BYU Ballroom Dance Company
Encyclopedia
The BYU Ballroom Dance Company originates in the Department of Dance of the College of Health and Human Performance at Brigham Young University
in Provo
, Utah
. It has been a part of Brigham Young University for nearly 50 years and competes and performs throughout the world.
offered dance classes that included several genres, but with a specific focus on social dance
. BYU's dance company didn't exist until 1953 when Alma Heaton joined the faculty as a recreation professor. Heaton came to BYU having taught social dance for a nationally recognized dance studio, and it seemed logical to continue that instruction at the university level. Heaton's work set the stage for BYU to become a leader in ballroom dance
. The Ballroom Dance program has been growing ever since and is now the largest collegiate dance program in the world. In 1960 Benjamin F. de Hoyos (a BYU professor in the BYU College of Health and Human Performance
) founded the Ballroom Dance Company and was the director for 10 years. Following de Hoyos, Roy and June Mavor directed the company from 1970 to 1975 when Emerson Lyman and his wife LeGene took the reins. In 1980 Lee Wakefield and his wife Linda began directing the company, and continue to do so today. "BYU was the first university to introduce dance into its curriculum; the school's involvement in the sport stretches back for a long time," observes Brian McDonald, president of the National Dance Council of America, which governs dance competitions in the United States. "And now BYU is, without question, the most influential school in the nation in terms of identifying dance as both a sport and a respected curriculum."
Lee Wakefield and his wife Linda are former U.S. Theater Arts Champions. They are the directors of the BYU Ballroom Dance Touring Company. Lee was removed from his office as the chair of the Department of Dance at BYU
in Dec 2010, but is the Ballroom Director for the National Dance Council of America..
Curt and his wife Sharon are former competitors in Professional Latin American and Theater Arts Category. As Cabaret dancers they were finalists in U.S., British and World competitions. Both have Masters Degrees in Dance (MFA, Brigham Young University) and are dual licentiates with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. Curt, an associate Professor, is currently the division director of Ballroom Dance at Brigham Young University
. Sharon directs the BYU
Ballroom Dance for youth program.
Marci Edgington directs the Social Dance Program at the University. She holds a Masters degree in dance (MFA, Brigham Young University) and is a dual licenciate with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance.
Claudia Teaches in the Social Dance Program at the University. She holds a Masters degree in dance (MFA, Brigham Young University) and is a dual licenciate with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance.
Ballroom Dance Company has 160 members and is currently composed of five teams. It is directed by Lee and Linda Wakefield who have done so since 1980. The five teams include: The Touring Team, directed by Lee and Linda Wakefield; The Back-Up Touring Team, directed by Curt and Sharon Holman; The 1:00 Team (intermediate), directed by Marci Edgington; and The 2:00 and 3:00 Teams (beginning), directed by Staff Members. In addition to the team directors, Eleanor Wiblin has played a central role to the program as the Ballroom Dance Department Secretary, managing daily office affairs, student logistics and management at Dancesport competitions.
Since 1971, the company has competed at the highly esteemed British Open ballroom competition every three years, most often placing first in both Latin and Standard formation categories.
The BYU Ballroom Dance Company are the first Americans to win the highly-esteemed British Formation Championships, and they have done so ten times.
at BYU, but prior to 1987 the concerts were performed in the Smith Field House at BYU. The pieces are the creative works of Ballroom Dance Company directors Lee and Linda Wakefield, as well as guest choreographers and professional champion dancers from across the United States and Canada. The concerts first received individual names in 2003; prior concerts were simply titled "Ballroom Dance in Concert".
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
in Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It has been a part of Brigham Young University for nearly 50 years and competes and performs throughout the world.
History
For years BYUBYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
offered dance classes that included several genres, but with a specific focus on social dance
Social dance
Social dance is a major category or classification of danceforms or dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing...
. BYU's dance company didn't exist until 1953 when Alma Heaton joined the faculty as a recreation professor. Heaton came to BYU having taught social dance for a nationally recognized dance studio, and it seemed logical to continue that instruction at the university level. Heaton's work set the stage for BYU to become a leader in ballroom dance
Ballroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
. The Ballroom Dance program has been growing ever since and is now the largest collegiate dance program in the world. In 1960 Benjamin F. de Hoyos (a BYU professor in the BYU College of Health and Human Performance
BYU College of Health and Human Performance
The BYU College of Health and Human Performance began as the College of Recreation, Physical Education, Health and Athletics in 1955. This college drew the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department from the College of Education, the Intercollegiate Athletics and Intramural Sports...
) founded the Ballroom Dance Company and was the director for 10 years. Following de Hoyos, Roy and June Mavor directed the company from 1970 to 1975 when Emerson Lyman and his wife LeGene took the reins. In 1980 Lee Wakefield and his wife Linda began directing the company, and continue to do so today. "BYU was the first university to introduce dance into its curriculum; the school's involvement in the sport stretches back for a long time," observes Brian McDonald, president of the National Dance Council of America, which governs dance competitions in the United States. "And now BYU is, without question, the most influential school in the nation in terms of identifying dance as both a sport and a respected curriculum."
Faculty
- Lee and Linda Wakefield:
Lee Wakefield and his wife Linda are former U.S. Theater Arts Champions. They are the directors of the BYU Ballroom Dance Touring Company. Lee was removed from his office as the chair of the Department of Dance at BYU
BYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
in Dec 2010, but is the Ballroom Director for the National Dance Council of America..
- Curt and Sharon Holman:
Curt and his wife Sharon are former competitors in Professional Latin American and Theater Arts Category. As Cabaret dancers they were finalists in U.S., British and World competitions. Both have Masters Degrees in Dance (MFA, Brigham Young University) and are dual licentiates with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. Curt, an associate Professor, is currently the division director of Ballroom Dance at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. Sharon directs the BYU
BYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
Ballroom Dance for youth program.
- Marci Edgington:
Marci Edgington directs the Social Dance Program at the University. She holds a Masters degree in dance (MFA, Brigham Young University) and is a dual licenciate with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance.
- Claudia Hill:
Claudia Teaches in the Social Dance Program at the University. She holds a Masters degree in dance (MFA, Brigham Young University) and is a dual licenciate with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance.
Organization
The BYUBYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
Ballroom Dance Company has 160 members and is currently composed of five teams. It is directed by Lee and Linda Wakefield who have done so since 1980. The five teams include: The Touring Team, directed by Lee and Linda Wakefield; The Back-Up Touring Team, directed by Curt and Sharon Holman; The 1:00 Team (intermediate), directed by Marci Edgington; and The 2:00 and 3:00 Teams (beginning), directed by Staff Members. In addition to the team directors, Eleanor Wiblin has played a central role to the program as the Ballroom Dance Department Secretary, managing daily office affairs, student logistics and management at Dancesport competitions.
Competitions
The BYU Dance Company currently competes on both the National and International Level. The most recognized competitions that BYU participates in are: The United States National Formation Championships, The World Formation Championships (NDCA), and The British Formation Championships. Though all three competitions are highly competitive, The British Formation Championship is the most prestigious event in the competitive dance arena for individual competitors (though not for formation teams). All three competitions comprise a variety of events in both the International Standard and Latin categories but the BYU Ballroom Dance Company only competes in the team formation events.Awards
The BYU Ballroom Dance Company has consistently won numerous prestigious awards in the competitive arena. Since 1982, the team has annually won the NDCA title of United States National Formation Dance Champions.Since 1971, the company has competed at the highly esteemed British Open ballroom competition every three years, most often placing first in both Latin and Standard formation categories.
The BYU Ballroom Dance Company are the first Americans to win the highly-esteemed British Formation Championships, and they have done so ten times.
Tours
The BYU Ballroom Dance Company touring team has been touring since 1971; visiting many countries and cities throughout the world.- 2009-10 1. Utah, Nevada, California. 2. England and Scotland
- 2008-09 1. Idaho, Oregon, Washington 2. Mid-West and Eastern United States
- 2007-08 1. Arizona, Utah 2. Hong Kong, China
- 2006-07 1. New Mexico, Texas 2. England, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain
- 2005-06 1. Colorado, Wyoming 2. Ukraine, Nauvoo, IL
- 2004-05 1. Northern Nevada and California 2. Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, French Polynesia, Nauvoo, IL
- 2003-04 1. Southern Utah, Nevada, California 2. England, Belgium, France, Spain, Nauvoo, IL
- 2002-03 1. Washington
- 2001-02 1. Wyoming 2. Mid-West and Eastern United States
- 2000-01 1. New Mexico, Texas 2. England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark
- 1999-00 1. Arizona 2. Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, Far East Russia, South Korea, Mongolia
- 1998-99 1. Northern Nevada, California 2. South Africa
- 1997-98 1. Oregon, Washington, Idaho 2. England, Scotland
- 1996-97 1. Southern Nevada, California 2. Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Finland 3. Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines
- 1995-96 1. Arizona 2. Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia 3. Taiwan, Malaysia
- 1994-95 1. New Mexico, Texas 2. England, Scotland, Belgium, Germany
- 1993-94 1. Northern Nevada, California 2. Russia, Ukraine, Hungary
- 1992-93 1. Washington, Oregon, Idaho 2. Utah, California, People’s Republic of China, Republic of China, Thailand
- 1991-92 1. Utah, Nevada, Southern California 2. England, Belgium, Netherlands
- 1990-91 1. Northern California 2. California, Illinois, Michigan, Canada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Washington D.C.
- 1989-90 1. Miami, Florida (United States Ballroom Championships) 2. Stuttgart, Germany (World Ballroom Championships) 3. Arizona 4. Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii
- 1988-89 1. Miami, Florida (United States Ballroom Championships) 2. New Mexico 3. England, Belgium, West Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Michigan
- 1987-88 1. Miami, Florida (United States Ballroom Championships) 2. Southern California 3. Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana
- 1986-87 1. Miami, Florida (United States Ballroom Championships) 2. Bremen, Germany (World Ballroom Championships) 3. Northern California 4. People’s Republic of China, Republic of China, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand
- 1985-86 1. Miami, Florida (United States Ballroom Championships) 2. Washington, Oregon, Idaho 3. England, New York
- 1984-85 1. New York (United States Ballroom Championships) 2. Southern Utah, Nevada, California 3. Jordan (Jerash Festival)
- 1983-84 1. New York (United States Ballroom Championships) 2. Northern California 3. People’s Republic of China, Republic of China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Hawaii
- 1982-83 1. Southern Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico 2. England, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria
- 1981-82 1. Northwest U.S.
- 1980-81 1. Southern California 2. England
- 1979-80 1. Washington
- 1978-79 1. Northern California 2. England, Belgium, Netherlands
- 1977-78 1. Oregon, Washington, Alberta 2. Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma
- 1976-77 1. Idaho, Oregon, Washington 2. England, Scotland
- 1974-75 1. England
- 1972-73 1. New York
- 1971-72 1. Idaho, Oregon, Washington 2. New Mexico, Texas
Concerts
The BYU Ballroom Dance Company annually presents Ballroom Dance in Concert and has done so for twenty-seven years. The concerts are currently performed in the Marriott CenterMarriott Center
Marriott Center is a 22,700-seat multi-purpose arena at 1497 N 450 E on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and is home to the BYU Cougars men's and women's basketball teams. It is also used for weekly devotionals and forums...
at BYU, but prior to 1987 the concerts were performed in the Smith Field House at BYU. The pieces are the creative works of Ballroom Dance Company directors Lee and Linda Wakefield, as well as guest choreographers and professional champion dancers from across the United States and Canada. The concerts first received individual names in 2003; prior concerts were simply titled "Ballroom Dance in Concert".
- 2011; Imagine
- 2010; Encore
- 2009; Viva Espana
- 2008; Seize The Beat
- 2007; Zoot Suit Sizzle
- 2006; Capture The Magic
- 2005; Cinemagic
- 2004; Rhythms of Rio
- 2003; Light Up The Night
- 2002-1982 Ballroom Dance in Concert