Spring to Jesus!

"He...sprang up and came to Jesus." -Mark 10:50

Did you see it?  In this passage, a blind man springs up and runs to Jesus in order to be healed.  He was so in love with Jesus, so eager to let Him work.  He sprang up and ran to the Lord.

As I was pondering over this verse, I couldn't help thinking of springing up to releve en pointe.  When you spring, you can't jump up too hard, because then you will crush your toes.  You can't climb up to releve either, or else you won't get up in your box.  You need just enough umph to get you up, and just enough strength and stability to keep you there.

Is it that hard to spring to the Lord?  Do we need to find the perfect way to pray and then we'll find Jesus?  Of course not!   Thanks to God's glorious grace, we can surrender ourselves to Him.  Jesus will take what we give Him, so don't be afraid to give Him everything.  Spring to the Lord in prayer and give Him yourself.

When you practice springs in class, think about springing to Jesus.  He's the ultimate dance partner, so spring away!

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

-Mandy

Pirouettes Are Back!

First off, I want to apologize that this blog has been silent lately!  Hopefully, now that summer is here, I'll be able to post a bit more.

I have promised that I would post more about releves and pirouettes.  I haven't forgotten, even though it's been a million years since this post.

Well, as I've slowly progressed, my teachers have given me a few pointers and corrections about pirouettes that I'd like to share here.

• Instead of springing onto releve retire, try to "push the floor away from you."  This should feel like a strong push down into the ground instead of a "sproing" into retire.  This habit helps avoid "jumping" into releve on your pointe shoes and helps you turn more smoothly.
• In turns from fourth position, be sure not to "sit" in your back foot.  Instead of putting all of your weight into your back foot, use it as the force to get you turning.  
• SPOT!!! I've said this before, but it makes a huge difference.  Find a picture, or a spot on the wall, or someone's face, or the piano player, or whatever!  Just spot and it will help!
• A teacher once said to me about pirouettes, "It's like a cookie cutter shape hung on a string.  The shape stays the same, you just turn it."  Try to keep the same shape all of the way around and then hold it as you finish, just like the girl in the picture below.

Again, my turns need lots of work and I hope that my little discoveries will help out some. :)

I also found this article insightful, as well as some tidbits from The Ballet Companion, by Eliza Gaynor Minden.

-Mandy

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

"The Divine Dance" - A Book Review

Today I want to share with you a book that I finally finished reading and found amazingly inspiring.

The Divine Dance, by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio.

This beautiful book is for girls everywhere.  It's not just for dancers, even though I feel like it resonates even more clearly with those of us who do dance.

Written clearly and openly, The Divine Dance walks through the different aspects of maturing in this world in an inspiring and uplifting way.  The Divine Dance is our walk with the Lord, our performance for Him alone.

As I read this, it encouraged and challenged me.  Especially as a dancer, I see this book in a new light.  With the "Divine Dance" analogy in my mind, I can try to dance for the Lord in all parts of my life.

This book is written from a protestant perspective and as a Catholic I disagree with her opinion of being saved.  This is pretty much the only issue I had with the book.

The main question in The Divine Dance is one I need to ask myself often: "If the world is your stage, who are you performing for?"  Shannon makes it clear that God is THE choreographer, THE audience, the only One worth living for.

I could go on and on, but I want YOU to read it instead of hearing ME talk about it!

Want to be inspired to dance for the King in every part of your life?  Read this book and live by its message!

The Joy of the Lord is my strength!

-Mandy

Sanctity Pervades!

"Sanctity can pervade all of our human endeavors" -Rev. Peter V. Armenio.

Woah.  Think about that for a minute.

It is possible for sanctity (aka: holiness) to be present in all of our endeavors.  All of them.

Wait. you think.  All of my endeavors?  Meaning all of my life?  All the different parts............even dance?

Yup, dance.  Including (but not only) dance.  Often in such a detailed and focused activity, it's weird to think of holiness being really present.  Oh yes, we can practice to Christian music (which is awesome, by the way!) and try to snatch a prayer in between combos (which is hard to do...), but is there any way that holiness can completely take over our dancing?

Think about that.  Ask God how He can be present in your dancing.  Surrender your dancing to Him, dance for Him.

Maybe it will be hard to give Jesus this part of us.  This part of our life that we are so in control of, that we have worked so hard on, that we have invested so much in and put so much joy and work and tears into.

Is He worth it to you?  Will you let holiness pervade your endeavors?

Jesus, come and take over my dancing.  This is hard, Lord.  Give me the strength to dance for You alone!  Let me praise your name with dance.  From my heart to Yours, Lord!  Amen!

For Him Alone

Psalm 149:3 Says......

Oh, come on.  If you've seen it once on this blog you've seen it a thousand times!

Do you remember?

Ok, I'll let you cheat.  Below are the words in the verse scrambled up:

"dancing Let praise with His them name "

Do you have it now?  Here it is:

"Let them praise His name with dancing."

The only reason that I lead all of you readers through that crazy experiment is this:  As a dancer I want to be the best at what I do.  I realize that (without a miracle) this isn't going to happen.  Maybe I could get so good that I get to the top of my class and then to the top of my dance school.  Maybe I could get so good that I begin to get all of the main parts in the ballets.  But I will never be the best at dancing.  

To many, many dancers out there (including me!) this hurts to know.  It really hurts.  But this blog isn't jump-with-pain.com, is it? No.  And Psalm 149:3, along with Jeremiah 29:11 and many more verses (not to mention the strength given to us through the Mass and the sacraments!) give me a reason to dance.

Jesus doesn't call us to praise our own names with dancing.  He calls us to praise His name.  Philippians 2:13 says: "For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  In whatever I do, I believe that God is at work in me.  So when I dance, I believe that God is at work in me.   Therefore, I am not afraid to dance with what He has given me, even I'm not the spectacular prima ballerina that I think would be best.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

I believe that Jesus has a beautiful future in plan for me and for you too.

Will you dance for Him alone?

Imperfect but Loved

I am not perfect.
I am filled with shame when I sin.
I forget that my life is beautiful.
I cry.
I want Jesus, but forget to run to Him.
I run away from who I think Jesus is.
I cry.
I want my life to be perfect and everything to be easy for me.
I want to have a perfect body.
I am not perfect.

Lord, this is who I am.  When I look up at Your cross, and see you loving me, I cry, because I don't see what there is to love. I am not perfect, but You love me anyways. You will never stop loving me.  Someday, in heaven, I will know what that means, and I will rejoice with You.  Forever.

But right now, I am waiting.  

I trust in You.  Show me how to trust in You.

Amen

Just One

How often do I forget that I'm not the only one who feels alone?

Time and time again I find myself down and discouraged.

But to hear one encouraging voice, just one word of love - 

That can change it all.

One smile, one small action can be a reminder of God's love.

Just one.