Traveling folk dancers inspire Sisters youth

The Brigham Young University International Folk Dance Ensemble visited Sisters High School to host an interactive intensive and evening show for fellow dancers and community members earlier this month.

The group toured through Oregon and Idaho during the first two weeks of November, showcasing their wide variety of cultural dances in numerous cities across the two states, including the Dalles, Corvallis, Eugene, and Sisters.

The group of 28 dancers had been rehearsing for months in preparation for this tour, and although only one of the students is receiving a major in Dance Theater, the ensemble means a lot to all individuals involved.

"Dancing is something that both helps me to feel joy and to see that joy brought to others. Learning different cultural dances only builds on this. I love it when people tell me that our performances help them feel connected to their ancestors or where they come from," said BYU dancer Tyson Boxer.

The performance consisted of 22 different dances from Poland, Brazil, Canada, the Philippines, the U.S., Peru, India, Hungary, Slovakia, Norway, Indonesia, and Ukraine. The variety made for an entertaining performance and lots of applause.

Photo by Olivia Nieto

Sisters Dance Academy students were inspired by a visit from the Brigham Young University International Folk Dance Ensemble.

"It was an inspiring performance to watch...it's really exciting to understand that I could take a path in college and in life that involves the thing I love most," said Sisters Dance Academy dancer Colby Roberts.

Events like these allow members of Sisters Dance Academy and Sisters High School students to see what life beyond high school could look like. The intensive before the performance took place immediately after school and brought together everyone from competitive dancers to fun-loving students. BYU students taught the group Bollywood and Charleston style dances, pieces audience members would later see performed on stage that night.

"The audience members we got to interact with were so kind to us! Seeing their faces light up when they talked about the show was a wonderful thing to see and made it all feel more special," states BYU dancer Natalie Lund.

This performance allowed community members, whether they were dancers or not, to appreciate different cultural expressions of movement and BYU students to experience the beauty of Central Oregon.