Guest Post: Dancers Connecting to Their Faith and Enriching Their World

The following is a guest post by Randall Flinn, director of Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston, TX.

The Relationship Between Faith and Dance

Dance is born from the heart and soul of people and cultures. Long before the polished refinement of classical or contemporary dance movement, dance lived and thrived in personal expression and communal relationships within a society. Dance was also a highly important and viable means of worshipful devotion, as worldviews of faith were visually demonstrated through offerings of dance. It may seem that as dance evolved more to a stage performance art form that these sacred expressions of faith began to disappear.

Perhaps not completely recognized or documented, dance as a form of worship or as a means for visually incarnating one’s faith is one of the oldest and perhaps richest offerings of dance. Although it is clear that dance and faith have always maintained a dynamic interaction throughout history, it is in this present age that dancers are finding a fresh significance in regards to integrating their beliefs with their artistry.

Dance in Worship and Fellowship

There are now many worldwide expressions of what may be called liturgical or sacred dance forms. In the past few years, even several dancewear companies have begun designing entire lines of worship and dance ministry performance wear. Organizations such as the Christian Dance Fellowship maintain an extensive networking of fellow dance worshippers and sacred movers.

Dance it seems has finally made its comeback as an acceptable and welcomed form of worship in many churches of various denominations throughout the world. There are now many workshops and conferences that are organized with the sole purpose and vision of expressing faith through diverse forms of dance.

Artists Articulating Faith

While the liturgical forms or church oriented praise dance expressions are wonderful displays of freedom in worship, there are other dance artists that are traveling more on the cutting edge, engaging culture with relevant and contemporary works of dance that are derived from their faith and supported by their worldview of life.  These dancers and choreographers may not be gracing the altars of the local church but they are nonetheless articulating their faith where art meets the whole of life, and not just the familiar floors of sacred or religious spaces.

Over the past twenty years there has been a worldwide networking and fellowship of these Believer artists. Professional companies and dance movements have sprung forth from these relationships including ProjectDance.com which conducts international arts festivals, The Culture House in Kansas City, Creative Arts Europe, Xaris Dance Company-Europe, Word in Motion –Los Angeles, Inlet Dance Theatre in Cleveland, and Hosanna Sacred Arts in Alabama. All of these dance arts organizations are directed by professional artists who hold fast to their faith while exercising their gifts in the marketplace.  Dancers from around the world have been drawn to these companies due to the integration of “keeping the faith” while engaging the culture with artistic excellence.

Reconciling Faith and Art

The gulf between faith and art is finding needed reconciliation and a more holistic view of what it truly means to create art that is informed and supported by one’s personal faith.  As many artists during the time of the Reformation knew, the gift of art is a gift of God to mankind who has created us in His image. The artist therefore can understand themselves as servants of God to humanity, enriching life and upholding its’ truth and beauty through their offerings and servitude. The artist then finds freedom from the pull of celebrity appeal to the higher call of a creative servant, meeting this world in its’ need.  The arts were meant to bless and enrich our world.

As artists reevaluate their journey, maybe more healing will be poured upon the soil of life through their work. Dance and expressions of faith truly belong in relationship to each other. For dance was born from such expressions, as a celebration of life and the validity of its joys, sorrows, journeys and discoveries. It may be true that indeed all artists create from the great need and passion to speak, as it were, from the inside out.

Perhaps the arts really do reveal, more than we may realize, what lives on the inside of who we are and what we believe. As the artist finds freedom to live out their faith within this world, then we can hope to see more light shine over the darkness and injustice of our times. The arts are indeed one of the richest gifts to humanity. May the arts bloom and blossom in this new year through the faith and belief of those granted such an incredible gift.

Photographs of Ad Deum Dance Company by Visage Photo Studio

Randall Flinn is the founder/artistic director of Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston, Texas.  He is a professional choreographer and teacher who has worked with Houston Ballet Academy, Cirque Du Soleil –Alegria, Houston Met Dance Company, Project Dance Times Square, Hong Kong Ballet, Ballet Magnificat and the dynamic Lakewood Church of Houston and Hillsong Church-Sydney.

Ad Deum (which means “towards God”) Dance Company began their full time work in January 2000, with a clear mission of integrating their Christian faith with relevant and redemptive artistry. Ad Deum has been honored to perform the works of other professional dancer/choreographers from around the world whose art is also informed by their Christian faith. Choreographers who have regularly set works on Ad Deum include Hope Boykin of Alvin Ailey, Steve Rooks –ten year principal dancer for Martha Graham, Caleb Mitchell –former Houston Ballet company dancer, Stephen Wynne –Talk Dance Company, and Bill Wade –Inlet Dance Theatre and Freddie Moore –former Ailey II dancer. Ad Deum maintains an international touring schedule and offers spring and summer intensives and a nine month pre-professional training program.

“Being Together” Not a Misnomer

Earlier this evening, I had the privilege to watch and host Misnomer Dance Theater’s live broadcast of Being Together on Dance Advantage Interactive. It was truly an event and provided an opportunity for many viewers to “be together,” gathering to watch dance from their prospective parts of the world. The online audience outnumbered the capacity of the Joyce SoHo where the dancers performed, providing both greater exposure for the dance company (many of the online audience were unfamiliar with their work) and an opportunity to expose even young online viewers (kids as young as seven and eight years old tuned in for the show) to dance that they may never have seen otherwise. In addition to simply viewing the performance, online audience members were able to participate in a live chat, sharing their thoughts and general excitement over the opportunity to engage in such an event.

Aside from some technical difficulties during the last half of the performance, the video feed, camera work, and sound were of good quality. The experience was altogether different from attending a live performance in the traditional manner. I didn’t dress up, I didn’t have to find a place to park, I didn’t have to find a babysitter, and people, who could talk throughout the entire performance, came and left when they wanted! I look forward to a future in which more dance companies take their show online even if they can’t take it on the road.

As for the dancing, Misnomer’s performance was excellent. With a mix of Greg Brown, Chet Baker, and others, the musical score for Too Late Tulip was very enjoyable, as was the dancing and partnering work. As a fan of improvisation (especially in performance), I was particularly fond of Rock.Paper.Flock., details of which are written about here and here. I was a bit distracted from the final work Zipper because of a technical glitch that resulted in an obstructed view of the dancers, however I will have another chance to see the work at Misnomer’s website once the archived footage is posted. I encourage you to check it out if you were not able to see the performance live tonight. Teachers, please share this with your students and encourage them to visit as well! It is my understanding that the footage will be available soon and remain through December 31st.

Thanks to those of you that joined me at DA Interactive!

Houston Ballet’s Got The Nutcracker Covered

In the music industry artists often release new renditions, called covers, of previously recorded and released songs. Often these are explorations and reworkings of the original material, designed to pay tribute to the original, reach a new audience demographic, and/or encourage the listener’s interest in the artist by hooking them with a familiar tune. For similar reasons, dance companies worldwide add their versions of The Nutcracker to the fray, making it the most “covered” ballet narrative in the dance world. In this sea of re-hashed material, how does a dance company create a variation that will be a stand-out and beloved at the same time? While there may be no concrete answer to this question, Ben Stevenson’s  choreography, as performed by Houston Ballet, is an excellent model of this elusive formula.

From the opening scenes, the ballet promises a traditional take on the classic story. Characters file across the stage in 19th century costumes indicative of the tale’s setting. Men, women, and children gather at the Stahlbaum family home, complete with a large tree sheltering imagination-powered gifts and toys, for a Christmas party. Where many established versions have failed in making these scenes come alive for a contemporary audience, Stevenson’s take on the familiar scenario offers an engaging and action-packed opening that resonates, in particular, with families who’ve come to see the show. Long segments of courtly dancing are not to be found, traded instead for vignettes that capitalize on familial interactions and have a look and feel of authenticity, despite a heavy use of slapstick. Children, all from Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy are a joy to watch, and wriggle and squiggle as they’re tossed about by uncles or cousins. Elder relatives guzzle ale, from which comedy ensues. And, with his reserve of slight-of-hand and theatrical magic tricks, even Drosselmeyer, played here as more eccentric uncle than mysterious (and creepy) conjurer, is strikingly genuine.

Not just in this opening scene, after which the ballet’s plot inevitably comes to a halt, but throughout the remainder of this version of The Nutcracker, Stevenson has woven humor and inventiveness into the fabric of his choreography. From the ridiculousness of rotund mice scurrying en pointe, to the nostalgia of Clara chasing snowflakes embodied by dancers in flowing skirts, to the originality of flying chefs with angel wings in The Land of Sweets, this Nutcracker keeps viewers entertained. Even in Act II, which has the potential to become for the audience a seemingly endless parade of divertissement and pas de deux, captivating partnering and whimsical innovations make each section memorable.

Houston Ballet’s performance of this endearing rendition of The Nutcracker is strong and polished. The cast fluctuates, sometimes rotating corps members into principal roles, yet from the level of performance it is clear that audiences will see a top-notch show on any given evening. For many dancers, myself included, The Nutcracker is typically an event worthy of evasion, regarded as a song that’s been covered one too many times. However, Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker, delivers a worthy reinvention of a classic that could melt anyone’s wintry heart.

Performances of Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker will continue now through December 28th. See their website for details.

What are your thoughts on The Nutcracker versions that you’ve seen? Have there been any that particularly captured your imagination or are you “over it?”

Click here for BalletMet’s detailed history of The Nutcracker.

AND DON’T FORGET!

Ovation TV’s Battle of The Nutcrackers: Grudge Match is on! Watch, vote, and weigh-in on the six versions being shown on this arts network. Polls will close on December 19 and the winner will be broadcast on Christmas Eve!

Bloggers Unite: Something Out of Nothing

I do not consider myself well-versed in international or global affairs, policies, politics, wars, or history. As a dancer, an artist, and citizen of the world I am curious about these things. However, probably like many of you, I am easily overwhelmed by all there is to learn and understand as I try to sift through the vast amount of information available to me. As an American, I find it easy to become engrossed in the multitude of distractions available to me in my life of privilege and relative security and, as a result, “tune out” the world. My heart, my conscience, and my curiosity, however, reminds me that there is a larger world out there and encourages me to investigate cultures and experiences beyond my own. As a blogger fortunate to have at least a few of you paying attention to what I say, I would be remiss of a certain responsibility if I never encouraged you to do the same. Therefore, despite my lack of knowledge on the subject, I have chosen to participate in the Bloggers Unite event, Refugees Unite. To do so forces me to explore and research a topic I could have otherwise “tuned out” and by sharing what I find, it is my hope that you, too, would “tune in” and be willing to investigate the issues for yourself.

Ibdaa Dance Troupe

As this is a dance blog, I do my best to stay true to my mission of educating and sharing through articles that enhance your experiences as a dancer, student, teacher, and/or parent. I attempt to find stories and subjects with which you can connect. In researching the subject of refugees, I quickly discovered the Ibdaa Dance Troupe, a group of girls and boys that are residents of the Dheisheh Refugee Camp near the city of Bethlehem in the occupied Palestinian (Israel’s) West Bank, who share their experiences and message through dance. According to their website, the dancers “perform Palestinian traditional folkloric dance, or debka, as an artistic way of preserving and sharing their culture and history while simultaneously voicing the rights and struggles of the Palestinian people.”

The dance troupe is just one of the arts programs offered to children and teens at the Ibdaa Cultural Center, which is a grassroots program that seeks to empower the women, children, and youth of the Dheisheh camp. Opportunities to explore art, dance, drama, and music are rare among the 59 refugee camps in the occupied region. The programs provided at the center offer young people the chance to express themselves and develop creativity in a positive and peaceful manner. It is a stark and refreshing contrast to the violence and uncertainty that surrounds them. Ibdaa, which in Arabic means “to create something out of nothing,” reflects the hope that survives among this community of people despite the tumultuous environment in which they live.

The people currently living in the Dheisheh Refugee Camp include some of those originally displaced in 1949 by the Arab-Israeli war, as well as their second and third-generation descendants. The camp currently houses around 12,000 people in an area less than a quarter-mile squared (under half a square kilometer). Many of them have and will live their entire lives in the camp. The Ibdaa Dance Troupe, however, has had the opportunity to tour throughout the world. They stopped in several United States cities in 2003 and 2005 , and have performed for members of the United Nations, world leaders, and the Pope. They dance their stories and they dance with purpose, hoping to bring awareness to the Palestinian perspective, culture, and sometimes brutal realities. The story of this dance troupe was documented on film and is available for purchase here (This review contrasts The Children of Ibdaa documentary and another film which highlights youth from the Dheisheh camp).

Neither the Israeli or Palestinian governments have been free of blame throughout the many years of fighting in this war-torn area of the world.  In response, we are often asked to take sides.  The Idbaa troupe presents their perspective through dance. They remind us of the innocent lives that are sometimes caught between sides, of human beings born into and trying to survive within a land in turmoil.  These dancers are young people who have chosen not to “tune out” the hope for peace in their own hearts and to fight their battle with creativity not violence, despite all that they live through. Regardless of one’s individual beliefs or our government’s policies regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, these are voices that deserve attention.

Additional Reading about Ibdaa Dance Troupe

• Palestine Embodied is a news article featured in the Dec 2003 edition of Dance Magazine.
• Dancing for Peace
• Dancing the Spirit of Palestine
• Freedom Dance
• Middle East of Eden

More Information on the Dheisheh Camp and Palestinian Refugees

• UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) – Dheisheh
• Global Flux – Living in Limbo
• Refugees.org – Israeli-Occupied Territories
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict – the basics on Wikipedia

Refugees Unite

The cause which is the focus of today’s event is Refugees Unite, however, as the core initiative of both Bloggers Unite and Refugees Unite is information, I chose to highlight the Ibdaa Dance Troupe instead. Refugees Unite is a non-profit that is worth checking out.

(from the Bloggers Unite homepage)

Refugees United is a non-profit organization that helps refugees relocate family and friends through the use of the internet.

Refugees United provides refugees with an anonymous forum to reconnect with missing family. By registering with nick- names, scars, former locations and other markers only identifiable to family and close friends, everyone can remain ‘invisible’ to all but relatives.

• All refugees are welcome, regardless of conflict, place or time.
• Refugees United is an independent, non-political, non-religious NGO.
• No third party is involved. No official papers need to be filled in.
• The service is free of charge, easy and safe.

The Refugees United search engine is the first of it’s kind. Visit Refugees United to see how it works and to learn more about the work that Refugees United is doing.

If you have something to add that will further educate or inform myself or my readers on this sensitive subject, I encourage your response. I just ask that you try to do so in a positive manner rather than an inflammatory one. Thank you.

Get Behind the Texas Ballet

Dance organizations in the United States are nearly always struggling.  There are lots of complicated reasons for this – government belt-tightening on arts funding, poor management of non-profit finances within the company, or an uncertain economy forces audiences to stay home and watch dance on tv rather than attend a live performance.  In addition to yearly pledges and donations from generous supporters, dance companies rely on funding and attendance to continue their mission, and many are falling short of their goals.

One such dance organization in Texas is in desperate need to raise funds.  The Texas Ballet Theater calls the Dallas/Fort Worth area home and Read more

The Back-to-School Teach-a-thon is here!!

Read more

Pilobolus

There is much I could write about Pilobolus, a dance company that’s been around for over 35 years. If you’ve been fortunate enough to see them live as I have, you probably understand their appeal and popularity with audiences. The company’s artistic directors and dancers have managed to create “a profoundly serious artistic enterprise that has successfully reached out to a popular audience.” They inject humor, acrobatics, wit, and awe-inspiring partnering work into their dances. Read more

Big Boi not an OutKast at Atlanta Ballet

I wanted to report of an interesting collaboration that has taken place between Big Boi (a member of the rap duo, OutKast) and the Atlanta Ballet. Read more

Plié

I’ve heard somewhere that the beginning is a very good place to start.

So let’s start with the alpha and omega of all dance movements – the plié.

Plié means “Bent, bending. A bending of the knee or knees.” Here is the full definition of plié found at the ABT (American Ballet Theatre) ballet dictionary.

Even young dancers can tell you that plié means ‘to bend’. Many could tell you that you must begin and end a jump with this bending. When you’ve studied dance for a while you come to realize that plié is one of the most sophisticated and nuanced movements in dance.

It’s application or use is endless. It not only appears before and after jumps, but in glides, hops, turns, running, walking, leaps, and more.

It is used while moving forward, backward, upward, sideways, or downward.

No plié is exactly alike, but without it we appear awkward, stiff, uncontrolled, or shaky. Like dance itself, plié is a never-ending story. There is always more to learn and developping a strong understanding of plié will help dancers build a strong foundation for other movements.

The April 08 issue of Dance Magazine features an interesting quote about plié. Risa Steinberg, a Limon teacher at Julliard, states that **”a good plié is an action, not a position. A plié is a ‘Whaaaaaah.’ It is not an ‘Eh.’ ” I love this description.

Try vocalizing ‘Whaaaaaah’ while you plié and see what happens!

This simple action serves as a reminder that plié is a smooth, continuous, and widening motion in contrast to an “Eh,” which suggests little effort or control. Fluidity, width, and control in plié is needed whether performing an explosive jump or a shift of weight.

Some things to remember when executing plié:

1. Weight should be equally distributed between both feet. Try not to lean toward one foot more than the other or rest in the heels.
2. Lift the arches of the foot – avoiding pronation, or rolling in.
3. Maintain turnout (rotation at the hip joint), keeping the knees over the second and third toes.
4. Maintain alignment in the torso, partiularly the pelvis – tailbone points downward. NOT
5. Use opposition in the movement – resist as the body lowers and as it goes goes upward.

Consider the study and mastering of plié a lifelong goal!

Pliés are only boring if you stop discovering new things about them.

**The cited article is by Rachel Straus a freelance writer based in NYC and appears in the April 2008 issue of Dance Magazine.