The nearly 500 people in attendance at the Regent On Broadway theatre in Palmerston North last night were treated to the spectacular music and dance of Living Legends.
It was the fourth New Zealand performance of student entertainers from Brigham Young University (BYU) in the USA.
The program, titled Seasons, was a vibrant, spirited and joyful celebration of dance and music highlighting the cultures of the South Pacific, Central and South America, and the American Indians. Living Legends comprises performers with those heritages.
“I loved the whole show. I think everyone loved it,” said President Nicholas Byrnes, a local leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Palmerston North and surrounding areas.
“There was a good feeling and everyone seemed to have that same good vibe at the same time."
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
“I thought it was a truly moving, emotive experience,” said Reremoana Byrnes following up on her husband’s comments.
“I was crying. I was laughing. I was excited. I must have felt all the emotions throughout it.
“It was beautiful. You could tell the performers love what they do, and they loved what they were sharing.”
The message of the night was that people everywhere are children of a loving God and there can be peace and unity among all peoples and cultures.
Following the performance Mary Eastham, a representative of Palmerston North Interfaith Group said,"We know that art and prayer come from the same source: the life of God within.
"The Living Legends performance of traditional song and dance from New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga, as well as North and South Amercia, suggests that the most perfect prayer is thanksgiving, and a way to peace is through sharing songs and dance, which contain the hope of a culture."
The Living Legends cast, dressed in their stunning costumes, posed for photographs and greeted hundreds of audience members after the performance.
The final performance of Living Legends before it completes its tour in Tonga and Samoa, will be at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua on Thursday evening at 7:00 pm.
BYU has over 30,000 students and is the flagship university of the Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.