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Show Residents Back From Asia Tour Bountiful residents Jan Larsen, David Duggar and David Howell recently returned re-turned from a tour of Asia w ith Brigham Young University's International Folk Dancers who achieved distinction as the most popular performing group at Japan's huge "I'orto-pia "I'orto-pia '81" Kobe Port Island Exposition. Ex-position. THE 26 DANCERS and five-piece five-piece western band were so successful in attracting capacity capac-ity crowds at the world's-fair-type exposition that officials had the entire show videotaped so that it can be shown continuously until "Portopia 'XI" ends in September. Sep-tember. ; The folk dancers were founded in 1965 by Mary Bee Jensen and have consistently garnered awards each year at international folk festivals in Europe, but the troupe wasn't quite sure how it would be received re-ceived in Asia, according to Delynne Peay, assistant to Mrs. Jensen and artistic director direc-tor of the tour. THE DANCERS appeared before live audiences totaling more than 40,000 people during dur-ing the four-week tour of Korea, Philippines and Japan. Performances included appearances at the prestigious National Theater in Seoul and at the Folk Arts Theater in Manila. T he authentic costumes and the wide selection of dances from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Hun-gary, Spain, Mexico, Japan and the U.S. fit neatly into the international themes at the Port Island Exposition where the folk dancers performed 14 times. THE PURPOSE of the tour was to promote international understanding through dance and music. |