On this week’s episode of BYU-Idaho Radio’s The Spot Podcast, hosts Maiya Waddell, Terri Hess, Abigail Barber and Gary Larsen, PhD, talked about dance.
The hosts started off the episode talking about how dance competition judges mostly look at technical aspects of performance rather than emotional expression. Terri Hess pointed out that competitions do sometimes include emotional expression as a judging criteria, but the technical side is more important.
Next, the topic shifted to why people dance. Larsen noted that people like to dance because it connects with something within them, whether it’s social, rhythmic or spiritual.
The hosts talked about their experiences choreographing dance numbers and the challenges that come with that. A couple of the difficulties mentioned were writer’s block and choreographing to a song that you don’t like.
After that, they covered which kinds of dance classes are offered at BYU-Idaho. Options mentioned include ballroom, tap, ballet, hip hop, clogging and world. Larsen said about 8,000 different students take at least one dance class every year at BYU-Idaho.
Then the hosts discussed teaching and performing opportunities available to students. Barber, who teaches a social dance class as a student, talked about her experience as a Teaching Assistant for social dance classes. Larsen said there are performing teams at BYU-Idaho and many opportunities available to students.
Next, our hosts compared dances on campus to dances off campus. Hess talked about the elevated standard in music and appropriate dance moves that BYU-Idaho offers on campus. Larsen spoke about how different dance styles can bring different things with them.
Our hosts then discussed the benefits that come with dance. Benefits mentioned include physical fitness, social interaction and creative expression.
For the last segment of this episode, Waddell interviewed Megan Sewell and Gaby Hulme about the Temples in Bloom event, where different temples from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are being spotlighted in a floral fashion. There are temples and cultures from all over the world represented at this event.
If you would like to listen to the entire episode, you can find BYU-Idaho Radio’s The Spot on YouTube, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.