Living Legends Article

PROVO, Utah – In the Knight Building on the campus of Brigham Young University, two students artfully perform a traditional hoop dance to American Indian music.

The dance is an expression of their culture. To American Indians, the hoop is a symbol of eternity. It is used in the dance to honor Mother Earth's creations.

These students belong to Living Legends, a group of students with American Indian, Polynesian and Latin American heritage. The group promotes culture, family and the value of education through dance and music.

They practice 10 hours a week and travel throughout the year, taking their dances on tour before various audiences. This year, they have been to Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. In April, they will take their show to Chili.

Ana Wilson has been a member of the group for 2 years. Meeting people on tour is the best part of the job, she said. But the most meaningful experiences have involved seeing how much people sacrifice to have group members stay in their homes.

The group focuses on showing the seasons of the Book of Mormon, a tome of scripture for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Performing as part of Living Legends is essentially a mission to share the church’s message, Wilson said.
“We don't proselyte like missionaries, but we share it,” she said.

Wilson said she has learned that to some people, the performance is all about experiencing the music and culture. To others, it means something different – an opportunity to feel the spirit, something many of them have never done before.

The group performs 17 dances from different countries. “Sasa, Lapa Lapa,” a dance from Samoa, involves powerful slaps. “Un Madrigal, El Buey” is a dance from Mexico that evokes folklore and tradition. “Aguacero de Mayo” draws upon the multicultural background of Colombia. From North America, there is “The Warrior's Suite,” a dance thats honor American Indian fighters.

The trademark song of the group is its perennial finale, “Go, My Son.” The song tells the story of a chief who teaches that the way to succeed in life is through maintaining family ties and getting an education.

Rachel Bair has attended the show several times to see her older siblings perform. She said she thinks people connect with the performance because it showcases so many different cultures. Being of Mexican descent Bair believes that culture is very important to defining who she is.

“It not only helps you appreciate your culture,” she said. “It makes me proud of my culture.”

Living Legends will be performing at BYU’s Harris Fine Arts Center March 27 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the box office for $7.

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