Extravadance Spring 2013

Every three or four years, Gary gets put in charge of BYUI's traveling dance team, Dance Alliance. Last time he had the team, he put together the amazing Journey concert that went on tour to Russia. This year he selected Kinetic Canvas for his theme. Every dance is inspired by a masterpiece of visual art or literature. For example, he had a romantic ballet choreographed to include scenes from Desgas' ballet canvases; a passionate contemporary routine depicting the mad genius of van Gogh; a floppy pillow sleeping-dancer dance to Dali's Persistence of Memory; a country/city ballroom number to Renoir's paintings of the same name; and a surreal piece with floating apples to mimic Magritte's Son of Man.

 

The Dance Alliance year is always a crazy year for us. It entails rehearsals most nights and Saturdays, long hours and lots of performance, endless show development, costume creation and cutting music. He has to have a show ready about ten weeks after the team is initially chosen; luckily the Collegiate contemporary, ballroom ans world teams also help out with that first concert in March. By the end of June the tour show has to be done, and that's all Dance Alliance. We are so excited for that show, the full expression of Gary's vision. The finale is my especial favorite - but more on that later. 

In the meantime, this first show went amazingly, surprisingly well. The audience loved the interaction between the dances and the artwork, which Gary had hung up around audience on the theater walls. He even had some art students from the figure drawing class come and create new artwork inspired by our dances and dancers. Very cool. The Renoir waltz Wallfowers and Dali pillow dance were big hits, but the dance which got the most rave reviews, much to our gratification, was the Chinese suite, Five Sacred Elements. I helped choreograph and teach two sections (fan/wood and star/metal) of the six so I was heavily invested as well, so to hear it praised was like having my child complimented. :-) Especially meaningful was this letter, below, from Kevin Brower, dean of the college and Gary's boss at BYUI:

Gary,

Thank you for your work in tonight's Extravadance performance of The Kinetic Canvas.  I appreciated and was deeply moved by the many numbers in the concert which showcased a real commitment to grace, elegance, and pure joy.  I loved every piece you choreographed but my absolute favorite moment in the concert was The Five Sacred Elements.  I confess I was somewhat surprised by the intensity of joy that welled up inside me as I witnessed your thoughtful choreography and the students' portrayal of such exquisite beauty.  The number was so tastefully done that it truly helped lift the dross of everyday life from my soul.  I really needed that tonight.  Please pass along my thanks to Mindy and Rebekah.

I also felt your use of visual art was brilliant.  I watched in awe as, during intermission, audience members quickly went to the artwork hanging on the wall.  I loved seeing people point at the paintings and give others a knowing nod as they identified a particular dance.  That was a great idea.  Bravo!

I hope you feel some sense of satisfaction in the work you are doing.  I am in awe of what you are accomplishing.  It is wonderful to associate with you and experience your care, grace, and tasteful expression of the potential goodness  art has to offer.  You are truly a blessing to our college and the lives of the students with whom you associate. Thank you for helping our students better understand their ability and even responsibility to refine their art in a way to counter the world's view of art as simply self-expression and the seemingly ceaseless need to communicate darkness, tension, confusion, and common banality.  I am grateful you bring us light, hope, and beauty.

Kevin

We are so lucky that Gary has such a wonderful job. He loves it, he's inspired by it, he's phenomenal at it, and he does so much good. His students ADORE him and want to do the best for him that they can. It's a crazy year, yes, but it's full of blessings, new friends, opportunities to grow and become, and amazing experiences!

and yes, all of this was going on THE SAME WEEKEND as the Pocatello competition. NUTS! But we survived. And it was great!