Beautiful Things

I had planned on posting this yesterday which would have made my postings two in one day. Wow!! Be amazed. However, that did not happen like I planned. I know I have posted twice about Christmas but this post is not at all about Christmas. It's just a little story about what's been going on lately. 

Warning!!! After reading over this again, I realized that I wrote a lot. Just keep reading. I promise it's worth it. 

So!! Another song for you. This one was brought to my attention by my lovely younger sister, Abigail Lanier, about a year ago. She had it playing one day and it caught my attention. She made the comment about how she loved this song and kinda saw me doing something with it. Well, that comment was stored away in my subconscious after that and didn't come back to my memory for several months. This past summer, our lovely photographer for our wedding, Katherine Freshwater, was taking our engagement pictures. On the way to the photo shoot site, this CD was in her CD player and this song came on. In her absolutely beautiful voice, she began singing it and as it got to the chorus, I immediately recognized it from the song my sister had showed me. I of course fell in love with this song all over again. What was interesting was that she made the same comment my sister made about seeing me choreographing to this particular song.

Now, this was about 6 months ago and again I hid the comment away in my mind not to be brought up again for several more months. God sure does have a way of bringing things back to our attention after some time. In all his awesomeness, God did just that. :)

I am currently taking classes at a studio that meets downtown called the Dance Co-Op. During the month of October, I didn't take many classes due to a very important date that changed my life forever. ;) Of course, that date was my wedding day. I was just completely consumed with finalizing everything and didn't have much time to take classes. Well, when I went back to the Co-Op, I was reminded of an audition that was coming up soon for the North Carolina Dance Festival.

NCDF is a festival that the Co-Op sponsors in Wilmington every year. It is a festival celebrating dance in which professional choreographers bring their works to show over a weekend. During this 2011-2012 tour, they will be making their last stop in Wilmington (read more about it on their website: http://www.ncdancefestival.org/). After returning to classes, I was reminded that the Co-op was holding auditions to be in some of the pieces for the show. I had the opportunity to audition to be in a piece as well as audition dancers for a piece I could choreograph myself.

This is where my entire long story comes together. Just hang in there. :)

I started praying about choreographing my own piece. I honestly struggled with the idea. This festival is by no means a Christian based festival. I haven't met any dancers at the Co-Op who were Christians as well (or so I thought) which of course made me second guess this opportunity over and over again. On top of that, I really didn't have a song that I wanted to choreograph to (or, again, so I thought). Like I said before, God is awesome and reminds us so gently and many times abruptly of how absolutely amazing He really is.

Auditions were to be held on November 4 which was a Sunday. All week long I looked and listened, and listened and looked constantly for music. I was to the point on Saturday night that maybe I just shouldn't do anything and was ready to just pass up this opportunity.

Until.

Matt had turned on Pandora in the living room. I was standing in the kitchen doing the dishes. What station did he turn on?? None other than Gungor Radio. And what song "just happened" to come on that station?????? None other than the exact song both Abbey and Katherine had told me they saw a piece to. I honestly about dropped the plate in my hand.

THAT WAS THE SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was no denying I had choreography to this piece. As soon as the music started, the dancers were moving in my head. I was all smiles!! I had my song!!

But.......

One minor problem.

I didn't have the CD.........

SO!!!!!!

I texted Katherine and asked if she had it available for me to borrow. I got it from her the next morning at church just hours away from the audition.

However, just as soon as I got excited, I started second guessing all of it. Again.

"Why would anyone want to be in my piece??"

"I am a new dancer at this studio and they know nothing about me."

"I'm gonna get laughed out of there."

"They're going to think I'm crazy!!"

One negative thought after the next came to mind and by the time I had left church, I was certain there was no way I could do this choreography.

*I'm fairly certain God laughed at me that day. Just sat up in heaven, pointed and laughed and said, "Oh you silly little girl. You have no idea!!" Honestly. Truly!! He laughed at me!! I just know it. That's why the next course of events took place.....*

I went to that audition with barely 12 counts of choreographed movement. To those of you who don't know or understand music and choreography, 12 counts is not much!! Barely enough to be able to see anybodies capabilities. Well, I had my music and the little bit of choreography (I guess I should add that the choreography I had was merely in my head.....I had not even been able to see what it actually looked like. For all I knew, I would look like an idiot trying to show it.).

The auditions started and as each choreographer went, I became more and more nervous about how my turn would go.

Finally. 

It came to me. 

All the others had explained to some degree what their piece was about. Me on the other hand?? I didn't know what to say about mine. I didn't have a set idea. I didn't even have set movement for more than 12 counts of it!! What was I doing?!?!

So, there I was. Walking over to the sound guy to hand him my iPod.

The song isn't even on my iPod yet!!

Oh Lord......

I had to think quick.

I was immediately reminded of a song that was on a Hillsong United CD I had on my iPod. It was completely instrumental but I just had a feeling it would work perfectly to do some movement to.

Turned to the song. Handed the sound guy my iPod. Walked to the center of the studio. And just stared moving.

I counted. I turned. I rolled. I twisted. I twirled. I jumped. And then I was upside down?? What?! 

Oh boy...... 

This was not going anything like I had imagined.....it was going FAR better than that!!!!!

After it was all said and done, I had 24 full counts of choreographed movement!! All of which was done on the spot. I was blown away. Until I saw their faces.....they needed me to do that again.....

I went over it again. You know what?? It was the exact same movement!! Nothing changed. It felt like I had rehearsed it a million times and knew exactly where to go and when. They asked questions. I answered. They said they were ready and we went for it. Broke everyone up into groups and started the music.

When you audition for a piece, normally you already have an idea of how many people you want or need, what the music is, how it's going to play out, etc etc. Ya know, the important things. Of course, I knew none of this. As I watched them all move (some more fluid than others) I began to see my piece coming together.

Since the audition over a month ago, I have asked 3 dancers to be in my piece. One of them had to decline because of scheduling conflicts which left me down one dancer. I honestly didn't want to choreograph myself into the piece. I wanted to sit back and watch this one play out before. I wanted to see where this was going to go without me in it. It seemed God had crazier plans than I did!! I could not find a third dancer who was able to rehearse with us so I have now put myself into the piece. As of two days ago, we had met only 2 times and have almost half the song finished.

That just blows me away!!

To put the icing on the cake, the two ladies I will be dancing with are Christians as well and know the song very well. At our first rehearsal, I was a little unsure if they were going to like the song. As soon as they recognized the music, they both were beaming with excitement to get started.

That filled my heart with joy. :)

I knew God was making this possible and was right in the midst of the movement. For the past several months, I have felt very much like a failure (that's a whole other subject for a whole different blog....). But for this to be happening, for this particular song to be working, to be connected with these specific dancers, I know that these moments have been gifts of confirmation that this is where I am suppose to be and what I am suppose to be doing.

Now for the song????? :) 

Here it is. 

Michael Gungor 

"Beautiful Things"

I do ask that you be in prayer for us as I continue through choreography. We have to show what we have so far on December 18. It doesn't have to be completely finished but the panel critiquing the piece has the right to not let us do it for the festival. I am praying against that. As soon as I have a good video of the choreography I will post it so you can see it. :)

A hui kaua....