Dance is a dynamic form of expression through which religious identity is shaped, embodied, and performed. Five BYU Dance Majors have partnered with five dance artists of diverse faith backgrounds (India, Thailand, Ohio, NYC, and Utah) to learn dance solos reflecting ‘the search for the sacred.’ This lecture-demonstration features performed solos, classifies unique aspects of dance within religious expression, and explores movement as a tool in interfaith engagement.
Marin Leggat Roper, MFA is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Brigham Young University, where she teaches courses on Contemporary Technique, Composition, Writing for Dance, Laban Movement Analysis, Dance History and Dance Pedagogy. She directs DancEnsemble, which produces contemporary student choreography. Her creative production and scholarly research addresses the relationship between spiritual and creative practice, with focus on the body as site of embodied learning and divine intelligence. Professor Roper is a Faculty Research Fellow at the Kennedy Center and serves on the BYU Council for Interfaith Engagement.
Student participants:, Alyssa Liljenquist, Abagail Steele, Connor Rasmussen, Jordan Gulledge, Baylee Van Patten
Interfaith collaborators: Erik Stern, Veena Basavarajaiah, Tanatchaporn Kittikong, Quilan “Cue” Arnold, Lisa Ford Moulton
Part of our winter 2022 lecture series, "The Global Religious Experience."