Let’s Talk Dance - The Angels Danced the Day You Were Born!
Recently I was out shopping, combing the decorations on display for the holiday season. Always on the lookout for "angel gifts" I took note of a precious glass ornament with the popular phrase "the angels danced the day you were born" hand-painted on the globe. Two of my former dance students, now grown and married, are expecting babies this winter and I thought it would make a cute gift! Then I smiled to think of just how many people that phrase represents and how many angels must be choreographing in the winds of heaven. I wondered, too, if angels are gifted with the ability to dance or if the only dancing angels are the ones that danced on earth first. Maybe there is a studio for angels in heaven; you know, the ones that always wanted to dance but never had the chance. Oh, I know…first you have to believe in angels.
Surely at this time of year, you cannot help but know that angels are real. Look around you! You will find that angels are everywhere! They are on Christmas trees of course, but look some more; they are in school plays, singing in church, in living nativity scenes and in dance performances staged in a variety of venues. The sweetest angels are those under the age of five whose halos drift sideways if not dangle down their backs as they parade amongst sinners and saints alike in celebration of the season of giving! Why are angels so prevalent and why do they bring us such a sense of comfort if they are not real in some way?
14 years ago, I created a liturgical dance performance in celebration of the Christmas season in an effort to express my sense of the faith journey that Christmas calls us to accept. I also wanted to provide my dancers, their families and my community with a gift: a Christmas treasure that brought everyone together in peaceful fellowship during an otherwise hectic season. In this annual production, In His Name…We Dance, a Contemporary Journey through the Christmas Story, I have incorporated the use of angels in a range of ages and services. The performance begins in darkness and our Blessed Angels bring the light into the performance space. I use slightly older Guardian Angels, to accompany Mary on her physical journey. Later her Angels of Grace comfort her in her hour of need and offer her spiritual protection. Through it all, her spirit, the Angel of the Perfected Mary, is with her to act as her emissary to her faith and her presence with God.
Even if you do not believe in angels, you want to. The word "angel" is defined in the dictionary and so at least we know the reference is valid. There are over 10 difference descriptions for what an angel is, but the one that is most befitting of the angels that "danced the day you were born" are the ones that have left this earth. It seems we are most comforted in this season of birth by iconic representation of death. Oddly, whatever our religious beliefs, we all seem to find peace with the angels.
Every studio will face the loss of a student, a parent or a sibling over the course of a business life. In fact, statistically it is unavoidable and if your studio family is like most, the effects are felt by many, if not all of the students and their families. It is those who continue to dance after their personal loss that warm my heart as I watch them grow, grieve and heal through their movement and expression.
Erin, a young woman, stands grounded and proudly shares with our dancers the field of physical therapy she is pursuing. Her mother, Eva, is surely dancing in heaven because she had the heart of a dancer and was a great encourager of my efforts in the early days of my studio. Elizabeth boldly dances a lyrical jazz phrase to If Everyone Cared, and I can see her mother's passion in each powerful movement. It reminds me of the battle my dear friend and studio mom Cherrie faced with the grace and aplomb of the finest of dancers. And then with the strength of a thousand soldiers, Kaitlin and Lauren return to dance after the death of their baby sister just days prior. Not even 10 years to their credit, they face the emptiness of a human tragedy they cannot possibly understand much less explain to their peers. Their sister, Danielle, almost 2, literally "grew up" in the studio lobby and her presence was immediately missed.
So where do angels learn to dance? I believe they learn to dance in the hearts of those who remember them and love them and invite them to dance each step beside them. Awaken your angels this season; let them dance with you…let them dance for you as they did "the day you were born!"
Kathryn Austin, M.A., RDE welcomes comments, questions and topic suggestions from all readers. E-mail Kathryn at kaustin2@cfl.rr.com or send mail to PO BOX 771518, Winter Garden, FL 34777.