Rpm dance began as a sort of response to my own inner dialogue. In 2003 I was in Las Vegas teaching at the largest conservatory in Nevada. I was also pursuing some other business ideas as I was unsure about my future as it pertained to dance. I had left New York after a 10 year career with the Rockettes, and felt that most of the material that I was running into was not material that I was super excited about performing. I was swimming outside one night, doing the breaststroke as I recall, as I thought through the whole situation. I was thinking about the state of the Arts and the direction in which it was trending and wondering if I should keep going, or pull out all together. A few strokes later this pivotal idea came into my head,
“Well, you can quit, or you can be a part of the solution.”
While I continued to teach in Vegas for at least another year, and then other places before rpm dance began, in many ways, I think that it started in that moment, in the pool, when I felt that challenge.
Rpm is my way of trying to be a part of the solution, as it pertains to artists of faith who desire to live out their gifting with purpose. No one person can change a culture, but I believe that by sharing not only my performance experience, but my worldview, I can be a part of shaping the next generation.
More than anything, dancers, actors, and singers, need to be encouraged to be strong in who they are, not just what they do. They need to be trained in technique, but also spiritually so that they have boundaries that reflect who they are as people. I want our students to know that the hard choice, the narrow way, is the fruitful direction. I want our students to feel the freedom to live boldly, in all their uniqueness, and yet be able to discern when they have stepped outside of the safety of God’s design.
When I look at our singers and dancers, I know that I am also looking at tomorrow’s directors and teachers, and I approach every class with that in mind. You may recall the story about fish. You can give someone a fish, or teach them to fish. Daily, I hope that I am training students to fish, so that they are not only results driven, but they also understand the process that is required for greatness.
I have a strong belief that while generally, we can all be labeled as “performers”, there is a unique, nuanced calling that every person has, which sets them apart for specialized service to God and to humanity. Success for me is helping the performer find that special something that is theirs. To quote Martha Graham,
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
There will never be another you. And for those of us who know the Creator, this is a mystery, a calling, and a challenge to find it, and live it out to our fullest, for His glory.
