Brigham Young University Ballroom Dance Company

The Midsummer Arts Faire is honored to host the Brigham Young University Ballroom Dance Company on Saturday. The group will perform for about one hour. BRING LAWN CHAIRS and perhaps an umbrella for shade!

The BYU Ballroom Dance Company has a reputation for excellence throughout the world and has dominated United States formation dance competitions for 23 years. Its 2006 Spring Tour included performances in Illinois, New Mexico, Texas and a two-week tour of Ukraine.

Audiences are treated to gliding foxtrots and waltzes, playful swing dances and energetic Latin numbers. Outstanding showmanship and spectacular costuming are hallmarks of the company.

As an added treat, BYU dancers will lead a ballroom dance clinic for the public near the stage from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday!

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News Release
BALLROOM DANCE COMPANY
April 2005

Brigham Young University General Contact: Performing Arts Management (801) 422-3576
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
perform@byu.edu

Twenty-two years of dominating United States formation dancing has given the Brigham Young University Ballroom Dance Company a reputation for excellence throughout the world. The BYU Ballroom Dance Company will bring its award-winning dance showcase to Quincy on Saturday, June 24, 2006.

Audiences of a BYU Ballroom Dance Company performance are treated to a spectacular variety of dances, including gliding foxtrots and waltzes reminiscent of a royal ball; playful 1950s sock hop-style swing dances; and dances of Latin persuasion. The dancers keep the audience engaged as they demonstrate their diverse talents, moving the showcase smoothly between elegant formation routines and fast-paced rhythmic pieces.

In October 2004 the group spent ten days in Northern Nevada and California. During May 2005, the group performed across the lands of Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, and Tahiti. The dancers are looking forward to many service opportunities and many performances raising funds for local charities.

In the competitive arena, Ballroom Dance Company has an extensive and successful history. In August 2004, the dancers competed in the Embassy Ball, an annual ballroom dance competition in Irvine, California, where the team once again won the title of United States National Formation Champions-a title it has held consecutively since 1982.

In May 2004, the Ballroom Dance Company traveled to England to compete in the prestigious British Open Ballroom Competition in Blackpool, England. The company took first place in both the Latin and Standard formation competitions. Debuting at this competition in 1971, the BYU team became the first United States team to win a first place trophy. Since then, the ensemble has received a first place award in either Latin or Standard categories each time it has returned to Blackpool, for a total of eighteen first-place awards.

The company captivated audiences during its 10-day tour through Northern Nevada and California in October 2004. Scheduled evening performances, workshops, school assemblies and firesides made for a busy, fulfilling tour for the Ballroom Dance Company.

The Ballroom Dance Company has traveled and performed throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the South Pacific, South Africa, Canada, and all regions of the United States. Whether performing in the United States or abroad, the group leaves an impression of professionalism. After the group's performance in St. Petersburg in May of 1997, Dr. Alex Zapesotski said, ”As president of the St. Petersburg Humanities University, I have traveled around the world-to London, Tokyo, Paris-and have never seen a production of your high artistic standard and spirit.”

Lee and Linda Wakefield, the artistic directors of the Ballroom Dance Company, both hold memberships in the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance and have degrees in Standard and Latin dancing. The husband and wife pair has inspired a 25-year pursuit of excellence in the company.

The Ballroom Dance Company originates in the Department of Dance of the College of Health and Human Performance at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. BYU is one of the nation's largest private universities with an enrollment of 30,000 full-time students from throughout the United States and more than 120 foreign countries.

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Performing Arts
M a n a g e m e n t
PO Box 28500 | Provo, UT 84602-8500 | 801-422-3576 | Toll-Free: 800-432-3576 | Fax: 801-422-0546
Email: perform@byu.edu | Internet: http://pam.byu.edu

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