We all know Steve Urkel's famous line said in his nasally obnoxious voice, "Did I do that?" It would come on the heels of him making a huge bumble and everyone would be left with correcting the bumble he had just made. The 30-minute sitcom made fixing his mistakes seem simple compared to real life quandaries.
Urkel was a natural born bumbler. We are all a natural born something or other. Since this a dance blog let's assume we are all natural at dance. Some forms of dance may be more of a challenge than others but rhythm, movement, timing, all just happen for us.
We are not natural born Christians, we had to choose to be a Christian. It was a decision. We are products of our decisions.
"I
call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set
before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life,
that both you and your seed may live." Deuteronomy 30:19
You can be a Christian and still make wrong decisions. God will allow it, especially if you're determined to go ahead with it, or clueless that you shouldn't go on with it. See, the idea behind becoming a Christian (besides going to Heaven) is to become a better decision maker because now you have the "mind of Christ" according to I Corinthians 2:16 to aid you when you are clueless.
You've taken and studied dance and the various forms of dance because you didn't want to be ignorant concerning dance. You wanted to be better equipped for that audition or that piece. You wanted to dance smarter, not harder.
The choices you've made concerning dance has not only affected your world but those that are in your world with you...and their wallets, and what they do in their free time, or what weekends look like. Their lives are influenced by what you've decided.
Economists would use the term 'Cause and Effect'. I would say, what you've caused has caused an effect for many people other than yourself. Choices have a ripple effect. When you decide to marry, have children, what job you take, where you live, what hobbies you are in to, where you go to church, even who you study dance from. These choices of yours can end up being sources of strife and contention because the other affected by them will have to experience it right along you, whether they wish to or not.
We've all said, "It's my life, I'll decide"... and you are correct. We've all had to make our own beds but the problem is you aren't the only one that has to lie in it. You wanting to go your own way costs others too, usually in time, money, or sorrow.
In dance pieces, when performing a ripple, the movement travels from one dancer to the next. Ripples are a great visual move that creates a sorta "wow" response from the audience. The largest ripple I've ever been a part of would be a "wave" at a football stadium! The affect from that is a lot of laughter and shouts.
Ripples in real life are either positive or negative, very rarely do they end up with a 'neither nor' results. The whole concept of discipling is a ripple effect idea. Someone mentored me, someone mentored who mentored me, I mentor others, they mentor others and the echo continues hopefully to touch many along the way of raising up disciples of the dance.
If I was a teacher known to be harsh, rude, hard, critical, and never satisfied I might have my own TV show centering on those attributes. But when the cameras are packed up and the set lights are turned off and everyone goes home what has my being nasty done to the formable dancers that were put under my professional care? In their futures, yeah, they might be somewhat successful in their dance careers but was my choice to be Ursala The Sea Witch wise? And what mental and emotional torture would I have placed on these students? Would they end up anorexic? Too self-conscious? Fearful to audition? Too anxious to try? Too critical to self? Would they become man-pleasers?
What words were spoken to demean? What words would still ripple through their thoughts even years later? Would I cause then to feel the need to be highly competitive even to the cutthroat level? All of these things I could cause simply because I decided that was the way to teach and to get results from my dancers.
I decided a longgggg time ago that I would love my students into submission and that I could get more out of them with honey instead of vinegar and fear was not a whip I wanted to use to get the best from them.
As a Christian dancer, you will forever have to make choice upon choice each and every day.You have a Guide, a Counselor, a voice of Wisdom that can help you in picking the right way to go. His answer will always have something to do with does it bring life or does it bring about death. Will it cause a blessing or will it bring a curse?
You choose the effect. Others are affected. That's the ripple.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
March - April The Dance of Tradition
Ballet is a VERY traditional art form and an old one as well, dating back to the Italian Renaissance in the 15th century! It is a very structured art form that has changed only slightly since its' creation. Ballet and lovers of the ballet have endured through many ages of testings of the times. Dancers still love to study the longest surviving dance form there is, ballet.
Jazz dance is only about 75 years old. Hip hop which is only about 40 years old continues to evolve into different dialects of hip hop. There's popping and locking, tutting, old-school, nu-school, breakdancing, house, krumping, electric boogaloo, you get the idea...it's still identifying itself, even today.
With ballet, that's not so, it's very rigid and traditional. The customs and workings of ballet are passed down from one generation to another.You don't break the ballet rules. There's only one way to achieve the look of a ballet dancer, the flexibility, the strength, the beauty....so says the Masters that teach the law of ballet. If the teachers of the ballet from 500 years ago could see hip hop of today, I think we might could hear the turning of their bodies over in their graves!
Because of the major difference between the staunchness of the time-tested ballet and the free-er looser moves of hip hop I can almost see it much like the Jewish religion, which had hundreds of years of perfecting their form of worship, and then here comes Jesus along and completely messed their God-theology all up!
The works, the doing, the tedious practicing, the working your way through the ranks...then, here comes grace...all looking and acting NOTHING like tradition, AT ALL! The attire, the pomp and circumstance, the atmosphere...different all different. Hip hop is nothing like ballet, other than it is a dance form, too.
Jesus was NOTHING like the the tradition of the Jewish religion. Yes, He studied traditional Judaism, all good Jewish boys do, but as an adult He broke with tradition. In reading Luke 11, specifically verses 38-39 (but please read the whole chapter 11 to get the whole idea) Jesus very boldly broke the tradition of hand washing before a meal. It was a Jewish law. You were unclean if you ate with dirty hands and the dishes from which you ate had to be ceremoniously cleaned also. And here's Jesus with the message of grace pointing out what good is it to wash anything on the outside, for tradition sake, but have insides that were dirty or full of sin. He also points out that God (Himself) made the insides AND the outsides of people.
I, in no way, am insinuating that ballet is wrong or sinful or hip hop is good!!! I am using this analogy to highlight the huge opposites that they represent. I am not saying that ballet is too traditional to be studied over hip hop. I'm comparing these two because I am speaking to dancers that "get it"! I hope to stir up your imagination and encourage you to understand that Jesus broke the rules to take us from the law of sin and death to the law of grace. Using ballet to represent the law and hip hop to represent grace is how I felt led to present it.
We've all taken class from dance teachers that were "the law" where there was no forgiveness of mistakes. And we've also had "grace" teachers that loved us into the dancers we are today. Am I right, or am I right? For "grace" teachers desire for you to achieve a triple pirouette but they'll love you and appreciate you whether you do or you don't. They value the "inside" of your cup. The law-loving teachers will make you feel less-than and unworthy of their tutelage if you don't "perform", take Abby Lee of Dance Moms for example. Does that give you an image of what I mean?
Always continue towards doing your dance training well, but you aren't asked by God to do your dance training perfect. Perfection does not open the gates of Heaven for you to enter. It's grace and only grace that makes entering into His perfection even possible.
Go into your next class with the mindset of breaking tradition and dance only because God has created it and wants to share it with you to enjoy. Think of Jesus, if we were a dancer today...would He be a ballet dancer or a hip hop dancer?
Jazz dance is only about 75 years old. Hip hop which is only about 40 years old continues to evolve into different dialects of hip hop. There's popping and locking, tutting, old-school, nu-school, breakdancing, house, krumping, electric boogaloo, you get the idea...it's still identifying itself, even today.
With ballet, that's not so, it's very rigid and traditional. The customs and workings of ballet are passed down from one generation to another.You don't break the ballet rules. There's only one way to achieve the look of a ballet dancer, the flexibility, the strength, the beauty....so says the Masters that teach the law of ballet. If the teachers of the ballet from 500 years ago could see hip hop of today, I think we might could hear the turning of their bodies over in their graves!
Because of the major difference between the staunchness of the time-tested ballet and the free-er looser moves of hip hop I can almost see it much like the Jewish religion, which had hundreds of years of perfecting their form of worship, and then here comes Jesus along and completely messed their God-theology all up!
The works, the doing, the tedious practicing, the working your way through the ranks...then, here comes grace...all looking and acting NOTHING like tradition, AT ALL! The attire, the pomp and circumstance, the atmosphere...different all different. Hip hop is nothing like ballet, other than it is a dance form, too.
Jesus was NOTHING like the the tradition of the Jewish religion. Yes, He studied traditional Judaism, all good Jewish boys do, but as an adult He broke with tradition. In reading Luke 11, specifically verses 38-39 (but please read the whole chapter 11 to get the whole idea) Jesus very boldly broke the tradition of hand washing before a meal. It was a Jewish law. You were unclean if you ate with dirty hands and the dishes from which you ate had to be ceremoniously cleaned also. And here's Jesus with the message of grace pointing out what good is it to wash anything on the outside, for tradition sake, but have insides that were dirty or full of sin. He also points out that God (Himself) made the insides AND the outsides of people.
I, in no way, am insinuating that ballet is wrong or sinful or hip hop is good!!! I am using this analogy to highlight the huge opposites that they represent. I am not saying that ballet is too traditional to be studied over hip hop. I'm comparing these two because I am speaking to dancers that "get it"! I hope to stir up your imagination and encourage you to understand that Jesus broke the rules to take us from the law of sin and death to the law of grace. Using ballet to represent the law and hip hop to represent grace is how I felt led to present it.
We've all taken class from dance teachers that were "the law" where there was no forgiveness of mistakes. And we've also had "grace" teachers that loved us into the dancers we are today. Am I right, or am I right? For "grace" teachers desire for you to achieve a triple pirouette but they'll love you and appreciate you whether you do or you don't. They value the "inside" of your cup. The law-loving teachers will make you feel less-than and unworthy of their tutelage if you don't "perform", take Abby Lee of Dance Moms for example. Does that give you an image of what I mean?
Always continue towards doing your dance training well, but you aren't asked by God to do your dance training perfect. Perfection does not open the gates of Heaven for you to enter. It's grace and only grace that makes entering into His perfection even possible.
Go into your next class with the mindset of breaking tradition and dance only because God has created it and wants to share it with you to enjoy. Think of Jesus, if we were a dancer today...would He be a ballet dancer or a hip hop dancer?
Saturday, January 19, 2013
January - February The Dance of Change
In May 2012, we had our annual Spring show at the dance company I teach for. With prayer and thoughtful consideration I choreographed a piece to Gungor's "Dry Bones to Beautiful Things" to my advanced jazz group.
I thoroughly enjoyed teaching it and, I think, they enjoyed learning it even though it was a several month process. The concept of the piece was to convey how we feel dead and ineffective, or useless and stuck in personal places whether it's in the heart, the mind, or the body.....we all have dry bones experiences.
The costume selected to further enhance the darkness of when the soul-cries-out concept, was a black one-armed costume with shreds of fabric cascading down the bodice to visually paint the picture of the torn anguish when to the unborn again, God is not present, or to the born again, have separated ourselves from His presence.
The music had to be edited to about 8 minutes, down from its' original 12 minutes. I didn't want the meaning or integrity of the lyrics to get lost only because of a time restraint. The entire song takes you from a dry death to a fertile fresh alive praise! It is a most excellent written and composed piece of art! Dance shoes off for Michael Gungor!
This summer my family and I traveled to my husband's Cuban roots, Key West, Florida. I, again, was influenced at the Key West Butterfly Conservatory by the God-process of going from a worm to a flight-ful and fancy butterfly. The becoming beautiful in a tight, constrained place. The cocoon. I made one of my photos, that was actually shot on an ugly, gray, gloomy, rainy day, to be the cover of my Dance Disciples calling cards. You can see the picture on this blog!
The theme seems to have been for my dance journey in 2012 and seems to continue for 2013, is the dance of change. Even so to the point that the piece I am working on now for this particular class is "Paradise" by Coldplay (Thanks Kristen Morrow!). It will continue the thoughts of dreams flying away and disappointment of disillusions. It is not complete yet, but I know the finish will declare the goodness of God and the strength of His gentle hand. It will, hopefully, convey the cocoon containment through the pain of change to the place of divine appointment.
A new year always represents change, but do we ever really change? Are you waiting on God to do the change or is He waiting on you? Have you sensed that it's time for a different beat but afraid to interrupt the drummer? Are you waiting for a trumpet blast or a letter in the mailbox? How many confirmations will you need? Have you been snug in the cocoon boundary and now find it hard to press against its' encasement to let you go? Have you any inkling of what to do first? What has been burning in your heart? Do you think you have to know HOW to change before you can change?
Whether you want your develope' higher, your split grander, more fouette's, your prayer/worship/Word time more intense, or your emotions more mature. A dream taking off in the right direction, a goal achieved, or relationships healed. What is it? Where is it? When is its' time? How is God gonna achieve it without you? Who's gonna make it happen?
Have you put yourself "out there" before and flopped? Has resistance worn you out? Is fear the voice of reasoning in your head? Repeat these words after me..."I'm fid'na, just watch, I'm fid-na". And then bust out all over in full technicolor glory!! Just like the bold, brazen butterfly that had something to give. There's a world out there that needs your beauty, your outspread wings your ability to fly and your feet to pollinate
the garden to which you're sent. Go be awesome.
Romans 12:2: "And be not conformed (cocooned) to this world: but be ye transformed (butterflyed) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Through these winter months, a season of seemingly stagnated lifelessness, just as you would prepare for a summer bikini body, or a pageant talent piece, or a spring show, or a try-out audition piece, practice God's presence! Practice and go over your call or your dreams. Practice and mark through where you're headed or want to go. When Spring emerges you will be ready to go and do what you do!
In perception, winter looks like the death of all of nature when in reality it's the rest before renewed life begins its' performance!
"You helped set them free when I thought they had died, the butterflies in me that flutter inside. They will dance again, this I owe to You. And again they will fly because You taught them to." - Author Unknown
I thoroughly enjoyed teaching it and, I think, they enjoyed learning it even though it was a several month process. The concept of the piece was to convey how we feel dead and ineffective, or useless and stuck in personal places whether it's in the heart, the mind, or the body.....we all have dry bones experiences.
The costume selected to further enhance the darkness of when the soul-cries-out concept, was a black one-armed costume with shreds of fabric cascading down the bodice to visually paint the picture of the torn anguish when to the unborn again, God is not present, or to the born again, have separated ourselves from His presence.
The music had to be edited to about 8 minutes, down from its' original 12 minutes. I didn't want the meaning or integrity of the lyrics to get lost only because of a time restraint. The entire song takes you from a dry death to a fertile fresh alive praise! It is a most excellent written and composed piece of art! Dance shoes off for Michael Gungor!
This summer my family and I traveled to my husband's Cuban roots, Key West, Florida. I, again, was influenced at the Key West Butterfly Conservatory by the God-process of going from a worm to a flight-ful and fancy butterfly. The becoming beautiful in a tight, constrained place. The cocoon. I made one of my photos, that was actually shot on an ugly, gray, gloomy, rainy day, to be the cover of my Dance Disciples calling cards. You can see the picture on this blog!
The theme seems to have been for my dance journey in 2012 and seems to continue for 2013, is the dance of change. Even so to the point that the piece I am working on now for this particular class is "Paradise" by Coldplay (Thanks Kristen Morrow!). It will continue the thoughts of dreams flying away and disappointment of disillusions. It is not complete yet, but I know the finish will declare the goodness of God and the strength of His gentle hand. It will, hopefully, convey the cocoon containment through the pain of change to the place of divine appointment.
A new year always represents change, but do we ever really change? Are you waiting on God to do the change or is He waiting on you? Have you sensed that it's time for a different beat but afraid to interrupt the drummer? Are you waiting for a trumpet blast or a letter in the mailbox? How many confirmations will you need? Have you been snug in the cocoon boundary and now find it hard to press against its' encasement to let you go? Have you any inkling of what to do first? What has been burning in your heart? Do you think you have to know HOW to change before you can change?
Whether you want your develope' higher, your split grander, more fouette's, your prayer/worship/Word time more intense, or your emotions more mature. A dream taking off in the right direction, a goal achieved, or relationships healed. What is it? Where is it? When is its' time? How is God gonna achieve it without you? Who's gonna make it happen?
Have you put yourself "out there" before and flopped? Has resistance worn you out? Is fear the voice of reasoning in your head? Repeat these words after me..."I'm fid'na, just watch, I'm fid-na". And then bust out all over in full technicolor glory!! Just like the bold, brazen butterfly that had something to give. There's a world out there that needs your beauty, your outspread wings your ability to fly and your feet to pollinate
the garden to which you're sent. Go be awesome.
Romans 12:2: "And be not conformed (cocooned) to this world: but be ye transformed (butterflyed) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Through these winter months, a season of seemingly stagnated lifelessness, just as you would prepare for a summer bikini body, or a pageant talent piece, or a spring show, or a try-out audition piece, practice God's presence! Practice and go over your call or your dreams. Practice and mark through where you're headed or want to go. When Spring emerges you will be ready to go and do what you do!
In perception, winter looks like the death of all of nature when in reality it's the rest before renewed life begins its' performance!
"You helped set them free when I thought they had died, the butterflies in me that flutter inside. They will dance again, this I owe to You. And again they will fly because You taught them to." - Author Unknown
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
November - December The Dance of Gratitude
You DO know that there is a difference between thankfulness and gratitude, don't you? If you didn't, here is a scenario that can bring you some knowledge and shine the stage's spotlight on the difference...
Let's say there are two dancers that have been dance students at Uptown Dance School for several years. They have been under the tutelage of the same teacher during those years. There were years of dance, laughter, and enjoyment during that time! Upon growing up and deciding on careers, these two dancers decide they each want to be studio owners and dance teachers themselves. Since their dance teacher has shifted her focus to do other things with dance and come out of the studio environment, they merrily embark on their dance teaching journeys.
The former dance teacher had made it clear that she would remain in the field of dance, just not in the studio arena and would not teach at a studio within a five mile area of their schools for five years, just out of courtesy.
Somehow, during that five year period, one of the dancers turned new studio owner, became fearful and offended at her former teacher and began to tell her studio instructors working for her to not interact with the former teacher even though she was her elder and had imparted and planted so much into her life. It even got to the point where the former student would pass by her former teacher and not acknowledge that she was even standing there. Soon, the newer dance teacher's family was doing the same thing to the older dance teacher. The older dance teacher's heart was broken for she loved this former student with all of her heart and could not understand what had happened.
There came a time, however, after much intercession and prayer by the former teacher for the whole situation to be rectified and healed, that one by one, the instructor's began to call or show up at the older dance teacher's home and apologize for their behavior as God was showing them what they had been doing. There were even apology-forgiveness encounters in stores and parking lots! How joyful the older dance teacher was that the breaches had been repaired...except for one...the former student. To this day there has not been a healing.
Five years and three months after the departure from studio teaching, the former teacher was spoken to very clearly from God to enter back into the studio environment and to help the other former student with their vision for their dance school. Not fully understanding what God wanted to do but was obedient, she began to teach for the other former student. A shift in authority had taken place where the older teacher was now submitted to the younger teacher as an employee! This former student always was respectful and kind and loving to her former teacher and never acted unbecomingly. God caused her studio to grow and flourish and brought hundreds of students to be taught dance and to be nurtured and loved.
The fearful former student has since closed her studio and is pursuing another career. The respectful former student has been placed before kings, priests, and royalty. What made the difference? Gratitude.
Thankfulness can be fleeting and can fluctuate with feelings, emotions, circumstances, and if situations call for it to be used. Gratitude, on other hand, is eternally ingrained in your heart because of a service, an act, a debt, or grand respect for one that has done something that could never really be repaid. Thankfulness can be shifted quickly into unthankfulness, with a big heaping of familiarity, when fear or jealousy or even being deceived into believing things that were never true. Thankfulness has the ability to be tainted if it's just a situational feeling. Gratitude is chiseled into hearts by the wisdom and integrity and the power of the Holy Spirit. And what is in a heart will be shown when placed in revealing opportunities.
Read Romans 1:21:
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."
Search yourself:
Have you ever had contempt towards a person that once was a delight in your life and then you began to say within yourself things that demoted them to common?
At the Barre and the Center:
Have you become complacent in class? Too assuming with your instructor? Too familiar with a fellow dancer? Aggravated and begun to murmur within yourself about having to come to class? Or not liking the choreography? Or who got the solo part? Or the way something was handled?
At the Altar:
After seeing the dream of the first former student wither away and the dream of the second former student become a blessing to her as well as others, would you consider confessing before God and repenting to Him for your attitudes, for the story you were told was a true story and the events actually happened. If you refuse to grow from thankfulness to gratitude and keep a repentant heart before God, dreams can subtly and gradually disappear.
This Holiday Season call on and develop your gratitude abilities and remember the True One that can never be repaid for His wonderful Gift of Life! Much gratitude and love to You, Jesus, our Lord and Savior!
Merriest of Christmasses and Happiest of New Years!
Let's say there are two dancers that have been dance students at Uptown Dance School for several years. They have been under the tutelage of the same teacher during those years. There were years of dance, laughter, and enjoyment during that time! Upon growing up and deciding on careers, these two dancers decide they each want to be studio owners and dance teachers themselves. Since their dance teacher has shifted her focus to do other things with dance and come out of the studio environment, they merrily embark on their dance teaching journeys.
The former dance teacher had made it clear that she would remain in the field of dance, just not in the studio arena and would not teach at a studio within a five mile area of their schools for five years, just out of courtesy.
Somehow, during that five year period, one of the dancers turned new studio owner, became fearful and offended at her former teacher and began to tell her studio instructors working for her to not interact with the former teacher even though she was her elder and had imparted and planted so much into her life. It even got to the point where the former student would pass by her former teacher and not acknowledge that she was even standing there. Soon, the newer dance teacher's family was doing the same thing to the older dance teacher. The older dance teacher's heart was broken for she loved this former student with all of her heart and could not understand what had happened.
There came a time, however, after much intercession and prayer by the former teacher for the whole situation to be rectified and healed, that one by one, the instructor's began to call or show up at the older dance teacher's home and apologize for their behavior as God was showing them what they had been doing. There were even apology-forgiveness encounters in stores and parking lots! How joyful the older dance teacher was that the breaches had been repaired...except for one...the former student. To this day there has not been a healing.
Five years and three months after the departure from studio teaching, the former teacher was spoken to very clearly from God to enter back into the studio environment and to help the other former student with their vision for their dance school. Not fully understanding what God wanted to do but was obedient, she began to teach for the other former student. A shift in authority had taken place where the older teacher was now submitted to the younger teacher as an employee! This former student always was respectful and kind and loving to her former teacher and never acted unbecomingly. God caused her studio to grow and flourish and brought hundreds of students to be taught dance and to be nurtured and loved.
The fearful former student has since closed her studio and is pursuing another career. The respectful former student has been placed before kings, priests, and royalty. What made the difference? Gratitude.
Thankfulness can be fleeting and can fluctuate with feelings, emotions, circumstances, and if situations call for it to be used. Gratitude, on other hand, is eternally ingrained in your heart because of a service, an act, a debt, or grand respect for one that has done something that could never really be repaid. Thankfulness can be shifted quickly into unthankfulness, with a big heaping of familiarity, when fear or jealousy or even being deceived into believing things that were never true. Thankfulness has the ability to be tainted if it's just a situational feeling. Gratitude is chiseled into hearts by the wisdom and integrity and the power of the Holy Spirit. And what is in a heart will be shown when placed in revealing opportunities.
Read Romans 1:21:
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."
Search yourself:
Have you ever had contempt towards a person that once was a delight in your life and then you began to say within yourself things that demoted them to common?
At the Barre and the Center:
Have you become complacent in class? Too assuming with your instructor? Too familiar with a fellow dancer? Aggravated and begun to murmur within yourself about having to come to class? Or not liking the choreography? Or who got the solo part? Or the way something was handled?
At the Altar:
After seeing the dream of the first former student wither away and the dream of the second former student become a blessing to her as well as others, would you consider confessing before God and repenting to Him for your attitudes, for the story you were told was a true story and the events actually happened. If you refuse to grow from thankfulness to gratitude and keep a repentant heart before God, dreams can subtly and gradually disappear.
This Holiday Season call on and develop your gratitude abilities and remember the True One that can never be repaid for His wonderful Gift of Life! Much gratitude and love to You, Jesus, our Lord and Savior!
Merriest of Christmasses and Happiest of New Years!
Monday, October 1, 2012
October - The Dance of Mimicry
It's THAT time again...halloween. Sigh. People everywhere will be flocking to the stores to buy costumes, candy, and scary lawn decorations, all with innocent fun dancing in their heads.
Everybody decides what they want to dress-up as, anything from the completely adorable to the extremely freakish. Some are detailed and elaborate and others are spontaneous ideas pulled together in an instant.
Thoughts are towards what fall festival to go to, or where the Trunk or Treats are going to be, or if they're gonna visit the coolest haunt factories, and maybe throw in a hayride for good measure. Whatever it is, most are planning on having an evening of whimsy, laughs, and candy, with a little bit of clean frightful gore and screams.
No one that I know takes this day as anything serious, just a day to dress-up and pretend, to mimic a character and take the normal out of their normal day with the teacher or boss's approval. The only problem with this simple approach to halloween (no capital H from me) is the severity of the spirit of fear that hides in waiting to disturb the secret fears in our thoughts.
You may not care to, but you might just want to do a brief research on the roots and traditional beginnings of this day, I pray it pricks your heart, if it doesn't at the moment I pray Ephesians 1:17-23.
God did not author fear. He provides Scripture, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and the whole armor of God, to be the antidote to the fear you experience.
In the dance class, instructors might give off the aire of intimidation. On the stage, the audience may make you shake in your slippers. A fellow student dancer may cause you to compare yourself with her. In the ministry of dance, the pastor or a board member might make you feel like your ministry has no place in the church or has no merit. You may feel unqualified because of your lack of organized training or you may think that the only real dancer is a toothpick sized one. All of this is how fear grips you and operates freely unchecked because you think you are chained to it and have no hope to shed its hold.
Spook houses reenact scenes just like that...a poor ghost soul that can't find peace on earth so it has to continue in its sad state moaning for release from its chains of death. We see something like that and it scares us, we squeal and giggle with our friends, but in reality, we are bound to our fears everyday and think that there is no way of escaping them.
I've witnessed dancers afraid of developing to a new level from where they are artistically, I've seen them afraid of new dance moves or combinations. Or afraid to audition for a part or present a piece of choreography concerned they would be rejected. I've even seen dancers "too shy" to answer questions in class or move to the front because of fear and also the ones that seem to be overbearing and loud but, in reality, are masking their self-esteem issues.
The dance world is full of mimicry, a resemblance or copying the real world. Pretending to be swans, or dolls, or dancing toys, or life-sized nutcrackers. We re-tell the Nativity story, the Easter story, we even dance out Scripture. We are not real angels or real animals, we just play one onstage!
Why do we need a day to pretend we are a creature or a ghoul or even a ballerina? People are intrigued with the art of story telling. Mimicry is a God notion. He created animals that mimic the real thing. We like that as people, as dancers.We feel connected to dancing out a story or a concept or a truth while wearing beautiful costuming to make the experience even more inspiring!
God says that He has not handed out the spirit of fear, but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of A SOUND MIND (II Timothy 1:7)! Yet we costume up and carry around fear with us, masking it! Afraid of spiders,coffins, and secret fears of letting people get to know you or afraid to forgive someone. Fear is fear like a pig is a pig, no matter how pretty you dress it up. Even the traditional handing out candy and yelling "trick or treat" has its roots in fear. Look it up.
Fear consumes your thoughts and affects your decisions. Keeps you from sleep, causes you to eat antacids. It causes you to close into yourself and let no one in your self-built walls. It diminishes your dance and your purpose. It may take its toll and you walk away from dance completely. Yes, fear can do all of that BUT ONLY if you let it. You, Christian dancer have the right and authority to disallow its trauma. How do I know this? The Bible tells us to 'be not afraid' or to 'fear not' a bazillion times. It's not just filler words for the pages of the Bible, it is equipment for your use to get free from its hold on you.
So, if you go through with this ritualistic dressing-up on halloween, check your heart status, are you purposely going to put yourself in a situation to be frightened, even if it's just for fun? Or maybe decide that you're gonna unmask fear and be you...the real you. Isn't that scary enough?
Everybody decides what they want to dress-up as, anything from the completely adorable to the extremely freakish. Some are detailed and elaborate and others are spontaneous ideas pulled together in an instant.
Thoughts are towards what fall festival to go to, or where the Trunk or Treats are going to be, or if they're gonna visit the coolest haunt factories, and maybe throw in a hayride for good measure. Whatever it is, most are planning on having an evening of whimsy, laughs, and candy, with a little bit of clean frightful gore and screams.
No one that I know takes this day as anything serious, just a day to dress-up and pretend, to mimic a character and take the normal out of their normal day with the teacher or boss's approval. The only problem with this simple approach to halloween (no capital H from me) is the severity of the spirit of fear that hides in waiting to disturb the secret fears in our thoughts.
You may not care to, but you might just want to do a brief research on the roots and traditional beginnings of this day, I pray it pricks your heart, if it doesn't at the moment I pray Ephesians 1:17-23.
God did not author fear. He provides Scripture, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and the whole armor of God, to be the antidote to the fear you experience.
In the dance class, instructors might give off the aire of intimidation. On the stage, the audience may make you shake in your slippers. A fellow student dancer may cause you to compare yourself with her. In the ministry of dance, the pastor or a board member might make you feel like your ministry has no place in the church or has no merit. You may feel unqualified because of your lack of organized training or you may think that the only real dancer is a toothpick sized one. All of this is how fear grips you and operates freely unchecked because you think you are chained to it and have no hope to shed its hold.
Spook houses reenact scenes just like that...a poor ghost soul that can't find peace on earth so it has to continue in its sad state moaning for release from its chains of death. We see something like that and it scares us, we squeal and giggle with our friends, but in reality, we are bound to our fears everyday and think that there is no way of escaping them.
I've witnessed dancers afraid of developing to a new level from where they are artistically, I've seen them afraid of new dance moves or combinations. Or afraid to audition for a part or present a piece of choreography concerned they would be rejected. I've even seen dancers "too shy" to answer questions in class or move to the front because of fear and also the ones that seem to be overbearing and loud but, in reality, are masking their self-esteem issues.
The dance world is full of mimicry, a resemblance or copying the real world. Pretending to be swans, or dolls, or dancing toys, or life-sized nutcrackers. We re-tell the Nativity story, the Easter story, we even dance out Scripture. We are not real angels or real animals, we just play one onstage!
Why do we need a day to pretend we are a creature or a ghoul or even a ballerina? People are intrigued with the art of story telling. Mimicry is a God notion. He created animals that mimic the real thing. We like that as people, as dancers.We feel connected to dancing out a story or a concept or a truth while wearing beautiful costuming to make the experience even more inspiring!
God says that He has not handed out the spirit of fear, but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of A SOUND MIND (II Timothy 1:7)! Yet we costume up and carry around fear with us, masking it! Afraid of spiders,coffins, and secret fears of letting people get to know you or afraid to forgive someone. Fear is fear like a pig is a pig, no matter how pretty you dress it up. Even the traditional handing out candy and yelling "trick or treat" has its roots in fear. Look it up.
Fear consumes your thoughts and affects your decisions. Keeps you from sleep, causes you to eat antacids. It causes you to close into yourself and let no one in your self-built walls. It diminishes your dance and your purpose. It may take its toll and you walk away from dance completely. Yes, fear can do all of that BUT ONLY if you let it. You, Christian dancer have the right and authority to disallow its trauma. How do I know this? The Bible tells us to 'be not afraid' or to 'fear not' a bazillion times. It's not just filler words for the pages of the Bible, it is equipment for your use to get free from its hold on you.
So, if you go through with this ritualistic dressing-up on halloween, check your heart status, are you purposely going to put yourself in a situation to be frightened, even if it's just for fun? Or maybe decide that you're gonna unmask fear and be you...the real you. Isn't that scary enough?
- October's Scripture Study: I John 4 (MB) Read the entire chapter daily.
- Truth at the Barre:
- Truth at the Center:
- Challenge at the Barre:
- Challenge at the Center:
- Week 1: The Principle
- Week 2: The Corps
- Week 3: The Rehearsal
- Week 4: The Performance
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
September-The Dance of Returning to the Barre and Center
All
over the dance world in September, fall dance classes get back into
the groove. Back in the groove? What? Classes
get in and out of groove? You mean dance
is seasonal? That’s exactly what I mean! It’s not designed to be seasonal
because dance is a living art and should be continually studied, but, the
countless dancers that take the summer off can really be a bummer, even for the
most inspiring of dance educators. This “off season” pressures the teacher to
close their studio doors in the summer, due to lack of enrollment.
There is a huge mindset in small town America...school in session/dance is
studied...school out of session/no dance. That's an 8-10 week break! Dancer’s
flexibility and strength diminishes hugely! It takes 8 to 10 weeks to get them
back into the place, athletically, that they were at in May.
Let me tell you something else that is
going on in small AND big town America. People by the droves take the summer
off from where they study The Art of
Life and Living...The Church! Again, flexibility and strength, diminished!
Life is a living art and should be continually studied!
I teach my students an analogy about Barre work and Center work. I tell them that what they learn at the Barre, the training and techniques, the hard work and repetition, the growth and development, are to be taken from the Barre and applied to the work that they do in the Center and across the floor. Just like when you train in your faith, the pastors, the teachers, the leadership trains you in the Church and then when you go out of the Church into real life (the Center) you apply your training there! You live it, or dance it, for everyone to see.
A teacher loves it when a dancer can correct themselves. The teacher sees something out of line and they call for a correction and the dancer looks into the mirror and sees the need to change and does it quickly. That is the mark of maturity. Not perfection, but maturity.
I teach my students an analogy about Barre work and Center work. I tell them that what they learn at the Barre, the training and techniques, the hard work and repetition, the growth and development, are to be taken from the Barre and applied to the work that they do in the Center and across the floor. Just like when you train in your faith, the pastors, the teachers, the leadership trains you in the Church and then when you go out of the Church into real life (the Center) you apply your training there! You live it, or dance it, for everyone to see.
A teacher loves it when a dancer can correct themselves. The teacher sees something out of line and they call for a correction and the dancer looks into the mirror and sees the need to change and does it quickly. That is the mark of maturity. Not perfection, but maturity.
What thrills an instructor? Teachability.
For a dancer, the mirror is the place of
checks and balances. For the Christian it is the Bible, we look in it as we
train and continually correct and change and dance it/live it for all to see. We are to continually "look" in the Mirror of the Word, so it can reflect back to us our flaws, spots, and stains. We should be
wise enough to correct them as soon as they are revealed.
A dance class could very easily be compared to going to Church. You dress appropriately for the environment you’ll be in. You arrive and chat and mingle with others that have come for the same purpose. The music begins and a euphoric feeling comes to you, This why I dance, you think to yourself. At the Barre, there is a lot of reinforcement and educating and reminders of what is right, good and, purposeful which is useful for you and your dance/life. There is a lot of praying (class can be tough on certain days!) and then you're released to the Center (real life) and you go out and dance it/live it. Yes?
I've always had questions concerning people that call themselves dancers. You know the ones. They come to class only once a week or will miss class altogether when other things take higher priority. They love the idea of being a dancer, but do not want to do what it takes to be one. They want to attend class just enough to stay somewhat connected, but it’s plain to see that their absence is weakening their commitment. They want to stay in the roll book, but are not advancing in their training. They like the idea of dancing and wearing what dancers wear, but the devotion, the determination, the discipline, the drive is ABSENT.
wise enough to correct them as soon as they are revealed.
A dance class could very easily be compared to going to Church. You dress appropriately for the environment you’ll be in. You arrive and chat and mingle with others that have come for the same purpose. The music begins and a euphoric feeling comes to you, This why I dance, you think to yourself. At the Barre, there is a lot of reinforcement and educating and reminders of what is right, good and, purposeful which is useful for you and your dance/life. There is a lot of praying (class can be tough on certain days!) and then you're released to the Center (real life) and you go out and dance it/live it. Yes?
I've always had questions concerning people that call themselves dancers. You know the ones. They come to class only once a week or will miss class altogether when other things take higher priority. They love the idea of being a dancer, but do not want to do what it takes to be one. They want to attend class just enough to stay somewhat connected, but it’s plain to see that their absence is weakening their commitment. They want to stay in the roll book, but are not advancing in their training. They like the idea of dancing and wearing what dancers wear, but the devotion, the determination, the discipline, the drive is ABSENT.
It has been said that the growth of atheism was due to the fact that many Christians acknowledged God with their lips, but lived before the world as an unbeliever, and non-Christians, frankly, found THAT to be unbelievable. Absenteeism in the Dance Class and the Church is attributed to the desire to pursue other things. Let September be the month of your revival, return to the Barre, return to the Center. Come back to your first love. Be present. Live. Move. Be. Acts 17:28
- September's Scripture Study: I Timothy 4 (MB) Read this chapter every day of September.
- Truth at the Barre:
You are to teach with your life! ..."by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity..."
- Truth in the Center:
You are to cultivate your purpose! "The people will all see you mature right before their eyes!"
- Challenge at the Barre:
As you look in the mirror, as you stand at the barre, make an effort to look deeper than your body lines and form. Look beyond your dance attire and bun. Think of the mirror as the Word of God that reflects your image and how God desires for you to conform to His Image. The Word will show you when you mess up. Your flaws. Your mistakes. But be encouraged, it will also show you His Love, His Grace, And His Mercy!
- Challenge in the Center:
As you stand in the center or get ready for a combination, think of this time as you living your everyday life in and around others. Notice how when the music starts, you sweep by others and brush closely near them. You're out amongst the people doing what they're doing, it's the CHOREOGRAPHY OF LIFE! Think about ways that when you leave the classroom how you can apply these scripture principles and how you can affect and influence others in a positive way.
- Week 1 The Principle:
Use the entire week to let God reveal things to you that are holding you back in your physical dance abilities and in your spiritual dance abilities.
- Week 2 The Corps:
"You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching."
Dance is a created form of worship. God created it and gave it to you to enjoy. Do you find yourself moaning and complaining when class or choreography get too hard? Do you whine when you're pushed to newer levels? Do you eye roll with ideas or steps that don't necessarily thrill you or pump you up? Do you ever practice thankfulness? Being thankful is something that must be practiced and an effort made to do on purpose. As the Company, you work as an individual on yourself and when you join to rehearse with the rest of the body, you all will flow effortlessly together as the spine. Follow the sound training you have been taught, use it everyday of this week.
- Week 3 The Rehearsal:
":A disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever."
In this third week be very mindful and active with daily contact with God, prayers, and confessions of sloppy, droppy, and floppy living. Go over, rehearse what is right, good, pure, just, and lovely and practice those things. Maybe a wrong attitude towards an Instructor, or a fellow dancer, or even your wrong thoughts towards yourself. Review and then release them! Purge. Let go.
- Week 4 The Performance:
Walk it all out this week, the fourth week of the month. What has changed? Tell someone. Was there anything revealed to you? Share it. Do you feel free-er? Did you get told to do something for someone? Then do it. This is the real performance. This is real life. Live your dance out loud for everyone to be touched by your actions, words, deeds, and efforts! Ready? And...5...6...7...8...
How To Use The Christian Dancer's Monthly Devotionals
(2)
Week 1 (the new beginning of the month) you are asked to focus your attention on
God, The Author and The Finisher of your faith. He IS The Principle, The Featured Artist. He has
the Leading Role of the Company. He IS The Virtuoso!
Week 2: The Corps
On this week, you are asked to accept your place in the role of the Corps, the body, which takes
second place in the Company, over which The Principle is The Head! You are more than just a
backdrop, you are LIVING EPISTLES!
Week 3: The Rehearsal
The third week focuses on your place as the Company body and rehearsing and living your life
successfully with yourself and with the rest of the Company. The choreography of life, the practice
of living, the repeating of the same moves, to flow in unison with others for a common goal.
Week 4: The Performance
Finally, the last week of the month, the performance is the REAL THING! At the end of the month
you are asked to actually put to use what you have been rehearsing throughout the month. You
have become kinder, gentler, more forgiving, inspirational, encouraging, more loving...now, DO IT!
Apply it this week!
Truth at the Center
Challenge at the Barre
Challenge at the Center
Reading September's devotional will clarify why we'll use that terminology. You are encouraged to
not just read the devotionals, but become very interactive with them.
- Every devotional will be ready at the beginning of each new month. Please feel free to print them out if necessary.
- Each monthly devotional is divided into four weeks with the focus on one main topic with different concepts on that topic:
Week 1 (the new beginning of the month) you are asked to focus your attention on
God, The Author and The Finisher of your faith. He IS The Principle, The Featured Artist. He has
the Leading Role of the Company. He IS The Virtuoso!
Week 2: The Corps
On this week, you are asked to accept your place in the role of the Corps, the body, which takes
second place in the Company, over which The Principle is The Head! You are more than just a
backdrop, you are LIVING EPISTLES!
Week 3: The Rehearsal
The third week focuses on your place as the Company body and rehearsing and living your life
successfully with yourself and with the rest of the Company. The choreography of life, the practice
of living, the repeating of the same moves, to flow in unison with others for a common goal.
Week 4: The Performance
Finally, the last week of the month, the performance is the REAL THING! At the end of the month
you are asked to actually put to use what you have been rehearsing throughout the month. You
have become kinder, gentler, more forgiving, inspirational, encouraging, more loving...now, DO IT!
Apply it this week!
- Unless otherwise stated, The Message Bible will be the version used for Scripture references.
- Considering that the dancer's new year always begins in September, every year of devotionals will begin in the month of September and end in August.
- Monthly devotionals will have at the end of each a:
Truth at the Center
Challenge at the Barre
Challenge at the Center
Reading September's devotional will clarify why we'll use that terminology. You are encouraged to
not just read the devotionals, but become very interactive with them.
- Please feel free to share testimonies or revelations or request prayer on our Facebook page.
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Jeanna Sumners
Covered in His Grace and dance shoes!
