Dance, music and film will join together to portray compelling stories from the journals of the women of the Mormon Battalion in the Brigham Young University Dancers’ Company performance “Dance in Concert: Onward, Alone,” Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 31- Feb. 2.
Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets for all performances are $10 and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, by calling (801) 422-4322 or by visiting performances.byu.edu.
The story of the Mormon Battalion soldiers — who in 1846 separated from the main exodus west by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and their longest march in military history is well documented, but the equally compelling stories of the women they left behind on the plains of Iowa are largely untold.
The morning the battalion marched away was a moment of sheer desperation for approximately 500 women who did not know when their husbands would return — or if they would return at all, said artistic director Caroline Prohosky.
“Onward, Alone” will share the message that faith can help overcome any trial, no matter how difficult. Dance will merge with music, painting, poetry and film to reveal the inner thoughts, feelings and faith of the women who sacrificed so much to build a Church that would, in both principle and organization, testify of God and of His love for all people, Prohosky said.
The Dancers’ Company, a winner in the American College Dance Festival competition, ignites audiences with its wide spectrum of dances styles that range from dramatic to comedic and lyrical to jazz.
Organized in 1975, the company has taught workshops and performed throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and in South America, east Asia, South Africa, Turkey, Australia, and Israel.
The Dancers’ Company will tour Texas and New Mexico during February.
For more information, contact Caroline Prohosky at (801) 422- 3345.
Writer: Marissa Ballantyne
