Last year, while volunteering at my former elementary/middle/high school, I was approached by the principal and asked to choreograph for her granddaughter. Never having talked to her other than sharing a few hellos, I agreed to work with her on a Contemporary solo for the LCS Festival (FLOCS Competition) held at Southeastern University. Upon going into working with her, I did not know how much dance she had taken or how long she had been dancing. However, much to my surprise she was amazing for the short time she had been taking classes!
On the first day of practice, we got to know each other and learn a little bit more about each other's dance ability and dance history. Not only was it a great experience learning about her, but listening to her passion about dance truly gave me even more inspiration to choreograph for her! Over the course of the next few practices, she brought me the song Small Enough by Mindy Gledhill. When I originally heard her song choice, my first thought was, "This is a very deep song for a 13 year old". However, after that initial thought, I asked her why she had chosen this song? She then told me stories of things that had gone on in her personal life of going from a full-time homeschool student to an 8th grader going to school everyday. She told me of how it was being the odd-one-out because she had been homeschooled so long and being the only one that loved dance as much as she did. Personally, I could relate to her on so many levels that this dance became less of your "everyday dance" to becoming a story of her life portrayed and expressed through her dance. When she performed this dance at the LCS Festival, you could truly see and feel that she had been through something and wanted to show everyone I've been through things but God is getting me through it and He will get you through it too. This song and dance were her way of showing who she was and what she had gone through to bring hope to those that might feel hopeless.
This year, I had the honor of being able to work with this same young woman again for a second year in a row! However, this year she brought me a lighter and more powerful song, How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle. This song is a song of realizing where you've been and knowing God has brought you out of your time of struggle, even in the moments that you might not deserve it. She had been brought through serious difficult times during her 8th grade year and as many students do, still has struggles in the 9th grade. But this time, she used her story and her dance to express the joy and gratefulness she has for the Lord because even through her struggles and times she might not have deserved the help, God brought her through it. This year, her goal at the LCS Festival was to show everyone that even in times of despair and difficulty God is always there and will bring you through! She is an amazing young woman with a true heart for the Lord and a true heart for dance!
To my first soloist, when you read this, know that I am so proud of you and everything you have accomplished and cannot wait to see where the Lord takes you and your future in dance!
I love you girl!
Be on the look out for a new post coming at the beginning of next week about my most recent experience with a male soloist and Standing In the Rain.
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