USU Eastern dance concert set for this weekend
A decade of choreographing synchronized artistry will be celebrated February 5-7 in the Geary Events Center as Brandi Taylor-Johansen, dance team director, pays homage to her Utah State University Eastern dance teams’ concert at 6:30 p.m.
Her annual spring concert capitalizes on Taylor-Johansen’s tenacious, creative soul and endless energy as she has refined routines, coached dancers and choreographed precision the past 10 years.
Hundreds of dancers from throughout the United States and Canada danced and competed for her as the program grew in numbers and competed in national dance championships.
From early morning and late night practices, the award-winning dance program has brought Eastern national championships earned in both California and Florida competitions, including being named the three-time JUCO National Champions in jazz and hip hop as well as the three-time International Dance Film Festival official selection recipients.
This year’s team represents dancers from throughout Utah, Wyoming, Arizona and Canada and showcases the talent she recruited to her team.
Before coming to Eastern, Taylor-Johansen was named 4- and 5-A Drill Coach of the Year while living in Salt Lake City. She brought her talent to USU Eastern fall semester 2016 and started building her legacy from year one.
An admitted visionary leader who is meticulous in everything she creates, Taylor-Johansen likes to push her students to endless creative boundaries. This will be showcased in this weekend’s dance concert.
“The concert is centered on the theme ‘Time’, with each choreographer, whether guest artist, student or coach, invited to interpret this theme through their own unique lens. As a result, the audience will experience a wide range of perspectives on time: how it moves, how it shapes us, how it’s remembered, and how it’s felt,” Taylor-Johansen said.
The consummate coach and adviser, Taylor-Johanson keeps her team busy practicing and performing at the annual concert and national competitions. Plus, they dance and cheer at Eastern athletic events. Last week, the team performed at the Utah High School Athletic Association’s regional drill competition for 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A high schools held at Utah Valley University.
Why does someone devote so much time, energy and passion into building a legacy of being one of the best two-year dance teams in the nation? “Watching dancers grow in both confidence and skill,” Taylor-Johansen said. “I love seeing relationships and genuine friendships develop within the team as we share the same passion for dance.
“Creating work together that we can be proud of and watching the dancers perform something we’ve worked so hard on is incredibly rewarding. Whether the goals are small or large, seeing them accomplished and recognizing the positive impact that process can have on so many people is what makes coaching truly meaningful to me.”
She hopes the community will support the annual dance concert. Proceeds help fund travel to their national competition in Daytona, Florida, later this semester.
Tickets are available online at usueasternathletics.com for $12 each. They will also be available at the door on the nights of the concerts. College students and faculty are free with proof of USU ID.
