Adjustments are being made across campus to make sure students still have opportunities to participate in their hobbies, passions and education. To follow safety procedures but continue to perform, BYU Dance announced it will be live-streaming a dance performance every Friday at 5 p.m. from now until the Thanksgiving break.
Because in-theater performances are not an option, the BYU dance department wanted a way to showcase its talents to the community. According to the department website, “these energetic performances will allow each of the Department of Dance performing groups to share their light with the world.”
On Friday, Sept. 11, the International Folk Dance Ensemble performed via live stream. McKenna Wright, dance ensemble member and an undergraduate student at BYU, was part of the performance.
“With so many people unable to attend events or have meaningful connections to the arts, it definitely feels like a privilege to perform, especially over live stream,' Wright said. 'It’s so humbling to know that family members or friends that have never seen me or my teammates perform get to now because of these unprecedented circumstances”.
Students are trying their best to continue on with their normal activities, although there are adjustments. Wright explained there are definitely new challenges, such as dancing with masks on and performing to a much smaller crowd, but her team does their best to support one another and work just as hard as they would during any other dance season.
The International Folk Dance Ensemble was able to perform to a small crowd of about 40 people and to countless friends and family members in other locations. “When I thought about how excited all my friends and family would be to watch me dance, it filled me with purpose,” Wright said.
Wright looks forward to continuing to perform via live stream and practicing with her team to create unity and progress in their skills.
As part of the College of Fine Arts at BYU, the Department of Dance “is one of the largest academic dance programs in the nation.' Many opportunities are available for dancers of all backgrounds. Graduates from the Department of Dance often go on to prestigious graduate programs and successful careers in teaching, performing and choreography.