Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
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. :)
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:
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:
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 7th 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:
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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