Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 15-16 — dancEnsemble will feature contemporary dance works by students at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. 15-16 — BYU’s annual ballroom competitive event, the BYU DanceSport Championships, will take place all day in the Wilkinson Student Center Ballroom. More information is available and tickets for this event can be purchased online at the Marriott Center Ticket office at byutickets.com or at the Wilkinson Student Center Information Desk. Nov. 15-Dec. 7 — “The Light in the Piazza” will be performed in the Pardoe Theatre. Directed by Scott Eckern, the play opens in 1953 in Italy when a wealthy American and her daughter set out to explore an Italian piazza (town square) filled with art, history and sunlight. When a summer breeze whisks the girl’s hat into the hands of a handsome young Florentine, the resulting encounter sparks an unexpected romance, forcing the mother to reconsider not only her daughter’s future but her own life’s dreams — and regrets. Featuring a rich musical score by Adam Guettel, the grandson of Broadway composer Richard Rodgers, “The Light in the Piazza” explores love in its most tender and complicated forms. 16 — A Trombone Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 19 — The BYU Cougar Marching Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 20 — The Percussion Ensemble, Panoramic Steel and the Gamelan Bintang Wahyu will perform at the Evening of Percussion at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 21 — The BYU Philharmonic will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 21 — The Group for Experimental Music will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 22 — A JFK Memorial Concert will be held at 9 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 22-23 — BYU’s Department of Dance will presents the Ballet Showcase at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. 23 — BYU’s premier big band jazz ensemble Synthesis will play at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. The jazz band has toured internationally and domestically. They also perform annually at national and international jazz festivals. 26 — A Woodwind Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free and is open to the public. For more information, contact Kenneth Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or visit byuarts.com. All month at the Museum of Art: “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz,” Nov. 15, 2013 through May 10, 2014 “Simpler, Brighter, Stronger: Southwestern Art and Early Modernism, 1910-1960,” Oct. 11, 2013 through May 2014 “Edward Burtynsky: The Industrial Sublime,” through Nov. 16, 2013 “e.g. Monika Bravo: Landscape of Belief,” through March 15, 2014 “Shaping America: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection of American Art,” through March, 2018 “People in a Hard Land: Iconic Images of Life in the Southwest,” through Dec. 28, 2013 “michael whiting: 8-bit modern,” through Apr. 26, 2013 Admission to all exhibits is free. Hours are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sunday. For more information, visit moa.byu.edu. Source: BYU News