Sarah Duffin, Author at BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Dance Student Daylin Williams on Injury, Recovery and What Moves Her

Sarah Duffin — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 22:10:46 +0000

Dance education major Daylin Williams shares how her experience with serious injury has made her stronger College has been a busy time for Daylin Williams. A dance education major entering her senior year, Williams has performed and choreographed with BYU’s dancEnsemble several times and has served as both vice president and president for the company. Last summer, Williams spent six weeks touring Europe with a contemporary dance study abroad, and has participated in several local and national dance festivals. Vibrant and outspoken, Williams is a leader in the Department of Dance, and it is difficult to imagine that anything could stand in her way. During her time at BYU, however, Williams has undergone three major knee surgeries and grueling recoveries, a setback that could have ended her career. But instead of letting that keep her from dancing, Williams decided to push forward and use her experiences to help other injured dancers on the road to recovery. “The hardest part was going into class every day,” she said. “I would just sit there watching all of my peers work so hard, improve, perform and do all the things that I wanted so badly to do, but was not physically able to.” Read the full story at dance.byu.edu

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Share Your Story: #CFACGrad Eliza Robinson

Sarah Duffin — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 23:11:55 +0000

Graduating dance student Eliza Robinson reflects on an experience she had during her time at BYU The photo included here was taken in a castle we toured while on the Contemporary Dance Study Abroad in Europe. I feel as though this photo — in a symbolic way — describes the experience I had at BYU. I came here not knowing who I was. Spiritually, emotionally and sometimes mentally, I was in the dark room, far from the windows. I let the powers of self-doubt and uncertainty keep me away from the light. When I finally decided to open my eyes and see the light coming in from the window, I knew I needed to have the courage to approach it. Inspired, loving professors and students encouraged me and helped me stumble through the darkness towards the light. As I undid the latches of the window, my future path, my dreams and the person I had become were illuminated as I let the light pour over me. Oh, how good the sunshine feels on my face as I end my journey at BYU! It is a hard school. It was a difficult time. But I will thank my BYU professors and friends for the rest of my life for helping me to become the person I am today. The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

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Guest Professors Bring Balinese Music and Dance to BYU

Sarah Duffin — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 20:38:50 +0000

Visiting professors I Nyoman Windha and I Gusti Agung Ayu Warsiki bring Balinese music and dance to BYU classrooms Music professor Jeremy Grimshaw has long been fascinated by the Indonesian music tradition. Grimshaw — director of BYU’s Balinese percussion orchestra — specializes in the study of the Balinese musical genre of gamelan, and he works to bring guest experts in the style to the School of Music whenever possible. During the 2019-2020 school year, Grimshaw brought Indonesian culture to an even wider audience by inviting both a Balinese musician and a dancer to teach at BYU. I Nyoman Winhda is an award-winning musician, renowned in Bali for his gamelan compositions and performance. Windha’s wife, I Gusti Agung Ayu Warsiki, is an accomplished performer in her own right, and a revered teacher of traditional Balinese dance. Last year, Grimshaw approached world dance professor Jeanette Geslison about co-hosting the famous couple as guest professors. She was equally delighted by the idea, and an original partnership was born. Read more about this unique partnership at dance.byu.edu or music.byu.edu

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BYU Ballroom Dance Company Looks Back on 60 Years of Excellence

Sarah Duffin — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 22:00:23 +0000

Students and alumni share their memories of BYU’s nationally acclaimed Ballroom Dance Company Founded in 1960 by professor Benjamin F. de Hoyos and his wife Joesphine, BYU’s Ballroom Dance Company has been dazzling audiences across the globe for 60 years. In that time, the company has performed for audiences throughout Asia, Europe, South America and Oceania, earning numerous championship titles and awards. Despite humble beginnings, BYU now has one of the largest and most influential ballroom dance programs in the country and hosts the U.S. amateur championships annually. Company alumni have gone on to become master teachers, national and world champions and participants on the popular TV shows “Dancing With the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” But the company does more than produce champion dancers. It instills lessons of hard work, generosity and lifelong learning in its members, leaving them with values that last a lifetime. “My experience with the Ballroom Dance Company has taught me the most important lessons that I could have acquired in my time at BYU,” said Autumn Hawkes, a member of the company since 2017. “I have learned how to more effectively communicate with others, even those I just met, and how to take criticism in a healthy way. I’ve learned to be adaptive and open to trying new things, and how to collaborate in creating something beautiful.” Read more at dance.byu.edu

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BFA Graduate Caitlin Shill Shares How Dance Has Stretched Her Soul

Sarah Duffin — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:11:27 +0000

Shill — a native of Cottonwood Heights, Utah — will graduate with a BFA in dance on April 24, 2020 Caitlin Shill didn’t always plan to be a dance major. She auditioned for the program as an incoming freshman, fully intending to switch majors as soon as she found what she actually wanted to study. But the longer Shill spent in the Department of Dance, the more apparent it became that she was meant to be there. “I felt a profound sense of belonging, and I became acutely aware of an expansive gap of knowledge that I hungered to close,” said Shill. “I was drawn to the knowledge that came from the expression of such a personal art form, dressed with intellect in a way I had never encountered before. It was active, hungry, hardworking and human-centered.” While deeply rewarding, Shill’s study of dance would be far from easy. It would require physical, mental and spiritual stretching beyond what she originally imagined. “I had an impression of the humility, sacrifice and intellect it would demand, but I had no idea how much,” she said. “If dance were a god it would be a sacrificial one.” In her junior year, Shill experienced a serious injury to her right knee, a setback that would eventually lead to surgery and a grueling recovery. “It would be nine months until I danced again, and many more until I felt like I could dance again,” she said of the experience. “There is a bittersweet difference between the two.” As difficult as it was, Shill is grateful for the lessons her injury taught her about resilience and compassion. “College is often a lesson in justice as the reality of the world starts to sink in,” said Shill. “However, I’ve been instructed more on the rightness of mercy than on justice through the constant support of the Department of Dance and its faculty. If recovering was an accomplishment, it is not mine. It belongs to my families, both in Cottonwood Heights and in the Department of Dance.” During her time at BYU, Shill performed as a member of both dancEnsemble and Contemporary Dance Theatre, and her work in the department took her across the nation — and the world — several times. Through her dance experience, Shill has found that she has gained profound insight into the human condition. “Being with your body for seven to eight hours a day, listening to it, strengthening it and sharing it creatively with peers and strangers alike is an instruction in every virtue and godly attribute,” she continued. “Our bodies aren’t just objects, they are souls: integrated, whole and full of contradictions. It is through being a dance major that I have become acquainted with myself and humanity.” Some of her most memorable lessons came from her time conducting ethnographic research on a dance study abroad to Beijing. “Researching and observing children of God in an unfamiliar culture was a profound experience, especially in such a personal art form,” said Shill. “I saw dimensions of the human soul and experience that stretched my intellect and expression of identity in ways no other experience has.” Shill invites students to use their time at BYU as an opportunity not only to receive, but also to give of themselves. “I’ve found during my time as an undergraduate that the more you give from your cup, the more your cup will run over,” she said. “It sounds counterintuitive and too good to be true. However, time and time again I have had moments of undeserved or disproportionate joy and opportunity because I opened my heart and gave from an almost empty cup — just to find it running over.” Shill warns that life is hard, and it can be tempting to focus inward rather than outward when things get tough. But that, she argues, is precisely the time when we most need to give. “It is wonderful to give the best parts of yourself,” Shill said. “Your hope, your positivity, your creative spirit. But the greatest gifts — and the ones that cause an empty cup to overflow — are when we give away the worst of us. We give away our arrogance by letting another’s performance inspire us. We give away our greed by offering what we need most to another. We give away our insecurity by helping someone else see how they are succeeding. It is in the cultivation of this simple habit of giving away the best — and occasionally the worst — parts of myself that I can reflect on a full life and education at BYU.” Shill plans to pursue a master’s or doctorate degree in the future, with the goal of teaching at a university. Q&A WITH CAITLIN SCHILL, BFA ‘20 DANCE | CONTEMPORARY What did you want to be when you grew up? “Ironically, I never wanted to be a ballerina. Oxford was my Disneyland. I venerated higher education and the glistening world of academia. I took a personality test in the seventh grade that said I should be an astrophysicist, and I spent middle school and high school excelling at math just for that reason. My dad still loves to remind me that I could get a double major in math.” What was your favorite class that you took at BYU? “Healthy Sexuality, hands down. As a dance major, I was able to dispel so many cultural inhibitions and over-sexualized projections society had made on my body. The Healthy Sexuality in Marriage class helped me name and give form to the things that I felt so pressured by as a young woman in our society, while also schooling me in what healthy sexuality looks like.” Is there a specific work or practitioner in your field that has had a particularly strong influence on you? “Pina Bausch! She created doors in contemporary where rock walls stood, and they are ones that I easily walk through. She was an engineer in movement theatre and has one of the most creative and aesthetic minds I’ve ever seen. I admire her work greatly and know that I could spend a lifetime creating dance, and she would still surpass my lifetime of good ideas in the first 20 minutes of any of her works.” What is a hidden talent you have or a hobby outside [...]

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Life Imitates Art: Design Graduate Brinnan Schill Reflects on BYU, Photography

Sarah Duffin — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 15:09:06 +0000

Schill — a South Carolina native — will graduate with a BFA in photography and a BA in sociocultural anthropology on April 24, 2020 Brinnan Schill has always been intrigued by human culture. So intrigued, in fact, that she decided to pursue a degree in anthropology at BYU. But as much as she loved anthropology, Schill couldn’t seem to let go of her artistic side, and her mind kept coming back to photography. Eventually, she decided to blend both passions and applied for a double major in photography and anthropology. “I’m drawn to the storytelling elements of photography,” said Schill. “And while I started off not knowing what I would do with a double major, it has been a huge asset in both accessing my artistic self and fueling my fascination with human culture and behavior. “ In addition to feeding her curiosity about human nature, Schill says her studies have taught her a lot about her own life and behavior. Photography in particular has helped her learn how to let go of perfectionism and be open to making mistakes. “One of my favorite photographic processes is the tintype,” Schill said. “When photographing tintypes, there’s no chance for Photoshop or hiding errors. It can be a frustrating process with so many variables at play, and some days you just can’t get the chemicals to cooperate. You have to learn to shrug off the mistakes and continue moving forward. When you finally do make the image you envisioned, it is all the more rewarding!” Rolling with the punches and learning as she goes has been a theme in Schill’s photographic career.In one instance during her BFA capstone project in northern Greenland, she and another student were traveling by dog sled to a remote settlement when their musher lost control of the dog team. “We ended up sitting on a sled for hours in the middle of the arctic fjord, surrounded on all sides by miles and miles of ice,” said Schill. “Eventually help came and we were able to return safely, but it was definitely one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had as a student at BYU.” Learning to go with the flow and accept imperfections in her art has made Schill more resilient in other areas of life as well. “Sometimes things don’t work out,” she said. “Sometimes plans change and you have to adapt and realize that other opportunities will open for you.” Schill encourages new photography students to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way, especially the abundant resources available through the university. “I’m immensely grateful for all the funding I received at BYU, both through the anthropology program and through the photography program,” she said. “Those independent projects and field studies helped me grow tremendously as a photographer.” Schill hopes to build on the skills she’s gained at BYU as she pursues a master’s degree in visual anthropology. Her latest project — a series of documentary portraits — will be on display in the Harold B. Lee Library this fall. Q&A WITH BRINNAN SCHILL, BFA ‘20 DESIGN | PHOTOGRAPHY What did you want to be when you grew up? “I always wanted to be an author! I was a bookworm and loved reading and attending writing workshops. My plan was to either be a famous author or a pastry chef.” What was your favorite class that you took at BYU? “Either Polynesian Dance or Water Aerobics. I also loved Humanities of Islam. I had a habit of taking random classes that I thought sounded interesting, which is probably why it took me so long to graduate!” Is there a specific work or artist in your field that has had a particularly strong influence on you? “I have a minor in art history, and through studying the work of Baroque painters I have developed an intense appreciation for the work of Caravaggio. Like him, I love using dramatic lighting and busy compositions that draw the viewer in while still maintaining a careful sense of balance.” Do you have a hobby outside of what you do for your major? “I love baking and backpacking! I grew up baking sweets with my mom and grandma and worked at the Grand Canyon as a baker for a summer, where I could bake all morning and then go off to hike and explore for the rest of the day. Hiking is a great way to unplug and de-stress when I’m feeling overwhelmed with projects.” What is your favorite snack for between classes? “Blue Diamond salt and vinegar almonds!”

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Hard Work, Heritage and Hula: Brothers Bond Through Living Legends

Sarah Duffin — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 21:53:44 +0000

The Ho Ching brothers, who have spent the last year performing together with BYU’s Living Legends, share their thoughts on faith, family and dance The bonds between the dancers of Living Legends are strong, and it’s not uncommon to hear company members refer to the group as their family. But few can claim actual blood relation. Few, that is, besides the Ho Ching family. Brothers Kameron, Kaleb and Kwinton Ho Ching have spent the past two semesters rehearsing, performing and touring together as members of Living Legends, BYU’s Native American, Latin and Polynesian dance company. The brothers, who hail from Laie, Hawaii, have been dancing almost as long as they can remember. “We all grew up dancing Tahitian and Hula,” said Kameron. “We lived right next to the Polynesian Cultural Center, and they have opportunities for kids in the community to dance at the Luau, the night show they have. So we grew up as keiki dancers, or kid dancers.” They credit their mother with the foresight and persistence that kept them dancing into their college years. “Sometimes we didn’t want to go into practice,” said Kaleb. “We wanted to play like little kids, because we were. I was probably six or seven when I started, and we danced until we were 14 or 15.” “We were always going, ‘Mom, I don’t want to go to practice!’’’ added Kameron. But it wasn’t long before they learned to love it, and dancing became a central part of their lives. When the oldest Ho Ching sister, Kaisha, came to BYU and discovered Living Legends, she inadvertently began a legacy that would be carried on in turn by each of her siblings. Kwinton Ho Ching, the youngest, is now a freshman at BYU and a first-year member of the company. He joined Living Legends at the encouragement of his older brothers, who hoped he would experience the same positive growth they found in the group. “On a spiritual level, it’s like missionary work,” said Kaleb. “We’ve both been on missions and we both did the group before we went on missions. So advising Kwinton to do the group to prepare for a mission was something that I always thought about. It helps him to get ready for a mission, and it keeps us connected as a family.” With 10 or more hours of rehearsal per week, committing to the group can be a tough act to juggle for a busy student. But the struggle is worth it. “Honestly, it’s a hard group to be a part of later on in school,” said Kameron, who is a senior studying physiology. “But my best memories come from this group.” Those memories include a lot of laughter, joking and good-natured teasing, but also moments of rich spiritual growth. “We do a lot of firesides, and those are some of the most memorable and spiritual experiences,” said Kameron. “We did one outreach in Longmont, Colorado — I’ll never forget it. We walked in the room to do a Tongan piece, and there was a kid with special needs in the back. Tongan is one of my favorite numbers — it’s really high energy — and this kid was so, so happy. I got this spiritual confirmation that being in the group was something that brought joy to him and to other people, and I’ll never, ever forget that experience.” The experience of bringing joy to others has been a common thread throughout the brothers’ time with Living Legends, and it’s what keeps them coming back. “A lot of my favorite memories come from talking to the people after the show,” said Kaleb. “We go out into the audience to talk to people and they just want to shake your hand forever and thank you for coming. You can tell they felt the Spirit.” The brothers are quick to agree that dancing has been a unifying force in their family, among both the living and those who are gone. “The show talks a lot about remembering ancestors,” said Kaleb. “It talks about dancing for them and coming together as one. So for us to be in the group as a family, dancing together as one, it keeps us connected. We push each other to go harder and dance better, and always remind ourselves to be spiritually connected to God. It strengthens us as a family.”

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Scott Cook: Meet the Videographer Behind Department of Dance Films

Sarah Duffin — Sat, 29 Feb 2020 00:25:51 +0000

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Christmas Around the World Showcases International Choreographers

Sarah Duffin — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 00:03:56 +0000

Dancers from the International Folk Dance Ensemble worked with artists from across the world to bring a diverse performance to BYU Christmas Around the World is almost synonymous with the Christmas season in Utah Valley. The International Folk Dance Ensemble (IFDE)’s annual concert has been bringing people together across distances and generations for 60 years. This year’s theme — “A Light in the Window” — celebrates the courage and hope of migrants as they travel and adapt. Featuring the talents of over 175 dancers and musicians, Christmas Around the World is a celebration of unity, diversity and Christmas joy. This year’s performance includes dances from all over the globe, including Ukraine, Wales, Indonesia, Haiti, Germany and Scotland. The world dance program highly values accuracy and authenticity, and brings in international choreographers whenever possible. Recently, artists from India, Mexico, China, Canada and more have visited campus — teaching, choreographing and coaching dancers on genre-specific styling. “Almost all of our dances are not choreographed by the teachers or directors, but by specialists or people from that country,” said IFDE member Ashley Jex. Go to dance.byu.edu for a sneak peek at some of the guest artists featured in this year’s concert. Tickets and Show Details Performance Dates and Times: Dec. 6-7 | 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 | 2:00 p.m. Location: Marriott Center Price: $9-22 Tickets: Available in person at the BYU HFAC or Marriott Center Ticket Office, by phone at (801) 422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

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Students and Faculty Share Research at Dance Education Conference

Sarah Duffin — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 22:54:28 +0000

11 Department of Dance students and nine faculty members attended the National Dance Education Organization’s annual conference in Miami As Utah faced an unseasonably cold snap at the end of October, 20 BYU dancers were enjoying the Miami sun. The warmth, however, did not distract them from their purpose — to attend a national forum on dance education and hone their craft as leaders and teachers. The annual conference, hosted by the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), featured lectures, panels and workshops led by dance educators from across the nation. 11 students and nine faculty from the Department of Dance attended. “The NDEO conference offers the opportunity for dance educators from around the world to network with other educators, engage in professional development and present their work,” said Pam Musil, associate chair of the department. “We like our students to attend because it helps them see the scope of dance education beyond Utah and gives them opportunities to rub shoulders with students and educators throughout the nation.” Six of the attending BYU professors shared their research at the conference, as did dance major Cait Shill. Shill– who has been struggling with a knee injury for the past year — has found that diving into the academic side of dance has provided her with a new way to engage in the field she loves. Read more about Shill and other students’ experiences at dance.byu.edu.

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