I want to dance.

Having lived in culturally deprived Cookeville, Tennessee the past six years of my life, I have to state that my former experiences viewing dance performances were barely memorable. Thankfully, my opinions on dance have been changed after viewing World of Dance. BYU's performers in this performance blew me away. I had no idea that dancing could affect my emotions as much as it did during this show. Throughout the relatively short performance, I felt moved in all directions. One dance brought back memories which put me on the verge of tears. Another dance caused me to cry, but from laughter. Within a short hour and a half, I was taken aback by the range of feelings I experienced.

In one number, BYU's male dancers leapt upon their women doll-clad scooters(a hard concept to describe), gliding across the stage with poise, romancing them throughout the piece. I was doubled over at one point, enjoying every minute of it. My respect for dance also grew during this piece because I have no recollection of ever viewing a dance that made me laugh. I realized all the ways that dance can portray feelings and affect others.

I was also impressed by the mood that changed from number to number. The first piece set the perfect tone to grab the audience's attention. The combination of the large moon looming on the backdrop, the smoke creeping across the stage, and the sound of bells jingling gave me chills. The transitions from the different genres of songs were also extremely effective. The changes from classical ballet pieces to contemporary swing numbers to international dances made every five minutes a new adventure.

I'm glad I had the chance to attend this event and I certainly would like to attend more. I also would like to be a BYU contemporary dancer, but we all know that will never happen.