After touring in Europe as a ballroom dancer, Spinder had an unexpected opportunity when BYU invited her and her husband to dance in the BYU Spectacular.
The BYU Spectacular included eight performing groups from BYU, including Living Legends and Young Ambassadors. A total of 160 performers joined the tour, plus Spinder and her husband. “Any time I get to perform, I feel blessed. But to be able to perform for a culture and a people that I’ve never actually met before until this trip — it’s an honor,” she said.
Spinder said her time in China helped her see that the Chinese value the same things that she does. When she visited the Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, a tour guide wrote her name in Chinese, and she learned that her last name translates to mean three words: talented, smart and moral. Spinder said felt an instant connection to the culture when she connected with the Chinese translation of her last name.
“I feel like they really encompassed my life, and they really valued my morals and the way that I choose to live my everyday life. But how grateful I am that I was blessed to be a talented dancer and also get a great education,” Spinder said.
Spinder feels that the BYU Spectacular was an important step for BYU in finding common ground with China.
“What’s amazing about this show is it’s showing how alike we are,” Spinder said. “I think right now the Chinese people sense a difference and maybe even a divide between our two countries, but yet this show is bringing this great merge,” she said.
Despite the cultural differences between the U.S. and China, BYU Spectacular performers said they found common ground through dance and music while on the tour.