DA Count off!

Here is a video of all of us counting off.

Dance Alliance Circle.

After every rehearsal and before every show we, as a team, would circle up and say "We promise to stand by you forever". Followed by a bunch of funny sayings from things that would happen during our many hours together. This video of it is taken backstage before one of the performances, so it is a little dark.

Host Families.

This is a video of the members of Dance Alliance being picked up by our host families and how the process works.

Family Home Evening.

During our Family Home Evening as a team this is part of our opening song. Dancers can sing too. :)

Crater Lake Video.

Kylie Brusco's video from Crater Lake.

Day Fourteen.

Ontario, OR to Rexburg, ID

We did it! We survived our two week tour across the Pacific Northwest. As the bus rolled into Rexburg, ID we were all very broken, sprained, bruised and all suffering from lack of sleep. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we learned so much and would not only go through these past two weeks over again, but would go through all the hours and months of preparation again. Hands down, it was all worth it.
We could not have done any of this without the wonderful support of our directors, and would like to thank them for all their hard work. There is so much more that goes on behind the scenes that, without it, our performance would not have been the show stopper it was.
A special thank you goes out to all those who took us in while we were on tour and allowed us to stay in their homes! You are all angels and we thank you for your service. The hardest part of tour, at least for me, was being so exhausted every night.It never felt like we had an adequate amount of time to get to know you and your sweet families as much as we would like to. We did, however, have enough time to feel of the wonderful spirit that resided in each of your homes and we thank you again for your warmth and kindness.
This might be the end of the tour for Dance Alliance members of 2010, but the legacy lives on and there will always be another year and another group of dedicated dancers.
Look out world, Here comes Dance Alliance 2011.

Stories and Experiences:

Tiffani Shenton
Okay, so I just wanted to get on and thank the team for a great two week journey. I just gave a devotional on the bus about my favorite quote by Gordon B. Hinckley.

Words to Live By-
“Anyone who thinks that bliss is normal is going to spend a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey…delays, sidetracks, smoke, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

I really loved this journey that Dance Alliance just had. We had our smoke and delays, but we definitely have our bursts of speed and saw beautiful vistas. Thank you to Sister Bone for ALL of the hard work that she put into the show and into the team. Thank you to Joy, Brother Bone, Brother Hillier and Jeff the Driver for everything! This has been a great journey for me and I am extremely grateful for the wonderful experiences that I have had. Lastly, thank you dancers it has been such a great memory


Camille Hinck
After our first show in Nampa I was out in the audience meeting and greeting when a little boy came up to meet me. I asked him if he enjoyed the show and what he said made a distinct impression on me. He said, “That Was BRILLIANT!” Not only was it just about the cutest thing coming from a little boy of about seven, but it made me really reflect about how our show certainly is inspired of God. Anything that is “honest, true, chaste, benevolent and virtuous” is certainly brilliant and comes from our Father in Heaven. He loves us so much and blesses with the ability to create and share joy with his children here on this earth. I am so grateful to Sis. Bone and Joy for being so in tune with the spirit as the choreographed and set up the line up of the show. Not only has it brought joy and happiness to thousands of people across Oregon and California, but it has also reminded me the joy that is found in achieving something difficult. My dad often says, “There can be fun in being serious.” Our show took so much hard work. All of us were full time students, working, and trying to keep up with living a normal college life. But look at what we have accomplished with the help of Sis. Bone, Joy, and of course our Heavenly Father. And to me that is sheer Brilliance.

Thank you to ALL of you who have made the last two semesters of my life so wonderful. I have grown close to each of you in one way or another and each of us have been blessed by one another in one way or another. Best of Luck to those who are moving on, and I can’t wait to see those of you who are coming back in the Fall or Winter! All my love! ~ Camille

Amalitta Gamlieli
So all of us dancers have had such an amazing time touring together! We have had some beyond amazing experiences that we will cherish forever. Performing and getting to know so many people has been so much fun! All of the home stays have been wonderful, and we have been so lucky to have such wonderful people take us in. I wanted to share my feelings about one of the homes stays I was able to stay with, this family really touched my heart. In Grants pass Shaylee and I stayed with the Benett’s, they had three adorable children that were so welcoming and infact made us a cute littler welcome sign in our room that said WELLCOME DANCERS! It was so cute, that night we were able to talk with the family about Dance Alliance and the Gospel. And as I stayed with this family for two days the spirit was so strong in this home. We had the opportunity to play games, meet some of their family, take a nap =) where Berklee and shaylee put stickers all over me and Marlee just watched and let it happen, and when I asked her why she didn’t protect me she said, “well you were sleeping, what was I suppose to do” haha. We were also able to teach them some of hairspray and have a little dance party before we left. We had such a fun time getting to know this family, they will be in our hearts, and they will hopefully carry on what we have left them with OOH-OH…IENE! Love you all xo

One other fun experience I wanted to share was our fun unexpected river rafting experience we were able to do as a team in 6 different rafts. It was such a nice day and our guides were awesome. We were able to jump out in some areas and swim and then they’d pull us up by our life jacket which was always funny to watch. On my raft we got soaked and we actually had a team member fall out which was hilarious, half of our raft dived into the water and my head actually went in the water when Jeff fell out but I was able to pull myself back up, anyway we got Jeff out he did a great job floating in the flat lay position so he wouldn’t die haha. Poor Joy was in the middle thinking… I don’t know it would be a better spot to be, but she probably had the worst spot and got absolutely clobbered by mounds of water, it was pretty funny, but I don’t think she thought so .Towards the end we were able to play games, like tug a war while standing on the raft, or different fun balancing games, ect.


Elizabeth Mecham
So… After our last show on Saturday night we went to meet our host families. I was staying with Shanae that night so after our names were called, we made our way off the stage to meet the couple we’d be staying with. We were in a rush so we did introductions as we walked up the aisle to the auditorium’s exit. “Hi, I’m Elizabeth!” “Nice to meet you, I’m Genie.” “Oh, it’s nice to meet you. And your husband’s name is Dennis…?” About ten seconds after we finished our greetings we reached some stairs heading to the lobby. I paused on the top step to fix a strap on my bag—it was interfering with the rolling action. I gave my bag a firm tug to get it moving again and in doing so, my foot slipped on the step and I fell to a heap at the bottom of the stairs. I just remember maintaining a strong grasp on my bag’s handle as I fell and my feet going up in the air once I reached the end of the fall. I was laughing really hard, along with Shanae who had seen the whole thing. I can only imagine what my host family was thinking… “She can make it through dancing ten numbers in a show that lasts almost two hours, but she can’t make it down four steps? Pathetic.”

Pictures:

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Day Thirteen.

Bend, OR to Ontario, OR

Tonight was our very last show! Tomorrow we are headed back to Rexburg, ID.
The events from today were very uplifting and yet again required a full day of traveling. Today, after unloading at the venue, some of us had the opportunity to teach a hip-hop class to the kids at the local YMCA. They absolutely loved it!

Stories and Experiences:

Beth Casper
Last show= Success! This show was so much fun and we were totally rockin it! I loved performing on this tour. It has been such a building experience. So my last home stay was with the Roberts family. They lived in Fruitland, Idaho, about ten minutes away from our venue in Ontario. They were a really sweet family and fun to stay with and get to know. *Just a little side note: When I was on the dance team in high school, Fruitland high school’s dance team would come to the same competitions as we went to. We were always wondering, “Where in the world in Fruitland Idaho!?” And now I know!* So at the Roberts house, I stayed in the basement and Becca stayed upstairs. They woke me up early in the morning and said that their basement was flooded! A pipe had leaked or broke somewhere and they had been bucketing water out of the window well for a while. Their basement floor was soaked along with my bags and journal. I felt so bad for them! After breakfast my temporary mom handed me a new notebook and said” this is for you because your journal got damaged.” It was so sweet of her to do that! I am grateful for their kindness and wish them the best with their flooded basement! They are a great family!

Brother Bone
Great show—as usual! I was leaving the tech booth following the show and had just walked into the foyer where hundreds of people were leaving the auditorium. Over all the voices around me, I heard a woman call out, “That show was awesome! That was awesome! That was one h%$& of a birthday present!” It was good to know that the show’s emotional impact not only brings people to tears—but to foul language as well.

Sister Bone and I also had the wonderful opportunity to stay at the cottage home of Brother and Sister Dahle. They live on a private island consisting of 40 acres and lots of wildlife. Sister Dahle fed us pecan pie and ice cream and also showed us pictures of their recent performance mission to Nauvoo. She also shared a story of falling in love with a harp that she took care of on her mission while the owner spent several months in Hawaii. Upon the owner’s return, Sister Dahle had to give back the harp, but before her mission ended she talked Brother Dahle into purchasing the harp for her. Wendy and I asked her to play it for us, but she seemed too shy. So Wendy and I went to bed, but before we drifted off to sleep, Sister Dahle poked her head in the room and said she would play for us. Wendy and I listened in bed as Sister Dahle played for about 45 minutes. The music was so relaxing and she played beautifully. What an enjoyable night with our home stay family.


Jude Stoddard
This was my favorite place for the entire tour. It was my favorite time performing, and I felt especially close to my teammates because it was our last night performing; consequently, it was an emotional night for us. Not only was the performance amazing, but I loved my home-stay family! Nothing out of the ordinary happened. It was just a great night and a great experience. The family was very strong and very down to earth. You could feel the love the family had for not only each other, but also for the strangers they hosted for the night. We talked that night about BYU-Idaho and life as the family fed us. My buddy that night was Celeste—what a sweetheart she is! She is such a good example.


Kassandra Struk
The last show of tour and I just had to go out with a bang. During footloose when I run out with my group to layout into our formation I got distracted when I saw Brook stop moving (she was holding her spot so not to run into me) and then next thing I know the layout is over and im flat on my butt. WHIPE OUT! Thankfully I recovered quickly and I had a great time laughing it up with my team who watched the whole thing happen. Bad news is I messed up my hand from the fall, good news it was the last show and im good to go! YAY FOR DANCE ALLIANCE! We made it and touched over 10,000 lives over these last two weeks.

Pictures:

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Day Twelve.

Klamath Falls, OR to Bend, OR.

Today was a first for me as I am sure it was for many other members of the team. We had the opportunity to go White Water rafting! When we got to the resort they drove us down to the river in a bus. Once we got there they had 4 different rafts we could get into, each with an experienced guide. This was such a fun activity and the day had only begun.
After rafting we drove to our next venue in Bend, OR. Once we unloaded the bus we went and had dinner, provided by a gracious Young Single Adult Ward.  One of the highlights of the dinner would have to be the amazing cake they had for us for desert. Thank you for making our stay so special!

Stories and Experiences:

Alex Ashby
Today we got to go White Water Rafting!!! It wasn’t anything to intense (only class 2 + rapids) because we wanted to be ready and able for our second to last performance that evening. It was about an 1 and ½ run on the Dechutes river with the 7^th Mountain river guides.
After we got the rafts into the water we had a short orientation where our guides told us the different commands they would use and what we should do in case we got dumped out of the raft (which would come in handy later!). We got to hit several different rapids including Big Eddy ,Bone Crusher and The Three Stooges. My raft was the first to go through the biggest rapid (Big Eddy) and we got to stop on the other side and watch all the other rafts come through with everyone screaming and gasping when the chilly water hit them. After the rapids there was a section of smooth river where the guides had a bunch of us do “trust Exercises” and we got to do dives and flips into the water. The trust exercises consisted of getting the girls to try and balance on the edge of the rafts, or having the guys lock paddles and try to touch their heads to the water and then shoving them into the water when we weren’t expecting it!!! Aside from aching shoulders and some sun burnt knee caps we all had a blast on the river. It’s defiantly going to be one of my favorite tour memories!

David McNary
Today has been really good experience for me yesterday I hurt my back, to the point where doing mundane tasks was grueling. The performance last night was probably the worst I have ever done due to the pain that I was in. I was heartbreaking, thought I wasn’t going to be able to dance normal for the rest of the tour and that really made me upset. Well through the prayers of my family and personal prayers my back today is normal, it doesn’t even feel like I had hurt it at all. The lesson that I learned from this is that the lord can give and he can take. I ability to dance Is not a given, at any moment’s notice it could be taken away. Before this I would not have given this gift a second thought, I am so thankful for the lord in being a master teacher and helping me to appreciate the gifts that he has given to each of us. We should never take them for granted.


Jamie Myers
Ok, not to get all churchy or anything, but I really felt some help from the other side on this particular day of the trip. So here’s what went down. We had a PACKED schedule. First, we went river rafting all morning (three plus hours), then we quickly showered at a health club and taught/performed at a hip hop workshop of 200 kids for over an hour. I don’t know about you, but the sun DRAINS me and children also DRAIN me (in a good way), and our nearly 2 hour Broadyway show DRAINS me! So, I was definitely worried about doing all these things in the same day, especially since I was SUPER tired the day before (when we were practically sitting all day long). However, as soon as the music started and the prayers had been said, I was filled with energy, enthusiasm, strength and excitement to perform like never before. It was my best show of the tour. A lot of us felt connected to each other by the Spirit, especially during Wicked, and I just have to thank Heavenly Father for being so aware of us and answering our prayers. We were given the strength and energy we needed to push through after such a long day of activities.

Pictures:

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Day Eleven.

Redding, CA to Klamath Falls, OR

Day Eleven. Today we had a lot of driving to do. We packed up the tour bus early in the morning and made our way to Klamath Falls, OR. Lucky for us once we got to our venue and unpacked we had a lot of time left over. (This is a rare occurrence for us, we are either right on time or rushed for time.) Someone had the great idea that we go to the local Movie Theatre and watch a movie because we had enough time before we needed to be to dinner. We got to watch ‘Despicable Me’. It was such a cute movie and we all had a blast. You could hear us quoting the movie the rest of the night.
After we watched the movie we were able to eat a wonderful dinner and then had another great show. Thank you to all the friends and family who were in attendance at this show.

Pictures:

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Day Ten.

Eureka, CA to Redding, CA
Today was such a fun day! Once we got to the city where were to perform we were able to go swimming in the pools of some very gracious people in the community. Thank you so much for allowing us to swim in your pools!

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Stories and Experiences:

Jamie Myers:

We stayed with a lovely couple here in Redding named Mike and Lisa Olsen. After some small talk over a bowl of fruit following the show, Lisa informed us that the proceeds were going towards Northern Valley Catholic Social Services and more specifically towards buying school backpacks for some children in the local area. Apparently every year a select number of children receive a shopping spree at Kohls and backpacks filled with school supplies (“Kohls for Kids” may have been the name of this endeavor, but don’t quote me). Anyway, this year Northern Valley Catholic Social Services teamed up with other churches, including the LDS Church, and Lisa was in charge of rounding up a portion of donations for this program. Everything was in place for the children except about 100 backpacks. When she heard that BYU-Idaho’s Dance Alliance was coming to perform, she knew EXACTLY where she could round up the extra funds!!! So hooray! We got to help out people in need by simply doing what we love! It’s funny how we can unexpectedly bless the lives of others in merely sharing our talents. Always share your talents…you never know whose lives you’ll touch.

Kassandra Struk:

Tonight was a very special night for me. I am originally from San Jose and my parents drove up 5 hours to see the show. It was the first time they had ever seen me dance! To top it off they brought me a surprise…and I still cant believe they were able to keep this a secret. They brought up with them Kerianna Butler one of the truest friends I have ever had, she had just gotten off her mission one week earlier and it was the first time ive seen her in a year and a half. So that’s the good news, the bad news is I was extremely distracted! Haha I can laugh about it now but it was not a good thing at the time. The venue that we were performing in that night was a little hard to maneuver because there were no wings. Our entire shows success depends on our entrances and exits using the wings of the stage so it was especially important that we were on top of our game …and not distracted. Needless to say it wasn’t the smoothest show for me. Oh well, the show must go on.

Day Nine.

Cresent City, CA to Eureka, CA

Today was such a blast! We were able to get up early in the morning and head to Eureka, CA. Once there we saw the venue and to surprise, our name was on the marquee. We all felt famous. Once there we were able to split up into groups and explore the city for a good couple of hours. I know all the dancers had so much fun exploring the historic and downtown Eureka. The architecture and history of the town were fascinating.
After exploring Eureka we were fed a wonderful dinner at the stake center. Thank you to all those who prepared it! It was a wonderful meal.
Shortly following dinner we performed our show at the beautiful venue and then departed to our hone-stays for the night.

Stories and Experiences:

Kamrie McCandless:
Eureka!!! We got to go be normal and walk around freely! OH it was so splendid to have a bit of a break from the cramped bus and go stretch our legs by splitting up and going touring wherever we wanted to. Weather in Eureka is pretty moderate you don’t see the sun shine a lot. It wasn’t cold and it wasn’t hot which was so nice. My group consisted of Elsha, Jude, Rachel, Megan, myself, and our protector and priesthood holder Daniel . He kept us safe from all harm. We had a blast walking around taking pictures with huge cool murals exploring a cool little bagel and antique shop. The venue we preformed in was incredible!!! A lot of us felt like we were in Phantom of the Opera. We felt fancy because they had tv’s in the dressing rooms so we could watch the show while we were down there. The show went really well! After it was over this lady came with her arms wide open and just gave me this huge hug and said, “You’re my favorite!” Ha ha ha!! I gave her a hug and said she was my favorite we then just went on for a few minutes like we were just old friends. I had never met her before! It was so much fun!

Elsha Guthrie:
Eureeeeka, California….except California isn’t supposed to be cold right?? I guess I was misled. We walked along the pier and we came upon this cute little shop that had salt water taffy and sweaters (to shield us from the cold mind you) and our front there was one of those creepy fortune teller machines with the weird man in a turban who rubs his hand over the crystal ball. So having plenty of time to waste we all start taking pictures with the Fortune Telling Man. This lasted for about 10 or 15 minutes until it was finally my turn for the picture. I pretended to be kissing him through the glass and as while I was posing this intense and thickly accented voice starts yelling, “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!” I was so scared that I just stood there with my lips all puckered up while the man in the glass encouraged my to get my fortune told…which I did. See if I ever lean in for a kiss again on this trip!

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More stories!

Kenzie Mitchell
What’s in the shoe tonight?

Incident #3- Little did I know what was coming to me when I was changing into Footloose. I thought I was going to put my high tops on and be free from any problems. I was wrong. As I was putting on my shoes I noticed that the insides of my shoes were rather wet. Not just damp, but soaking wet. Jackie told me that she had to pour out a lot of the water because there was so much in there (Thanks Jackie). Instantly, I knew it was Sister Bone who was up to this no good kind of prank. So of course I had to go out and perform in those drenched shoes. Was it the worst I had with those shoes? No, but it definitely was uncomfortable. Knowing that Sister Bone was up to this I knew I had to get her back somehow or someway. THIS IS WAR!!!!!!

Incident #4- Bahahahaha. This time it was my turn to get back at Sister Bone! So Sister Bone was sitting on this stool on stage left with the headset to call the dances. During the show, I noticed she was off the stool and that was my chance to go in with my plan. I poured some water on the stool so when she would sit down, she would get a nice wet spot on her bum. She came back to her stool and noticed the wet spot on the stool. She pointed at the ceiling thinking that water came dripping down from it. Oh and I put water in her shoes too. She knew it was me because later she pointed her flashlight in my face and of course I acted like I did nothing wrong. Later in the performance, someone told me that Sister bone put grapes in my Jazz shoes. Those Jazz shoes needed to go on for the last number so she thought for sure she was going to get me. Well I took the grapes out of the shoes, put them in a nice little cup, and went up to Sister Bone to place the cup full of grapes in front of her and said, “You didn’t get me!” With a big ole’ smile I skipped off to the other side of the stage. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Kyle Spaulding:
“ It is a strange occurrence that 40 very different people can be in very close proximity for long extended periods of time without having drama. This has been our experience on this journey. My story is about this miracle. On Saturday the 31^st we went to the temple as a group. I was going to do baptisms for the first time. I have never baptized anyone and I was somewhat nervous. After being reassured we began. The spirit that was there was so strong. I reaffirmed the love and bond that we all share. It was one of the most powerful experiences in my life. I either baptized my friends or watched and in that short period of time I have never felt closer to anyone. We helped one another get ready, get in and out of the water, got towels, and the only concern was for others. I realized at this point why our group has such a special time together. WE truly love one another. I don’t know a lot of the people on the team in a deep meaningful way but I feel a deep meaningful love for them. I realized that no matter the time or distance I would do anything for my group of friends.

During this session a temple worker had submitted some of her ancestors’ names and we did them. The spirit had whispered for her to come look in the room right as I began doing those names. She was able to be present for the names being done. She related to me this story afterwards and I felt how important temple work for the dead is. During the time I was baptizing I had a very special feeling doing several parts of the baptisms and it would not surprise me if it was when I did that sweet sisters relatives. This strengthened my testimony of God’s love for all his children. If there is one highlight of the trip I think most would agree that this was it.

The second most spiritual experience of the trip happened this day as well. Have you ever met someone and just known you were supposed to meet. It seems most of the team felt this way and I would like to relate my experience with this. When Alex and I were assigned to our family after the show it was very typical. It was very obvious after we got to their home that it was something special.I felt the spirit confirm that we were supposed to be there for the next two days. As we spoke I realized why. I want to go into dentistry but have a lot of doubts and concerns about making that ultimate choice. Matt is a recent dentist graduating only 5 years ago. Matt and Erica were a fun hip couple with 4 boys and a baby girl. I doubt I will ever find a more perfect role model for what I want in life. Matt had similar doubts and concerns with his life choices but I was able to see that he and Erica were so happy and fun and caring. They made me feel welcome and like we were not just guests but close friends staying for a visit. There could not have been a more perfect home stay for what I have been struggling with in life. I loved this family in a way that was beyond my abilities. Both Alex and I wished we could have spent more time with them. This day I realized that the spirit is helping our group probably every step of the way. I have never experienced anything like it. It has been worth every sacrifice, pain, discomfort, and heartache to be here. Maybe it is because of all that we have sacrificed to be here that makes this trip so special. I will forever hold this time as one of the greatest moments in my life.”

Another story…Day Eight.

Wendy Bone

Ranger Joe was awesome!!!! We got the best tour guide ever as a group of sixteen of us explored the Oregon Caves together. He gave us mini seek-n-find challenges, told interesting stories, and he enjoyed teasing Brother Bone. He kept commenting throughout the tour on how much he liked our group. At one point, the dancers scaled a long staircase while I stayed behind with Ranger Joe. He commented that he liked us Mormons—that we were dead on in regard to the importance of family. He said he didn’t believe much of the other stuff, but he respected the focus on families.

At the end of the tour he asked if anyone had a good singing voice, and he proceeded to place six dancers in the middle of a long walkway surrounded by rock while the rest of us, along with Ranger Joe, stood at the cavern exit. The six dancers began singing a verse of Nearer My God to Thee, but the acoustics made it sound as though 100 people were singing in the tunnel. The harmonizing was beautiful. Ranger Joe put his head down and closed his eyes throughout, an indication that he truly appreciated the reverence of the moment. Afterwards, we all exited the cave and he congratulated the six dancers for their effort and commented that it almost made him cry.

His humorous and kind nature made him our instant friend. We love you Ranger Joe!

Day Eight.

Grants Pass, OR to Cresent City, CA

Today we drove a lot and do some fun sight seeing. First we went to the Oregon Caves. This was an hour and a half tour. We had to split up into groups, 15 per. group, and we descended at different times into the caves. Each group was able to have a different experience, and everyone will agree that we all had a great time.
After the caves we ate a great lunch at Pizza Hut. Shortly following our lunch we drove to the Redwood forest. Once there we hiked in about a mile on a trail and got to see these beautiful trees and wildlife. It was so much fun to take pictures with these breathtakingly large trees.
Once we were done at the Redwoods we were able to check into our hotel and some of us had the opportunity to visit the harbor or beach. Shortly after that we had a great family home evening by Rachel Withers and then some of us called it a night, while the others went to a sea food restaurant next store to the hotel.
This day of rest was greatly needed by all of us and we had so much fun spending time with one another.

 

 

Stories and Experiences:

Cristian Joubert:

Today was our experience at the Oregon Caves. It’s Monday of week 2 on the tour. We are taking some free-time from dance to enjoy some sight-seeing. Our group disembarked the bus and every single one of us formed lines at the restrooms. After a short while a woman in a park uniform came and officially greeted the team. We gathered in the hacky-sackin’ boys (including Bro. Bone) and the photo-face-splicing, giggling girls to the circle. We made our way to the main building and began breaking off in groups. I was in Group 2 with Camille, Celeste, Jane, Jamie, Daniel, Elsha, Kali, Amanda, Megan, Kylie, Dave, Bethani, Jude, and the Bones. Our tour guide was Ranger Joe Alexander. He has been working and guiding tours at the Oregon Caves for ten years. Before we began the actual tour Joe showed us some fossils and rocks, showed us pictures of significant individuals, and gave us a little bit of trivia. As we walked through the caves we continued to marvel at the substantial sums of new and interesting info we received from Ranger Joe. The hour and a half tour proved most adventuresome, not to mention entertaining. At the near conclusion of our  tour, Ranger Joe gathered us in. He gestured towards a very long tunnel. A five-hundred-foot straight shot toward the light. A small number of our group dashed toward the mouth of the tunnel. We thrilled as we breathlessly ran the incline. Once at the top we found the gate locked, so we waited a moment or two for the rest of our group to gather. Once Joe got up there with the keys, he paused for a moment. Before he opened the gate, he enlightened us concerning the acoustics of the tunnel. He said the resonance was ideal for music. And so with his invitation, 6 of us, 2 boys and 4 girls, went about 40 yards and huddled after a brief collaboration, where we settled on “Nearer My God to Thee”. We found our starting note and began to sing. Joe was right; the acoustics were out of this world. The hymn resonated beautifully throughout the cave. It penetrated the cool, damp air. We learned later that our tour guide, Joe, was so moved to stillness. He closed his eyes and drank in the melody with the rest of the group. Sister Bone related to us later Joe’s respective comments concerning the experience. For us, the members of the little impromptu choir, it was a window for testimony. All in all, I would consider it the most significant teaching moment of the entire tour.

Rachel Withers:
"Today I went 225 ft. deep into the earth by way of the Oregon caves for an hour and a half. Our tour guide Jennifer, bless her heart, was very green, if you know what I mean.  Inside the cave there was beautiful granite and slimy looking rocks in the shape of banana’s.  Each room of the cave was different with different forms of rock.  I felt like I couldn’t get enough oxygen inside the cave because of the high amounts of carbon dioxide.  There were a lot of steps in the cave, 500 to be exact, but we all made it with our dancers energy.  Our tour guide actually said our group was the least tired group she had taken.  So parents you have fit kids thanks to dance.  Well anyway, the cave was fun she told us stories about how the first man to come into the caves was chasing his dog who was chasing a bear and the man lost his light so he made it out by finding the 44 degree water running through the cave.  After we got out of the cave some of us climbed to the top of the mountain trail the caves were beneath.  The view was phenomenal with rolling hills and trees in every direction.  Summed up I felt like a true cave woman after I climbed out of the mouth of the cave.  We just got to the redwood forest national park. “

Dave McNary

“Today we have had the opportunity to go to the harbor as we on our way back from our adventure we had decided to take a short cut which involved passing through a nearby ditch. As we approached the gap we were dismayed to find that there was a spongy looking mass at the bottom of the ditch. It was not the most inviting sight but Beth being the brave champion piped “it’s like living on a farm we have to pass through ditches all the time.” “Alrighty young lady, be my guest and cross first!” I chimed! She took a deep breath and bolted in her attempt to clear the ditch. After clearing a whole two inches she landed in the green wannabe grass which sunk immediately. She squealed in alarm then flew out of the ditch quicker then she fell into it!! Then turned around and stared at us with wide eyes struck with terror! Needless to say she survived and it was funny!!”

Kylie Brusco & Kamrie McCandless

“One more story about our host family this weekend. I think the 13 yr old only girl of 7 boys, was the most excited out of all of them to have the two older sisters around. Her and her mother admitted to checking out our costumes as they hung in the laundry room to air out, and they discovered that Kamrie was Glenda the good witch in the dance “Popular.” They were so excited! They loved that routine.

After family prayer Sunday night, we sat around chatting for a few minutes. Estie, our little sister, left the room to go brush her teeth. At that moment I felt that perhaps she might like to try on one of our costumes, like dress up or something, considering she hadn’t had sisters or female cousins to play with. Then it hit me. Glenda. Pink sequins. I leaned over and asked Kamrie if she would be willing to share. We pitched the idea and extended the offer to Estie and she was absolutely thrilled!!! She eagerly put on the costume, let us do up her hair a little bit, then happily posed for the camera! She looked beautiful! Kamrie jumped in the photos with her and showed her some good poses for the role as Glenda. Estie is a doll and I know she will never forget her weekend with two big sisters.”

Alex Ashby:
“After a long and exciting day of explore the caves and giant mystical forests we ended up at the Lighthouse Inn in Cresent city, which incidentally is right along the coast.  We had planned on a bon-fire and Family home evening on the beach tonight, but due to overcast skies and a surly wind blowing many opted out of spending time on the beach.  A few of us who were more stubborn decided that we were going to experience the beach anyways!  Because what good is being next to a beach if you can’t enjoy it?!?!  So we bundled up and headed out.  It was actually alot of fun and not as cold as expected because we had a couple of ostrich races and started an intense game of “line tag”.  In case your not familiar with line tag, it basically consists of drawing a giant spider web in the sand and then playing tag while only stepping on the lines.  It was a ton of fun and everyone who participated left the beach with red noses and smiling faces :) the end.” 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebecca Urie:
"I got another recipe! This tour has been filled with wonderful food provided by our home-stay families which I thank you for so much. During my stay at the Jessee’s home my home stay mom made the best Bean Salsa. She agreed to share the recipe with me and also to let me share it with you! Here it is,

Bean Salsa

2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can corn (drained)
1/2-1 bunch of cilantro
1/4 cup or so purple onion
1  t. minced garlic
chopped jalapenos – to taste

Sauce
Mix: 1/4 oil ( I use canola)
         1/4 lemon juice
         1 t. cumin

Pour sauce on bean mixture. Stir.
Yummy! Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as me and the girls who had the privilege of staying with this lovely family did. "

Day Seven.

Grants Pass, OR

Today we were able to go to church with members of various wards in the Grants Pass Stake. This was such a treat to be able to visit with the youth. After church we were able to visit with our homestays which is a real treat because we do not normally have that much time to visit with our home stays. It is always dance,neat, shower, sleep, eat and then get back on the bus again. It was so much fun visiting with them. They were so generous and kind to all of us. One example that is the same for all the dancers on the team is every home stay we were with let us hang our costumes up to air out for over the weekend. The show we put on is that of such high energy that we tend to sweat in our costumes…a lot! They were a little damp you could say. They also let us do some laundry. We as a team would like to thank each and every one of our home-stay families again for their kindness and for letting us stink up their homes with our smelly costumes. We appreciate you more then you know!
After we visited with our home-stay families we were able to put on a fireside for anyone 12ysrs. old and up in the Grants Pass Stake. This went over very well with a lovely turn out. The spirit was felt by everyone their, be it through song or word. Following the fireside we had a short question and answer session.
The Lord really does work in mysterious ways and we are so grateful to be apart of his missionary and to be able to help touch the lives of so many according to his will.

 

Stories and Experiences:

Kylie Brusc0:

“Pre-face: When I was 12 years old my parents were divorced. Since my parent’s temple sealing was broken, I have asked priesthood authorities over and over again what will happen to me? Will I be all alone not sealed to my family because of the divorce? Will I still be sealed to my mother who is still a faithful member of the church? With so many different answers to my question, I could not be sure any of them were correct.

I stayed with a family in Grants Pass whose situation is not too far from my own. Three boys and one girl were in the home which completed the exact layout in my immediate family (tender because I have not been home in 7 months). After a divorce and their mother remarrying a man with 4 boys, they have a combined family of 7 children; super bright and sweet kids. I loved them!!! They were happy to have two big sisters in the house.

KC, the mother of the home, was personable and outgoing. Her and I shared personal experiences while preparing dinner and could relate because of the similar situations through divorce and family struggles. I praised her for how awesome her kids are turning out and she reassured me that the Lord had always guided her in raising them. We stumbled across the topic of temple sealings and how that works out for the kids when a temple seal is broken. She shared her perspective but then felt confident in sharing a letter from the first presidency with me. This letter was sent to her in response for her request for temple divorce. I cannot share the exact words, but from that I was reassured that children born in the covenant will not be denied their birthright and blessings of a temple sealing because of their parents . Ultimately, through that sacred covenant, are we not sealed to each other but ultimately our Heavenly Father? His tender mercies would not deny his children those blessings they were born into.

My heart rejoiced to finally know the truth! I know that Pres. Monson is the Lord’s Prophet on the earth today. With his signature on the bottom of this letter I had no doubt that this was the truth. I can finally feel peace knowing that all will be well with my Heavenly Father and that although the seal no longer exists between my parents, because my siblings and I were born in the covenant we will not be denied those sacred privileges and blessings we are entitled to. "

Day Six.

Central Point, OR to Grants Pass, OR

Today we were able to attend the Medford Temple in the morning. Some of us did baptisms and some were about to attended a session. We all had some amazing experiences and spiritually uplifting moments while there. The Medford Temple is located directly behind the stake center there and it was truly a beautiful sight.
After going to the temple we all had time to go to Walmart or take a nap. Then we packed back up the bus and drove to Grants Pass High School for our next show.
This day has been the guys favorite day so far. Why you ask? For dinner we went to an ‘all you can eat’ buffet. They boys were all very, very happy!
After the buffet we had our show to a wonderful audience in a sold out auditorium.

 

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Stories and Experiences:

Kassandra Struk:
"The morning we all went to the Medford Temple everyone went to take group pictures and I had to grab something on the bus. I was on the bus with Travis and the next thing I knew, I turned around and he was GONE! So I figured I should get off the bus before I got locked in on it. I got to the front of the bus and what do you know, i’m locked in. Sister Bone was still outside the bus and I banged on the window to get her attention, naturally she gave me the look ( you know the “what the heck are you doing” look). After trying to get the door open and failing she went and got Brother Bone. He couldn’t get me out either. So they went and got Jeff, the bus driver. Finally, after ten minutes of fiddling with the door they got me out. I was embarrassed and a little sweaty due to the lack of air conditioning.”

Rebecca Urie:
"This Home-Stay was another really fun one for me. There were four of us that got to stay with the Jessee family. When we got there the dad got home and asked us if we wanted to go see the number one Elvis impersonator in the country. We, of course, said yes! So he took all of us and his two daughters to the ‘back to the 50’s’ celebration in downtown Grants Pass. It was so much fun! He gave us all t-shirts to remember the back to the 50’s day too. It was such a fun experience for all of us.
Another fun thing with this homestay was that they had a little girl named Alyssa and one of the girls that stayed their with us was named Alissa. We all got to sleep in the two little girls room and Alissa got to sleep in Alyssa’s bed. We got some cute pictures of this.”
 

Also one last experience that meant a lot to me was I was able to have Jeff’s, our amazing bus driver, granddaughter, Nicole, do the warm up with us. This absolutely was a delight for me. We started off by telling her that if she wanted to warm up wtih us she would have to wear what we wore for warm up. So we gave her one of our black dance alliance shirts. Then we brought her out onto the stage and had her follow along with us during the warm up. She followed along so well and it was so much fun seeing how happy warming up with us made her.”

Day five.

Roseburg, OR to Central Point, OR

We got to go to Crater Lake today. It was very pretty. We got to go on a tour with Ranger Dave Grimes who told us all about the deepest lake in the United States.( Over 2,000 ft. deep!) This was so much fun because Ranger Dave was able to ride with us on our tour bus and tell us everything there is to know about Crater Lake.After our adventure at Crater Lake we arrived late to our venue in Central Point, OR and set up the floor and all of our costumes in about 25 min. It is amazing how fast our group can move when food is the motivation.
Once we had the venue all set up were were able to eat an amazing dinner all thanks to members of the Central Point Stake.Thank you so much to all those of Central Point that hosted us and came to our show!

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Stories and Experiences:

Rebecca Urie:
"We had the most amazing home stay family! They were able to take 8 of us girls and that night we ate the most amazing strawberry pie. Here is Jill Frodsham’s Famous Fresh Strawberry pie recipe!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 baked pie shell
about 3 pints fresh strawberries

slice strawberries in half and lay on the pie shell
pile strawberries in the shell heaping towards the middle
Cover with glaze sealing out to the edges.

Glaze
2 cups mashed berries ( I put them in the blender with all the other ingredients then boil the mixture)
1 cup of sugar (less if strawberries are really sweet)
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Cook until clear about 3 minutes stirring. It will thicken. Pour 1/2 over strawberries. Tab pie plate to settle glaze. Pour rest of glaze over berries covering berries and seal out to edges. Chill (about an hour) and enjoy.
(Also good with peaches or other fresh fruit.) If you don’t have enough berries you can use Danish Dessert for the glaze.

This is such a wonderful recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Thank you Jill!”

Bethani Casper:
"As we were pulling in to the first rest stop in about 2 hours at Crater Lake, to all of our surprise we saw another BYU-Idaho tour bus. I looked at Dave and exclaimed THAT’S ALVIN! Alvin is my step-dad and he is the bus driver for the geology students this week. We were so lucky to meet up at the same place and get a hug, catch up and take some good pictures. Unfortunately, Alvin has the pictures. It made my day, and his too. My mom sent me a text that night that said he called home after he saw me and was really happy, but sad because he misses his family. He will get home Sunday, a week before us so he will be there soon! Love you Alvin!”

Day four.

Coos Bay,OR to Roseburg, OR

Today was such a fun day as has everyday been so far. We were dropped off at the stake center by our home-stays then we drove to see sea lions about an hour away from Coos Bay, OR. After We went to see the Sea lions we started our drive to Roseburg. On the way we had to stop at Wal-Mart because two of the girls had forgot their cell phones so we had to wait for their home-stays to bring it to them.
After a peaceful drive( yes peaceful! our favorite time on the bus is quiet/nap time.) We arrived at our venue in Roseburg,OR and put on another great show. (The venue was beautiful) We love dancing and doing sharing our testimonies through our expressions and talents while doing so.

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Stories and Experiences:

 

Juan Hernandez.

“So we get to our home-stay and the dad asks Daniel how good Daniel’s coordination is and Daniel says that it is pretty good so the dad takes a funnel and puts it in his pants and takes a penny, puts it on his nose and then drops it in the funnel and then he asks Daniel if he can do it. Daniel says yeah I could do that . He puts the funnel in his pants and puts the penny on his nose and before he drops it the dad dumped a cup of water down the funnel. But Daniel did have good coordination because he pulled the funnel out before he got wet and the water went all over the floor.”

Celeste Ouimette.

“Jackie and I went to stay with an adorable young family of five children (the Townsends) in their beautiful house. In the evening, while Jackie was taking a shower I was able to get to know Kari and Cameron (the husband and wife) a little bit. The conversation started by them asking me if I was married also (because Jackie said she was married). I said that I was not married and that started a wonderful conversation about the open and exciting future that is front of me. Kari told me that she went on a mission when she was 22 and got married when she was 26. This was so good for me to hear because I am already 22 and have been wondering about my future and the possible directions that I can go in. They encouraged me about my future and assured me of the amazing things that I can accomplish. This was an answer to my concerns and prayers. I felt a great desire to have faith in the Lord because of the Spirit and the good influence of this family.”

Day 3

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Day three. (pictures)

The Dalles, Or to Coos Bay, OR.

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Stories and Experiences: (more!)

Kali Gawley:

"On our third night on tour Amillitta, Jane, Shaylee and myself were sent home with an adorable couple. One the way home they joked with us that we would be sleeping in a tent. ha ha ha, we thought. When we arrived, instead of sleeping in the luxury of a tent, we were given their shed. We were toured around the shed like it was their most prized position. being shown 75 fishing rods, 4 refrigerators, walls of riffles and guns and their food storage where we learned we could have canned elk or tuna (homemade) for lunch the next day. 3 couches and one small cot, in the midst of tools and fishing supplies were where we were put. They then moved on to give us a tour of their home where we were shown gorgeous guest rooms with queen beds. once the tours were over, and we were left alone in the shed, the four of us couldn’t stop laughing at the fact that we were put in their shed. Amilitta has a video of the place. We love this family with all our hearts and feel honored to have been able to stay in their shed and meet them.”

Day three.

The Dalles, OR to Coos Bay, OR

Today we were able to do a little sight seeing and vist the beautiful rose gardens in Portland, OR. This was such a pretty place and we had so much fun taking pictures and enjoying the flowers.
After that we drove to our venue and performed one show. Every once and a while after a show people will ask us if we ever get tired of our show because it is so exhausting...and our answer is, no way! There is never a dull moment dancing. With such an energetic group of dancers we all thrive off of eachothers energy and the audience's participation to get us through.


Stories and Experiences:

Kenzie Mitchell. (Incident #2)
"Once again, I had another incident in the rush of getting ready for Footloose. I accidentally put on Amalita's shoes and they were 3 sizes too small! (Ahhh!) So Amalitta had to wear my size 10 pair of shoes. It didnt hurt that bad until I started dancing. I think I brok my 7.5 of my toes and I still managed to keep a big ole' smile on my face. while I was in pain, I could hear Amalitta flopping around with my big shoes. Hopefully I never have to experience that again. These feet of mine are not made to fit in a size 7."

Kamrie Joy.
"So after our show I was helping pull up the floor. Then this young man, I presumed him to be about 10, came up and graciously gave the complement that we had done a wonderful show. I thanked him and asked him what his favorite dance was. He quickly replied, "Well mostly I was playing my DS." As he says this he proudly holds up his shiney red video game. Proof that he wasn't lying. It was pretty awesome. I then asked if he had a favorite of the ones he had watched, he thought for a moment and said, " Probably the last one". We had some good laughs when I explained my experience to Some of the girls while we were packing up."

Jeff Kern.
"We arrived at the church in the morning to depart on the bus for our next venue a few good hours away. When we arrived we found Cristian playing with a little kitten that was up in a tree. After a little while he watned to get the kitten out of the tree. So he asked me to climp the tree and get the kitten out of the tree.
So I climbed up and got the cat down though it did not want to. It wanted to stay in the tree instead."

Kelsey Black.
"Last night my dream finally came true when Sister Bone asked me, Kelsey Gwen Black, to open the curtain. Ever since I was a little girl dancing I always dreamed about opening the curtain to reveal the dancers on stage. What a responsibility! The show would only start once I pulled that cord. It was such a rush! I honestly thing that the show went so well because of my curtain opening. I'm actually just kidding. I did open the curtain last night but I never had a dream for opening it. I only opened it because I wasn't int he first dance. I was more than happy to help though! I love dance!"

Juan Hernandez.
"My arm hurt in Nampa. I hurt it bad the first show. Cristian and Ray gave me a blessing before the second show and it felt better. The End."

Jackie Price.
"I have always enjoyed the song "Grandma's feather bed" but last night, Elizabeth and I slept in the ultimate Grandma bed! When we got in the room we saw this beautiful bed. We laid on it and then noticed remote controls on the bed. We pushed buttons and found that each side could individually lift the head and/or feet and that you could get a vibration massage at your head or at your feet. There were five of us piled on the bed checking it out (and enjoying the massage!) Thanks so much to Susan and Chelsey and a special thanks to Grandma for being out of town and letting us sleep in her bed!"

Day One.

Rexburg to Nampa, ID.

Day one of our two week tour we were able to dance two shows in Nampa, ID. This was a great way to start our tour because our audience was very welcoming and inviting. During this stop on our journey we were able to meet many new friends and some were even able to reconnect with family.

We are so excited to visit The Dalles tomorrow and know that it will be a great show!
Look out The Dalles, here we come!

Stories and Experiences:

Rachel Withers.
had an experience with her home-stay family before leaving the venue. She had discovered that the sweet couple she was to stay with was actually her grandpa's cousin. Family! Rachel really enjoyed getting to visit with her family and hear the stories that they had to share about her grandfather.
 

Kenzie Mitchell.
"I had an interesting experience during our performance at the Nampa Civic Center. Girls, we all know that the change into Footloose is crazy fast! ( This is one of the dances we perform during the show) We pretty much have negative 2 seconds. I have 3 people getting me ready, it’s out of control! We put my shoes on and realized they were on backwards…
By the time we noticed it was too late to change them. So I went out and did my thang with my shoes on backwards. Hopefully no one noticed…Cough…Maybe i’ll just start wearing them backwards from here on out.
I love to Dance!”

Pictues:

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Day two.

Napma, ID to The Dalles, OR.

Today we were able to put on a show at The Dalles Wohtonka High School in The Dalles, ID. It was such an adventure and a sweaty experience for all of us! We also were blessed to do a workshop with the youth at a stake center. They had learned a routine for a dance festival that they had performed it at a week or two before our coming. In return we danced for them and then learned a fun line dance together to Jai Ho. We had so much fun making new friends.
We would also like to give a special Thank you to the members of the stake that designed and built an extension to go onto the High school stage so that we would have enough room for our performance that night. This sturdy extension was built over the orchestra pit and really helped us during the show.
Thank you!

Stories and Experiences:

Amanda Conley.
"We went to meet with our home-stays and proceeded to talk with and get to know them. In the process I found out that they had lived in Ben. Thinking there would be no way, but that I would ask, I asked if they knew the Bartley Family. The host Mom, Jill, said “You know the Bartley’s?” I replied, “Yes, they are my grandparents!” Jill said, “Your grandma is my best friend!”
Turned out they had lived in Bend with my grandparents for some time and had become great friends. We talked about my family and the different relationships we both shared. It was wonderful that of all the home-stays, I got to be with them that night. It was a wonderful experience to hear their conversion story and how they met my grandparents. Sometimes it feels like such a small world but Heavenly Father does have his hand in everything.”

Shaylee Wasden.
“So there I was chillin in the bathroom with Alissa and Bethani when all of a sudden Crash!( Boom.Bang.over the roof tops.) Glass and rocks and a vanilla scented candle shattered on the floor. All I could hear was the sound of the herd of turkeys in the background. Then I hear my host family (sister Arbon) ask if “everything is okay?” All the girls kinda look at each other and then I yell back a weak “yes…” Sister Bone comes around the corner to check it out and all I get is a chuckle followed by the famous Sister Bone look. Next comes Brother Bone and I get a smirk and a chuckles from him. Then my host family comes onto the scene and declares “That was a family heirloom!…from Wal-Mart.” My heart died a little bit and came back to life…Kinda. I just had rocks and vanilla candle and broken glass in my hands.”

Clint Smith. (Our wonderful Tech)
"The Dales High School Auditorium was a very interesting venue. I called the coordinator a week before to get the stage specs and technical data. I wanted to make sure that we had lighting for the stage extension that the members were building.
It was suggested that construction lights could be used, and someone could unplug, and plug in the lights between numbers. This mad me very worried about the venue.
When we arrived at the venue I started getting sound hooked up. First I found out that the Auditorium speakers were blown and could not be used. Our own speakers were set up on stage and wired to the balcony were the light controls were located. I spent a few minutes getting to know an unfamiliar light board.
The stage lights were in pretty bad shape. The dancers left to do a workshop with the youth and I stayed along with Raymond and Jeff to get things set up. We spent three hours fixing, coloring, and focusing lights. This was done in an unconventional way. We had to lower the lights, set them, raise them back up and check to see if we needed to do corrections. If corrections were needed, which was needed many times, the process was repeated.
Everything was set for the house to open, but right then one of the significant face lights, lamp burnt out. I had to quickly refocus the remaining few lights to compensate.
During the first number I had a bit of a glitch in the lighting console (learning curve), but other than that the show was great with the few resources we had to work with.
Thanks to those who helped me untangle and tape down wires, and to Michael Bone who helped with sound during the performance.”

Bethani Casper.
"Dora was at the workshop at the stake center. We were learning the Jai Ho Line dance and she was dancing right beside me. Once we had learned the dance Sister Bone started passing out t-shirts to some of the kids. Dora got really excited and said “I am going to get one of those!” I encouraged her to cheese it up and put some attitude into it. She worked it and got a t-shirt! I was so happy for her. Then at dinner she sat by me. I found out that she was 13 yrs. old and dances Ballet. she wants to go to either BYU or BYU-Idaho and major in dance. Se was excited to discover that BYU-Idaho has a great dance program and was anxious to look it up! That night at the show she sat right in front and I could see the excitement in her eyes as she watched the show. After the show she found me, and gave me a big hug and said “Thank you so much for coming.I have really liked everything we did today and the show was great!” I could tell that we had really made an impact to her and that she had been touched. Dora will always have a special place in my heart. It was hard to say goodbye, but I wish her the best!”

Megan Turner.
"Were leaving The Dalles High School with our home-stays, and she asked for our names. So we went down the line introducing ourselves… “Kenzie, Megan, Rachel…” in the back Kali was having issues with her bad “…and that one in the back is our special friend Kali” I told her We all laughed. but little did we know that our “special friend” wasn’t quite done being special yet.
Later that night we were all taking showers and such, and Kali went into the other bedroom to change. We didn't thing anything of it until we heard her say, “Rachel…you have to come let me out!” I got up to help and found something odd…no doorknob. After I stuck my finger in the hole, and Rachel tried using a credit card, we finally decided that we should probably wake up our host family. They came up saying “Oh yea…we forgot to tell you.” and pulled out a screwdriver. After about 5 minutes, we finally got her out! And before you ask…no we didn’t freak out, and yes we were laughing our pants off throughout the entire ordeal.”

pictures.

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One day till show time!

After each dancer having put in over 3,000 hours of work towards a stunning “Broadway” style show, it is time to hit the road. The Dance Alliance Dance Company, from Brigham Young University Idaho, consists of 36 talented dancers from all different genres, under the creative direction of Wendy Bone and Joy Watts. Preparation for the show started in January and now the dancers are about to embark on a two week tour to the Pacific Northwest. Cities include Nampa, ID, The Dalles, OR, Coos Bay, OR, Roseburg, OR, Central Point, OR, Grants Pass OR, Crescent City, CA, Eureka, CA, Redding, CA, Klamath Falls, OR, Bend, OR and Ontario, OR. After this exhausting, yet rewarding journey we will arrive back at Brigham Young University Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho. Forever to have memories of this wonderful journey written on our hearts.

We hope that you enjoy following us on this adventure, that we ourselves are so excited for. Over the course of these two weeks we are going to share with you, our friends and family, pictures, videos and experiences from the dancers themselves.

Thank you so much for your support! Wish us luck!

It’s Show time!