From the studio: great are God’s deeds
The Word in the Wing
By: Kaya Weaver & Company Artists
The mission of Glorify Performing Arts is to present compelling, professional productions to encourage and empower Christians in their walk of faith, inspiring them to step forward boldly to impact the world. Throughout the 2023-24 season, the company artists have witnessed God acting through their work to move people’s hearts and spur them toward their own actions of reflecting, creating and peacemaking for God’s glory. Here are a few of their stories.
What a friend we have in Jesus
The Word in the Wings
By: Audrey Hammitt
Late in summer 2023, I am invited to dance at my parents’ church. I choreograph a solo, and their sermon series is about prayer. As I think about and search for what song to use, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” stands out with its line, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” It is a sweet process of playing with movements, shapes, and images to communicate not only the freedom and safety we experience as we bring our prayers to God, but also Jesus’ presence with us.
From the studio: a time for everything
The Word in the Wings
By: Jessica Noonan
As an exercise for internalizing Scripture, the dancers set movement to Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. We wish we were all safe from tragedy and pain, but that is not reality in our fallen world. Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 explains this idea of seasons in our own lives. Read about our process for learning through discussion together, and see what the dancers have created.
Regina’s Journey: seek wisdom
The Word in the Wings
By: Kaya Weaver
Regina’s Journey is a fairy-tale ballet with vivid imagery that embodies the abstract theme of seeking wisdom. The ballet’s theme and its use of concrete imagery to represent abstract ideas might bring to mind the biblical book of Proverbs, where the objective of obtaining wisdom is described using the metaphor of seeking something of great value.
Regina’s Journey: beauty along the way
The Word in the Wings
By: Audrey Hammitt
If you’ve ever been in a forest or on a wooded trail, I’m sure you can understand how easy it is to become disoriented if you lose sight of the path. On the other hand, if you are intently keeping your eyes down on the path in front of you, you don’t see the beautiful textures, colors, and light trickling through the branches above and around you. So, to have a safe yet enjoyable experience in the woods, we must find a balance between working hard to stay on the path and using our senses to take in the sights, sounds, and scents around us.
Regina’s Journey: accept grace
The Word in the Wings
By: Kaya Weaver
In Glorify Dance Theatre’s upcoming ballet, Regina’s Journey, the protagonist Regina learns that trust is a key element of wisdom. Proverbs 3 illustrates several dimensions of what it means to trust in God.
Regina’s Journey: always be humble
The Word in the Wings
By: Kaya Weaver
Glorify Dance Theatre’s upcoming ballet Regina’s Journey follows the young Regina as she sets out on a quest to gain wisdom for leading her village, following her mother’s instruction to keep to the path and not stray. The second lesson Regina will learn along the way is, “God can use creatures as small as frogs to help guide you, so always be humble.”
Proverbs 30:24-28 contains poetic lines that consider the wisdom of other small creatures. What can creatures even smaller than frogs teach the people of God about wise ways to live?
Regina’s Journey: stay true to the path
The Word in the Wings
By: Jessica Noonan
Life can be a journey with lots of different paths. Knowing the correct one can be challenging, and that is when we need to seek God for wisdom and discernment. Princess Regina, the protagonist in our new upcoming ballet Regina’s Journey, sets forth on a mission that will eventually give her four life lessons needed to one day rule her kingdom. To prepare the dancers for this production based on the biblical principles of wisdom, we have begun to study Proverbs.
Easter reflection: You Choose
The Word in the Wings
By: Audrey Hammitt
After 40 days of lent–preparing, praying, fasting, giving–we’ve arrived at Eastertide. We celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on a bright Sunday after a dark Good Friday; but what if life doesn’t feel so good? What do we do with the turmoil of emotions inside of us begging to be released?
From the stage: Reflecting El Roi
The Word in the Wings
By: Kaya Weaver
Reflecting El Roi premiers this weekend! How do we prepare, even in the wilderness, in times of waiting, trial, and emptiness, for the blessings we know God is bringing? For “El Roi” sees us, hears us, and reaches out to us even as we prepare for his coming.
