Abbeville's Young excels in dancing at UL-Lafayette

Lydia Young of Abbeville is an inspiring dancer, who is  a senior at UL-Lafayette majoring in performing arts and concentrating in dancing. 

Young is not the  young typical dancer who began dancing at  age 5.

Heading into her high school senior year at Lighthouse Christian Preparatory four years ago, Young had zero years of dance instructions under her belt.  She took a dancing class with Penny Miller for the first time as a high school senior. She  fell in love with the art despite being only 5-feet, 3-inches tall.   

Today, Young did not let her lack of professional  training stop her from following her dream. She has  completed her four-year requirements to graduate UL in performing arts. She has one more show  to  do before graduating.

Next month, she and other performing arts majors, along with  UL music majors, are putting on “An Evening of Dance”  at the Burke Hawthorn Theatre  on the UL-Lafayette Campus.  

Young and other dance majors  had to create and choreograph a dance in hopes it would be selected for  “An Evening of Dance” show. Her professors had the final say of what pieces were selected.

Her piece was one of the few that was picked for the dance. Matter of fact, her piece, called “Leave Nothing Behind” opens the show.

“I am honored to have my piece open this year’s  Evening of Dance,” said Young . “One of my professors  told me that my placement in the show says a lot about the piece.”

She said she felt blessed to have a cast of dancers who are all seniors and well advanced in performing for professional concerts like the one at UL. 

“I want the audience to enjoy my piece as much as the dancers do and never leave forgetting it,” she added. 

Her piece features five dancers who go from  high energy and then to less energy. 

Young was inspired to create the piece  because of children she saw in a day-care.

One moment the children were high strung and the next moment they were relaxed and quiet.

She began working with her dancers back in December. Young said her piece is ready for next month.

“It is so  ready,” she said.

This project introduced her and other dancers to the choreography and the challenges of creating a piece from start to finish.

The Abbeville product  said she enjoyed her time as a choreographer, but her passion is performing on stage.

“I love dancing more than making choreography,” she said. “There is something about that indescribable feeling when I hit the marley and feel the warmth of the stage lights.  At that moment, I feel like all those months of rehearsing  was not in vain. There is no greater feeling. The  applause at the end of each piece is all the reward I need.

“It’s an indescribable feeling.”

When is the dance?

 It will be held on April 16, 17, 18 at 7:30 p.m. and April 19 at 2:00 pm in the Burke Hawthorne Theatre on the UL Lafayette campus. 

Tickets are where?

  Tickets for An Evening of Dance will be available at Burke Hawthorne Theatre one hour prior to each performance or online at Pfar.louisiana.edu. General admission to the performance is $10. 

   Senior Citizens, UL Lafayette Alumni and children under 18 years of age are $5.00. UL Lafayette students, faculty and staff are admitted free of charge with their valid UL Lafayette ID. For more information call 337-482-6357. This event is sponsored in part by the UL Lafayette Student Government Association.