“I feel very honored to be a part of something so positive, and I think that’s what makes me more excited to be a part of it than anything. It’s positive, it lifts people up, it takes them for a journey for the better. And I think that is pretty amazing.”

—Bonnie Story, Emmy Award-winning
choreographer

Choreographer Bonnie Story is no stranger to large-scale, elaborate productions.

2002 Olympics opening ceremony, Salt Lake City, USA

She won the Emmy Award for the much-loved dance scenes in High School Musical 1, 2 and 3. These mega-hit movies were seen by hundreds of millions around the globe, setting new movie records, and involved up to 2,000 extras in a scene. Ms. Story also served as co-choreographer for the jaw-dropping opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics, halftime shows for the gigantic Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl stadiums, and more recently, Cirque du Soleil’s dance extravaganza, “Viva ELVIS.”

One of her next spectacular projects was the musical Loving the Silent Tears, which called for dances to represent 16 distinct cultures – in effect making the global journey come alive, all on one stage. And Ms. Story, once again, expertly rose to the challenge.

She had been brought on board by the musical’s director and her cherished mentor, the esteemed Vincent Paterson, as they had worked together at Cirque du Soleil (Mr. Paterson was the writer/director) and in other projects over many years.

In fact, one of Ms. Story’s first collaborations with Mr. Paterson was when she was a dancer in Michael Jackson’s famous “Smooth Criminal” music video, for which Mr. Paterson was the creator and choreographer.

Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal"

“‘Smooth Criminal’ was probably one of the most incredible experiences of my entire life,” Ms. Story recalled. “Michael was amazing! He was so brilliant and trusted Vincent very much. So it was an incredible time to work with Michael. It was a privilege and I learned so much theatrically on these jobs watching Vincent work with Michael.”

Bonnie Story described her approach to Loving the Silent Tears as follows: “For me, it’s a journey through all these beautiful poems. I think they are beautiful and universal; you don’t have to be a certain kind of person to relate to these. The dancers, they’re the paint that I get to paint with and that Vincent gets to direct. They get to make the story come alive for people.”

Ms. Story said that the 26-member main dance ensemble for Loving the Silent Tears included “some of the top dancers in L.A. and New York; a lot of dancers that both Vincent and I used in the ‘Elvis’ production – so we kind of get to do a little reunion, which we are really excited about. We have three ballroom dancers who have won all kinds of huge ballroom awards around the world. The dancers are going to play a huge part of the overall picture.”

Solo dance in “Initiation” by Miguel Perez: on stage (top) and in rehearsal (bottom)	Sufi-inspired dance by Italo Elgueta for “Truth, Ego, Soul and Blessings” (Middle East)

Much of Ms. Story’s success as a choreographer can be attributed to her innate love of storytelling which began with childhood productions involving family and neighbors, and an early career as a dancer which she embarked on after winning a scholarship to study ballet at the University of Utah. A principal dancer with dance companies including Ballet West, Ms. Story eventually made her way to L.A. where her career as a choreographer was launched. She shared, “I think it's really valuable when as a choreographer, as you remember how it was to be a dancer, how it was to be in rehearsal, you know, ten hours, you can have empathy for the dancers.”

In turn, the dancers she works with, including for this production, express their appreciation for Ms. Story. “Bonnie is just such a light,” said dancer and Loving the Silent Tears ensemble member Ivorie Jenkins. “It is always a pleasure to work with her, because she is happy and she keeps morale up, no matter what she is asking us to do.”

Through Ms. Story’s skillful choreography and her dedicated team of dancers, a rich tapestry of dance was woven with routines representing the traditions of France, South Korea, Brazil, USA, Australia, China, Russia, Cuba, Italy, Ireland, Iran, Israel, Arab region, and Âu Lạc.

Rehearsal and performance: “Between the Master and I” (Ireland)

Grasping the unique essence and beauty of the world’s dance traditions was a role Ms. Story took seriously, as she went through extensive research: “It was difficult at first, because I didn't want any of them to look the same, and I just wanted to make sure I was very respectful to each country. And so I studied. I did a lot of research, so I think each one had its own special style.”

Ms. Story, whose task was also to reflect Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poems in each number, said, “In some ways it was a little daunting because you want to make sure you bring out the deep thoughts of [the poetry]. But it was really beautiful, really beautiful. So it was very much my honor to do it.”

Meanwhile, the choreographer expressed her enthusiasm about working with the international cast, whose movements needed to coordinate with those of the dancers: “They’re all brilliant, my goodness! I just love the experience of working with so many different kinds of artists from different countries and different backgrounds. Very seldom do you get this opportunity. When do you do this? You just never get this!”  

On the red carpet, she said, “We saw the dress rehearsal last night, and I’m really pleased. I’m really excited how each piece came out and I think it really represents each country quite well, so I’m excited. It’s visually really pretty – and really fun!”

Speaking to Supreme Master Television directly after the performance, Ms. Story summed up the palpable feeling of excitement: “The dancers and the actors, everybody was so good, and everybody came and did their very, very best!”

As the event commemorated the 19th Anniversary of Supreme Master Ching Hai Day, Ms. Story saw Supreme Master Ching Hai as the event’s source of inspiration, not only as a poet but also a humanitarian and peace advocate. The choreographer had these final words of appreciation for the poet whose soul-stirring words she helped bring to life through her expansive talent and creative artistry: “I just want to thank her [Supreme Master Ching Hai] for all the many wonderful things and the humanitarian things that she has done throughout the world. I feel very respectful of that. I think that the whole organization does so many amazing humanitarian projects and they promote the right things. They promote peace. They promote unity. I see all these countries on stage at one time, and I just it’s overwhelming. It’s very touching, and we all are showing how we feel through art together. It’s an amazing thing.”

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