Group Comes to Vance Brand Civic Auditorium Saturday, January 26.
For 2005 Skyline High School graduate and Brigham Young University (BYU) junior, Alyssa Esquibel, Latin dancing gives her a way to express her culture.
Esquibel, 21, is from Longmont and has been dancing Latin style for 13 years privately and as a member of BYU's Living Legends performing group.
"Most people might just know the stereotypical," Esquibel said. "This gives them a chance to really know our culture."
Living Legends celebrates the Latin American, Native American, and Polynesian cultures through song and dance in its 90-minute program,
Seasons. They will perform at the Vance Brand Civic Auditorium, 600 E. Mountain View Ave., in Longmont at 7:30 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 26. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10 and more information is available at
www.LivingLegends-Longmont.com.
The performance will reflect the cycle of civilization through authentic choreography; intricate costumes, and heart-pounding music of traditional cultures. From the graceful Hawaiian Hula and Mexican Fiesta dances of celebration to the excitement and beauty of a Native American Pow Wow, the dances will portray the changing seasons experienced by ancient cultures.
"It is a moving experience to work with these performers because I see the sincere respect they each hold for one another's ancestry as well as their own," Janielle Christensen, Living Legends artistic director, said.
The ensemble most recently returned from a tour of Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Canada performing at Native American reservations. In April and May 2008, Living Legends will go on an extended tour to Chile.
"It has been really fun and a good learning experience," Esquibel said. "We get to see new environments and how people live. We get to be in situations we're not used to."
Performing around the world for nearly 40 years, Living Legends has been applauded worldwide in China, the Pacific Islands, Australia, Canada, Europe, and South America.
Each year hundreds of BYU students representing the cultures of North and South America, and the South Pacific audition for the opportunity to pay tribute to their ancestors. All Living Legends members are of Native American, Latin American, or Polynesian heritage.
Living Legends is produced by the School of Music at BYU in Provo, Utah.