SCERA Presents UVU Ballroom Dance Company, 4/4 & 5

The Utah Valley Ballroom Dance Company danced into the hearts of America and won the coveted Mirror Ball trophy at the first-ever collegiate competition on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." The troupe then went to England four times and won the world title at Blackpool's Open British Championships. Soon the dancers are headed to China-but not before they showcase their award-winning talents April 4 and 5 at the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem.

Nearly one hundred performers from UVU's dance program, including the top-notch touring team, will fill the Showhouse II stage for a 90-minute evening that will begin at 7:30 p.m. The concert will wrap itself around the theme "American Tapestry" and embrace many dance styles, including waltz, foxtrot, samba, cha-cha, Charleston, West Coast swing, jive and more.
"The Utah Valley University Ballroom Dance Company is soaring," says Adam J. Robertson, SCERA President & CEO. "I've seen some of their performances and can easily see why the team has done so well. Now local audiences will have a chance to see this elite dance team present a brand new show in their own backyard."

"We are always looking for venues to perform," Winkelman says, "and we are really pleased to perform at SCERA."

The introductory number will set the mood as it highlights the Revolutionary War period and extends through several decades as American becomes the melting pot of the world.
Reserved-seat tickets at $10 for adults and $8 for children (age 3-11), students (w/ID) and seniors (ages 65+) and are available from 10am-6pm weekdays and 12Noon-6pm Saturday at the SCERA Center for the Arts, by calling (801) 225-ARTS, online at www.scera.org or at the door 30 minutes prior to the show.

Paul J. Winkelman, veteran dancer and prize-winning dance director, recently joined the UVU faculty after a fruitful career in dance that began when he studied under Lee and Linda Wakefield at BYU. As a student, he became director of the backup team. He later joined a studio that won several national championships, and received similar honors at Alta High School where he taught.

"We have some phenomenal dancers, especially at the touring level," he says. "We like to give everyone at UVU a chance to dance it they would like, but at the highest level we have very competitive and amazing performers."

Among the numbers will be Elvis Presley's "Stuck on You," selections from "Wicked" and Katy Perry's "Part of Me." Winkelman will add multi-media projections to add additional color and energy to the show.

An upcoming opportunity will happen at the China at the World Arts Festival, which has invited the UVU team as the U.S. representative. Many of the dancers and numbers seen at SCERA will also be going to China.

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