...3, 4..5 and I'm Spiiini---Oh No, I'm Not!

We tried attacking (precisely the word Ms. Mylene used, perhaps to assimilate a sense of aggression in us who fear and loath pirouettes for a good reason) single pirouettes in toe shoes this evening in ballet class. One is supposed to execute a clean turn after five retirés done with a relevé. I survived the five retirés and then went into a pirouette and for a few microseconds thought I would actually make it the whole 360 degrees. But as fate would have it, I landed on my butt (Ouch!) after a meager quarter of the way.

But I got up and went straight into our finishing position (Ms. Mylene's words of "Always finish well!" echoing in my head).

The great thing about it? No one laughed. Not even a chuckle. No one had anything to stifle either. Ms. Mylene asked, "Are you okay? Good girl. Good girl. Everyone falls."

Now that reflects the kind of community I would like ICF to be. And it's a picture of the community of mercy that I find at church.

***

The DCBC Sunset Service will be celebrating it's 12th Anniversary tomorrow. Thank You God for that. Do come and join us at 4:00PM at the School of Statistics Audi.

We'll be doing a repeat of the Cantata performance, with the unavoidable changes due to schedules and venue. Me and Salve will be dancing "I Can Only Imagine" and "What Child is This?" I'm so thankful that God has given us the steps to make up for the parts of the original dance that required all six ladies and that we were able to practice them in just an afternoon. We're still fretting over it of course. Salve just texted me and she's still very much awake. We're both having a case of bad nerves over this.

Since Lulu can't make it, I'll be dancing "What Child is This?" alone. I'm losing sleep over it because I'm so worried. I actually hoped I'd sprain my ankle or something in ballet class awhile ago just so I wouldn't dance to this song because I feel like it's such an impossibility. As God would have it, I am undamaged. But my body is crying out for a period of recuperation, which is no surprise as we've graduated from using toe shoes on Saturdays only to using toe shoes every ballet class. There is a pronounced difference in the amount of strength and energy required between the two.

Choreography is coming slow too. I have to do it after my study load for the day which is usually around 3AM and by then, I'm hanging by the thread consciousness-wise. And I have to stop every so often to still myself before God. To surrender this to the Lord and try not to do it on my own strength and creativity. I'm finding that I am nothing apart from Him and that my movement is grounded in the stillness before the throne of grace.

Many are my complaints and doubts and fears. Oh but Lord, let Your joy be my strength and this dance be for You and let Your love, that is so great, cover my multitude of boogymen.

***

Relevé = springing onto your toes or to demipointe when wearing soft shoes
Retiré = looks like this