I am so excited about the Leadership Program that we offer at Reverence Studios for students over the age of 11!  We had our kick-off meeting this past Thursday and such a wonderful time!  Not only is Reverence Studios Central PA’s number one place for Christian dance education, but we are the only studio with a program to train and mentor students to be Christian leaders!  Here are all the students with me:

They are WAY excited, as am I!  Introducing with great joy…Lindsey Talmadge, Cassie Helms, Leah Martin, Emily Uber, and Laura Noss!

Youth Dance Camp Days 2 and 3 were sooooo much fun!  Day 2 consisted of:

A fun warm-up and other games…

Jazz Class!

Miss Deb came back in to teach Hawaiian!

Day 3 opened with a good time of devotions and prayer with a partner…

We did a Ballet class…

(I HEART ballet class)

We did some other activities with choreography and games and then during our lunch break got the best surprise!  FREE FOOD FROM TEXAS ROADHOUSE!  It made our day!

I was so excited about dance camp starting this week and getting back into the swing of things that I could hardly sleep last night!  It was such a fun day!  It was great to see some of my students from this past school year and also some new, dear faces! 

After opening in prayer we had some fun, team-building games:

Hot Lava!

Then we had ballet class (sorry no pics) and it felt so good to get back into the swing of things!  After that we had devotions and worship (I don’t know about you, but I love Chris Tomlin’s song “How Can I Keep from Singing Your Praise!”  It makes me want to turn my car into the praise mobile!).  This week we are going to be studying one of my favorite Bible characters–Ruth!  I LOVE helping students grow spiritually!

After that, the awesome Deb Starner came to teach the girls Hip Hop!

Hip Hop Divas!

We took a much needed lunch break and felt very refreshed!  The last activity of the day was to learn about stage make-up and costuming.  The students divided into two groups to begin the first of their Continuing Education activities!

Who is ready for tomorrow???? ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  See you soon!

I was recently asked a question by a sweet student: “What do you do all day when no one is here?”  The answer is lots!  I plan lessons and choreograph and get to do the fun artistic side of things AND I also get to manage and do the business side of things, too.  However, I do not do these things alone….  No organization would be what it is without the humble people who work behind the scenes. 

Seth does a ton.  He does some handyman stuff around the studio, he installed the sound system, and he also does a lot of the video and web design.  This week he helped me by fixing stuff (including our beloved Marley floor) before he went to work!

My parents faithfully pray for the studio and do more stuff then I am able to count!  They were such an incredible help during the recital, but did not want to be recognized there.  So I’m doing it here!   My Dad took some time to come in and touch up the paint!  Thanks, Dad.

Now the studio is all set and ready to be danced in over the summer and into the new school year!

After a refreshing past week, this week will be spent primarily organizing and repainting and repairing at the studio in order to get ready for our awesome summer here at Reverence Studios!  What fun it has been for me to take another look at all the pictures, cards, paintings, and other thoughtful treasures that the students have given me throughout the year!  You all are so creative!  I was also amazed at the number of pictures that included a black cat to represent my beloved kitten Prince Caspian—wow!  They made me smile when I got them and they still do.

The cards with Scripture also mean quite a bit to me.  The Lord used them and you to minister to me this past year.  He is so good!  One in particular stood out to me as I was rereading them today.  It said, “Serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you” (from 1 Samuel 12:24).  Inside there was a note from my sweet cousins which I will always treasure.

1 Samuel 12:24 is an excerpt from Samuel’s farewell speech to God’s people who he had ministered to and judged faithfully for a lifetime.  Samuel, one of the Bible’s many ‘miracle babies,’ knew all about serving the Lord faithfully.  He had been called to it from the very beginning of his life!  It is not an easy task to do what God has called us to do, but it is the greatest and most worthwhile.   Considering the great things that the Lord has done for us may call us to write a list on a 5 mile long sheet of paper in 8 pt font!  However, no worries…the Lord wouldn’t need glasses to read it, although the rest of us would. J