Amelia Wells Ed Austin September 30, 2013 Dance 261 Dance Artists: An LDS Perspective As dancers, artists, creators,

and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I believe that we have a unique and wonderful opportunity and responsibility to share the light of Christ and our love of the Savior and His gospel in all we do, especially through our art. The scriptures teach that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world a light that cannot be hid. By creating art dance, song, or any form of visual art, we praise Almighty God, and can touch the hearts of those around us in a profound and unique way. Teachings from modern day prophets and apostles confirm and support this principle of creating wholesome and Christ-Centered art. As children of God, we have a divine nature and a natural ability and desire to create. God, our Heavenly Father and perfect example, is the creator of all things. We read in the Bible of the creation of the world, in which we see the thought, care, attention to detail, and pride which were part of the creation process and especially of Gods greatest creation man. President Dieter F Uchtdorf in his talk entitled Happiness, Your Heritage said; No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create.

You dont need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. As Gods children and greatest creation, we have an inherent desire to participate in creation each of us adds to the canvas of life. Joseph Smith outlined the Articles of Faith when he was defining the basic beliefs of our religion. In the thirteenth Article of Faith it states, If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. In a world with so much darkness, vulgarity, and offensive behavior and performance, it becomes hard to find art or entertainment that fit this description. While certainly not everything being produced and performed these days is dark and offensive, I believe that we share in the responsibility to contribute to the production of alternative art and spread that light to all the world. As we seek to create art that will invite others to come unto Christ and feel joy and recognize goodness, Elder Packer suggests a standard to help us evaluate our efforts what would Christ think? I would think that He would think there is a place for artwork of every kindfrom the scribbled cartoon to the masterpiece in the handcarved, gold-leaf frame (Packer). In a beautiful and inspiring speech given by K. Newell Dayley entitled Centering the Arts in Christ, Dayley further addressed this need to use our gifts and talents to praise God and invite others to come unto Christ. As members of the church we are often challenged to seek ways to share the light of the gospel with those around us, though normally we do not consider how this can be accomplished through our artistic

endeavors. Dayley suggests that the arts have a unique capability in reaching the hearts and souls of those around us. He said: The arts embody a unique learning process that awakens the very core of ones being to lifes meaning and beauty. Through the arts we can learn to see, hear, move, and feel with greater sensitivity and understanding. They provide both substance and stimulus for learning the creative process and nurture our capacity to explore the infinite. The arts enable us to communicate important realities that can be shared in no other way. As we seek to share our faith and testimonies through art and specifically dance we are able to communicate these important realities of great meaning and value on a profound level. Where words fail, dance often can speaks. Dance in particular allows us to use our whole soul as defined as body and spirit to achieve these ends. We are dual beings. Each soul is comprised of body and spirit, 2 both of which emanate from God (Nelson). Through dance, both the body and spirit are engaged in the process of creation. Your body, whatever its natural gifts, is a magnificent creation of God. It is a tabernacle of flesha temple for your spirit (Nelson). Occasionally I have heard the opinion that religious dance is clich. I disagree wholeheartedly. I believe that dance does not have to be religious to be still be consistent with our beliefs and values. I do not feel in any way that our faith, values, and morals limit our artistic abilities and options rather they provide us with a powerful lens by which to watch, value, create, and express through art. While every piece we

create may not directly deal with a spiritual subject matter or theme, will not be set to a church hymn or performed at a church celebration, every piece we create can emulate the Light of Christ. That light comes by simple things our own personal light will shine though us as we live close to the spirit, wear modest costumes, use appropriate music, avoid obscene or offensive gestures or thematic material, and seek after virtue. Elder Packer addressed the need we have in the world for members of the church as artists to stand as a beacon of light in the world. He said Go to, then, you who are gifted; cultivate your gift. Develop it in any of the arts and in every worthy example of them. If you have the ability and the desire, seek a career or employ your talent as an avocation or cultivate it as a hobby. But in all ways bless others with it. Set a standard of excellence. Employ it in the secular sense to every worthy advantage, but never use it profanely. Never express your gift unworthily. Increase our spiritual heritage in music, in art, in literature, in dance, in drama. As a student, member of the church, and aspiring artist, I find great satisfaction and joy in participating in artistic endeavors and creation. I love dance education and want to leave BYU as an art advocate and an example of an LDS artist creating and spreading the Light of Christ in all I do, including dance.

Works Cited Dayley, Newel K. "Centering the Arts in Christ." (2001) Nelson, Russel M. "We Are Children of God." (1998) Packer, Boyd K. "The Arts and the Spirit of the Lord." (1976) Uchtdorf, Dieter F. "Happiness, Your Heritage." (2008)