Despite reduced rehearsal hours and fewer members, Mongolian Club members were seen smiling from ear to ear while displaying traditional dances and costumes. The club choreographer said although they faced challenges, they never last forever. “Good times will come soon, and we have to hope for the next day to live, love and cherish,” Narantsatsral Ganzorigt said.
Ganzorigt, the club’s choreographer, is a sophomore from Mongolia studying exercise and sport science. She said this year the Mongolian Club performed two dances with two different meanings.
The dance started slow and soft with the goal of spreading a bright, hopeful message to the audience, she said. Ganzorigt said the first dance’s music is called, “The rising sun,” which is about two lovers who have been separated for three years.
“The lovers hope that someday they will meet again, so they start each day with new hope. Just like how we wanted to express how hope can help us get through hard times.”
Club Vice President Munkhgerel Purev, a junior from Mongolia double majoring in accounting and psychology, said the second performance was full of upbeat music and movements, as it represented young Mongols joining together. “That is why it is much more lively and fast-paced, to show the energy and enthusiasm of Mongolian youth,” she added.
Mongolia Club President Janlavtsogzol Battulga, a senior from Mongolia studying accounting, expressed, “We all went through a tough time this past year with so much anxiety and stress due to the global pandemic. We want to share that no matter how many bad days we have, there is always a next day that starts with a beautiful sunrise.”
Ganzorigt said she loves to choreograph new dances and enjoys teaching people who want to learn. She shared she loves working and performing alongside her team members. They have worked diligently to learn and share the culture of Mongolia, she said.
Ganzorigt expressed, “I feel great love and sense of belonging when we dance together and express the same idea through our performance. I see them as my family members. It is very fun and delightful.”
Even though Ganzorigt had to change her style of teaching and her team had a limited time to practice, she said she always remembered, “No matter how bad the weather is today, the sun will rise again tomorrow.”
Battulga shared even though the set-up of Culture Night is different from previous years, the message and the purpose to showcase different cultures represented at BYUH, has never changed.
She expressed, “We have students from over 70 different countries around the world. Culture Night gives us an opportunity to see different cultures through their art and know how talented the students at our school are. That’s what makes Culture Night so amazing.”
Club officials said they tried to be efficient and focused on their rehearsals since they had limited time due to COVID-19. Purev said the club has more than 80 members, but only 20 performed this year.
Purev said they followed school guidelines to keep their members safe during rehearsals. “We only practiced for two hours a week on two different days. In practices, we kept socially distanced, wore masks and got tested weekly.”
See more photos on Ke Alaka'i's Facebook page.