NORMAN, OKLA.
Oklahoma is called the Sooner State because settlers staked their claims in the Indian Territories a little "sooner" than was legal. Similarly, the Oklahoma statewide youth pageant and conference was a success before it officially started.
LDS youth represent about one percent of students in Oklahoma's High Schools. That translates into kids in outlying areas that are the only members in their high schools. "Everyone knows I'm a member of the Church. They ask a lot of questions," Marisa Riddoch said. She's the only member in her high school of about 500 students. Three girls that have no LDS boys in their high school admitted that "It kinda stinks," but added, "It makes something like this really fun for us."
Shannan Fish Hinckley, a poised and confident young mother of four and former BYU Young Ambassador, eagerly took the weft and warp threads in hand and planned "Weaving the Tapestry of Faith in the Heartland." It was to be like the musical celebrations held around the world at Temple dedications. It drew the youth from over the entire state together in a common project and develop friendships as they sang and danced together as part of a youth conference held on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
"It was fun from the very beginning," one participant said. "The auditions were scary, but we started to make new friends right away. I invited my school friend to go with me and she really likes it." One stake had 15 kids who were not members attend the conference.
Clever planning cut 'eating the elephant' into bite-sized pieces. Individual dances were assigned only to one or two stakes. Youth spent many Wednesday nights learning and practicing dances on the ward level. Each stake held 'Super Saturdays' when one or two stakes practiced their assigned numbers all together. They minimized travel and time as much as possible.
Auditions held last winter identified more experienced performers and they became the 'featured dancers.' They were expected to attend many rehearsals in a central location.
Before the conference started, a featured dancer claimed that she had made about 30 friends through dance practice in Norman. The group went for ice-cream after rehearsals and enjoyed spending time together at other times. Tyler McDaniel from the Stillwater stake commented that he hadn't known he could dance until he was "forced" to try it. Now he really enjoys it and hoping for more opportunities to make new friends.
Sister Ann Dibb from the General Young Women's presidency urged Oklahoma youth to present themselves as Children of God and to stand for righteousness through their dress, language and the way they treat others. She told them how precious they are to the Church and specifically to her dad, (President Monson). "If only they can be true to themselves and to their friends, to lend each other positive support," she said of the conference. She also spoke to mothers in a fireside Thursday night where she urged mothers to be the lioness at the gates of the family and to be consistent in the messages they give their children.
Dancing isn't everybody's can of pop, and the day of the performance, 140 youth spent the morning laughing and joking as they packaged 23 tons of food at the Oklahoma City Food Bank. Even the hesitant performers joined in singing the original song "Heartland my Homeland" written for the event by professional musician Bill Mullins and lyricist Phillip Hurlburt.
Powerful workshops on subjects like personal revelation, trust, music, using technology for good, gave youth a "The Power of Music" and "Ipod vs I(ron) rod" The dances Thursday night and after the performance on Friday night dance also got universally high marks. Though kids admitted to getting only a few hours of sleep on Thursday night, they were eager to ride the euphoria of a successful show through the late hours Friday night. "We're teenagers!" a girl said. "We can do it!"
A group of Native Americans dressed in a variety of authentic tribal regalia performed native dances. One tribe member said she had enjoyed sharing their traditions with the youth and learning more about Latter-day Saint traditions.
The program itself was like adding the fringe to the complete tapestry of faith. Brilliant costumes, stage makeup, finely-tuned instruments, and 923 joyful, eager youth polka-ed, swung, and Boogie Woogied through the history and cultures of the State. Soloists wowed the audience with renditions of "Route 66, imitations of famous Oklahoma country singers. Oklahomans are patriotic and many were pulled to their feet by "God Bless the USA" and the milk-chocolate voice of Oklahoma City teen, Preston Taylor.
A percussion band built out of garbage cans and lids, walking sticks, bucket bottoms and oil drums represented Oklahoma's Oil Industry and drew cheers with the additional antics of a break dance challenge and a trick skater.
The second half of the show was more sedately paced, where soloists were accompanied by a youth orchestra and Gospel principles were presented by lyric dance and song. A technical glitch prompted an unplanned audience sing along of "Families can Be Together Forever."
The Youth of Oklahoma probably have no concept of the thousands of hours required to write, choreograph, costume and rehearse a production of this magnitude. But as the engine for the production Shannan Hinckley said, "I think they'll go home with stronger faith, new friends, good memories and more confidence in their own abilities. That will make it all worth it."
