Dance of Life
- Image does not exists
[Download a document about producing an Arts Series in your church at the end of this reflection!]
Most of you know me as a worship consultant, designer and leader. Some of you know that in my “previous” life I was a professional dancer (that’s me in the green – upside down mid-air!). The decade or so that I spent traveling the world with various companies shaped my life in immeasurable ways. The majority of that time was spent dancing for the internationally renowned Murray Louis Dance Company (happy 80th birthday, Murray!) and the Nikolais Dance Theatre (http://www.nikolaislouis.org ). It was Nik & Murray’s technique and philosophy of movement, and especially improvisation, and our collaboration for five years in a live show with the Dave Brubeck Quartet that gave me a thirst and an appreciation for the creative process as a kind of spiritual discipline – moments where the possibility of discovering sacred and primal things is present. I still get to experience this every time I perform with Wing It! – an improvisational dancing-singing-storytelling-music making incredible group of people (http://www.interplay.org/perform.asp ).
Just before All Saints Day this year, I learned of the death of one…
… of the Murray Louis Dance Company’s members – Daniel Shapiro – who, with his partner in life and dance, Joanie Smith (and another Murray dancer), went on to create wonderful works with their own company (that’s Danny in the back of this trio). Danny had cancer and in the last couple of years of his life his battle against this disease included a fund-raising tour for cancer research (http://www.shapiroandsmithdance.org/ ). As I laid this picture of Danny on my church’s altar on All Saint’s Day, I was also mindful of all the friends I lost in my tenure in the 1980’s New York City dance scene to another disease – the AIDS epidemic (http://www.worldaidsday.org/ ). And many of you have heard the story of my friend Leni, another beautiful dancer, who was killed several years ago in a brutal murder. Every All Saints Day, I am reminded of these “dancing” saints whose lives were cut much too short. And I am inspired yet again to one of my passions – calling the church to recognize and respond to the gifts and needs of professional artists. Years ago I helped start the Foundation for Religion and the Arts in New York City and Kansas City, founded a tradition of jazz vespers in KC, and helped to birth ArtSpirit in Dallas, a ministry with and for artists (http://www.artspiritdallas.org/). If you are interested in the ways that your church can create a more intentional connection with area artists and celebrate how the arts contribute to our spiritual lives, download this!