Satisfying

Intriguing, captivating, amazing--none of these words quite do justice to the performance "World of Dance" put on by the BYU dance teams. I went to "World of Dance" expecting some interesting cultural dances. When someone says, "Go to this, it's good culture," I usually roll my eyes and expect to be bored. This performance proved me wrong. Right when the first group of guys started their crazy Romanian folk dance, with whooping, hollering, and pole-slapping-floor action, I knew that boredom was completely out of the question. This and the dances following gave me a refreshing taste of other cultures, as well as a new appreciation for the discipline achievable by human beings.

This performance gave me a valuable insight into the cultures of Romania, Russia, and my very own America. The bulk of the show was comprised of many different styles of modern western dances, ranging from relaxing ballets with slow, pulsing music to foot-tapping skit type dances that made me want to jump out of my seat. There were also a few dances from other cultures (I kind of wish there had been more), each of which were amazing and provided an interesting background of that culture’s values and customs. I was intrigued by the extreme differences in each genre that I saw. I was especially intrigued by how accurately those dramatic differences in style exposed the very real differences in the cultures they represented. For example, in most of the modern dances, the men would grasp the torsos, legs, and arms of the women to pull off impressive lifts, spins and twists; in all of the foreign dances, hands touched hands, and sometimes waists, in a very formal, dignified, and specific manner. This revealed the actual differences in attitudes between American and foreign cultures about the relationship between men and women.

Another thing I gleaned from watching this work was a new definition of discipline. The very first set of dancers, feet hitting the floor with machinegun-like precision, all perfectly in sync and exactly on-beat with the music, immediately had my respect. I’ve played in orchestras and sang in choirs. The simple task of being on the same beat with the person next to you is amazingly difficult, and for some music takes constant concentration. I’ve jumped on the trampoline before, and I know how hard it is to come down at the same time as someone else (or just before if I have the purpose of bouncing someone off). I’ve tried to do the splits before, and it hurts! The dancers did all these things with seeming ease, beautifully symbolic of the discipline of the human being and of the greatness of the human spirit.

I went into “The World of Dance” expecting boredom; I left feeling rejuvenated. It is no wonder this performance has been deemed a “great work.” It is art at its best—highly valuable art that intrigues and educates, amazes and inspires—and the observer leaves satisfied.