SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM
an original, hour-long dance production based on the parables and message of Christ
conceptualized and produced by Kirsten Magee
with the choreography and direction of Sarah Mayfield, Hope Dudek, Amber Morgan, and Kirsten Magee

Auditions will be held at Reverence Studios on Thursday September 3 and are available to any dancer over the age of 7, no matter the style of dance or skill level. Students must come at 7:30 OR 8PM for their audition. Dancers should come prepared to learn two brief choreography sequences. Any dancer interested in auditioning for a solo, should come prepared with a one minute dance routine in the style of their choice.

*This does not take the place of our spring dance recital (to be held on May 28, 2010).
*As with any of Reverence Studios’ instruction or dance productions, this will present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be theologically sound with Scripture.

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

How did I come up with the name “Secrets of the Kingdom?”  How does that have anything to do with parables?  I’ll show you!  In Matthew 13 Jesus told the parable of the sower.  After He was finished, His disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”  Jesus replies in verse 11,”The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you….”

Cool, huh?  It’s been fun for me to study the parables and for the staff and I to choose which ones will be done (there are so many good ones!).  More details to come in August, my friends!  Until then, keep in mind two things:

1. Auditions to be a corps dancer in ”Secrets of the Kingdom” are going to be at Reverence Studios from 7:30-8:30PM on September 3.  If you are auditioning for a solo, you should come prepared with a one minute dance in the style of your choice and stay from 8:30-9PM!

2.  It is our goal and joy to glorify God through this dance!  Scripture passages will be checked by the studio mentor and our interpretation of Scripture will be Spirit-led.

Additionally, even as you are keeping up with your dancing or enjoying other activities this summer, don’t forget to keep up your relationship with God too!  I am doing a great Bible study right now with some awesome women called “Me, Myself & Lies” by Jennifer Rothschild.  It is a great study and exactly what I needed this summer. :) 

How are you keeping up with your dancing and spiritual life this summer?

Dancingly yours,

Miss Kirsten

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!

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!

To be consecrated means to be set apart for the work of God.  God instructs us in Leviticus 20: 7 to, “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.”  (This was, of course, as He was instructing the Israelites not to be like the pagan nations around them.)  It was interesting to me that the word (from the Hebrew qadash) is most often found in the Old Testament.  In fact, the verb form of it appears 172 times in the Bible.  The obvious point is this:  as believers in Christ we are called to be set apart unto the Lord.  Perhaps the usage of such a scholarly word puts some people off?  I don’t know.

It gets better.  The Hebrew word Kedesh (Hebrew for sanctum or sanctuary) is the noun form of qadash and it is the name of four places in Palestine, and there is one that I am particularly interested in today: Kadesh Barnea.  Kadesh Barnea is located in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land, and it’s where the Israelites rebelled against the Lord (Numbers 14). 

1. In order to be set apart we need to be set apart from something.  God was calling the Israelites to be set apart from the nations around them.  They were not to sacrifice their children and they were not to worship other gods.  They were, however, to trust the Lord to deliver them.  They were to set themselves apart, even while surrounded by hostile peoples.  However, they did not trust in the Lord to deliver them, and the Lord punished them by causing them to wander 40 years in the desert (one year for each day the spies were in Canaan).

2.  In order to be consecrated we need to be humbled.  The Bible is chock full of people being humbled and it is no different today.  In fact, Moses (a prince of Egypt) had to spend years working in the desert tending sheep before God called him to lead the Israelites to freedom!  Shepherding is dirty work.  The Israelites had to spend 40 years wandering in the desert before they could enter their Promised Land.  If you don’t think that was humbling for them….

3.  Consecration often follows a wilderness season.  If you are in a wilderness season right now, don’t think that God can’t and won’t use that to His glory.  God uses the wilderness seasons in our lives to teach us things and draw us closer to Him.  I’ll never forget hiking several miles in the Israeli desert to the wilderness oasis of En Gedi.  Even though it was early morning the temperature was already well over 100 degrees, and as we were hiking members of  our group slowly dropped off and headed back to the cool air conditioning of the bus.  The rest of us continued to climb over the desert sand and rocks.  We were sweaty and disgusting and just when we desperately wanted to turn back we made it to the most beautiful waterfall.  It was set back among the lush plants and tiny crevices in the rocks.  The mist from the waterfall cooled us down, and wow, was it ever worth it!  The wilderness journey was tough, but it was so worth it!

4.  Consecration will bring us full circle.  The Israelites were right where they needed to be BEFORE they rebelled against God.  How many times are we in that position?  God brings us to His perfect place and then we just rebel?  He needs to lead us through the wilderness so that we are humbled and realize that HE is our sanctuary.  After 40 years of wandering, God brought the Israelites right back to the place where they first began: Kadesh Barnea.

To close I will leave you with this poem by Beth Moore.  It’s called “Blessed Anonymity.”

There is a name above all names–
Let mine be lost in His.
Hide me in His crimson heart,
O secret way of bliss.

Blessed anonymity,
Count my life but loss.
Jesus the One and Only,
Tread over me dear cross.

One life alone worth finding
Nail mine unto the tree.
Till Jesus ever shining
Is all beheld in me.

Bring Him forth each day I live
And leave me in the tomb.
I see no other glory
Make not the smallest room.

Amen, enjoy your weekend!

Kirsten

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!

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

Friday morning I got my hair done in a tight french twist and picked up flowers for my awesome teachers and stage manager. Then my Mom, Uncle Dave, and I headed over to YFC to clean the bathrooms, dressing rooms, and set up 300 chairs for the evening. We had 210 pre-sale tickets and being the optimist I am, I was expecting 250-300 people in attendance. I was glad that Uncle Dave was there because I cannot do anything in a straight line. My sections of chairs were not in line with anything except the creative line in my head. I came into the auditorium after getting a drink and noticed Dave sitting in one of my chairs and just staring at the rows ahead. He kindly said, “Kirsten? I don’t think these rows are straight.” Eventually we got done, and this is what it looked like!

When it came time for the recital that evening, I was ready! I wasn’t nervous last week because I knew the students were going to be great and we have an astounding number of prayer supporters who cover the studio daily and weekly. I was so confident that the music and dances were going to speak to the audience, and they did! The students did beautifully and enjoyed themselves in the process. I had a number of the 400 folks in attendance (yes, God exceeded my optimistic 300!) come up to me after the recital and say how one song or another touched their lives that evening! All I can say is : WOW! Glory to God! Here are some other pictures I have of the students from the evening:

Me with the Ballet II Class

Prince Caspian wished that he could go to the recital too!

With the Advanced Jazz/Teacher Group...Aren't the costumes awesome?

With the Worship Dance Class!

If anyone has any more pictures, please send them! Now that the recital is over, I am hoping to get this blog up and running and post at least once or twice a week! We have some exciting things coming up this summer at the studio, and I am also eagerly anticipating the fall classes!

Dancingly yours,
Miss Kirsten