Coles 1 Kathleen Coles Ed Austin Dance 263 27 September 2013 The Gospel and Dance As ha!

e be"un to mature in m# dance e$perience here at %ri"ham &oun" 'ni!ersit# m# ideas( thou"hts( and !ie)s *or ho) absorb art has chan"ed+ also ,no) that ha!e so much more to ta,e in be*ore reall# allo) art to ha!e an impact on me+ started dancin" )hen )as three+ t did not become a part o* me until entered ninth "rade+ then made the transition to a per*ormin" arts hi"h school+ be"an to lo!e dance *or smiles and -o# and not *or deep dar, emotional reasons+ Dance is ne!er dar, *or me and the "ospel has tau"ht me that+ As )e read these beauti*ul tal,s *elt closer to )hat ,no) dance is *or me+ Elder .eal A+ /a$)ell said( 01as it not the Creator o* the )orlds )ho called our attention to the beaut# o* the lilies( the po)er in the tin# mustard seed( and the lea!es on the *i" tree2 31e Are Children o* God( 144567 8e is ri"ht and true )ith this statement+ 9ur creator certainl# had much creati!it# up 8is slee!e as "a!e us this )orld+ Elder /a$)ell e$pressed that )hen )e create )e are e$pressin" lo!e to God *or our "i*ts and e!en "ratitude 3Creati!it#( 14526+ can honestl# sa# that some o* m# most spiritual e$periences ha!e come )hile on the sta"e alone and )ith m# *ello) dancers+ ha!e *elt so much )orth as ha!e ta,en a sta"e and brou"ht an audience on -ourne# )ith me sharin" m# lo!e *or our bodies+ This ties )ell )ith )hat )e read *rom Elder .elson about the bod#+ 9ur bodies are mar!els and "lories all their o)n+ The creation o* our bodies is be#ond our mortal mind( #et 8e still trusts us )ith these !essels and as,s us to ta,e care o* them and lo!e

Coles 2 them 31e Are Children o* God( 14456+ 1ith that )e can celebrate their mo!ement )hether )e ha!e e$treme ran"es o* motion or )e -o# in others uses o* the bod# that build it up rather than bruise it and beat it+ stru""led )ith this be"innin" in hi"h school+++ belie!ed that m# bod# held me *rom bein" an e$traordinar# mo!er( but ha!e learned that need to be celebratin" the passion and dri!e that ha!e )ithin m#sel* to "ro) and harness this talent and lo!e+ To celebrate the bod# and our e$istence here on earth )e must also stri!e to ha!e the spirit )ith us+ Elder %ednar said( 0 * that )hich is intended to entertain( *or e$ample( alienates us *rom the 8ol# Spirit( then certainl# that t#pe o* entertainment is not *or us2 3That 1e /a# Al)a#s 8a!e 8is Spirit To %e 1ith 's( 20066+ 9ne reason do not li,e dar, and lonel# dances is because that is not )hat the "ospel has in store *or us+ :ather it has li"ht and -o#+ As per*ormers and artists that are members o* the church )e ha!e control o!er )hat our audience sees and i* )e ta,e that opportunit# to brin" the 8ol# Spirit to them( then )e ha!e succeeded in )hat the ;ord has put us here to do+ 8e lo!es each o* 8is children so indi!iduall# and )e all ha!e di**erences in communicatin"( learnin"( and so much more+ 1e( as artists( ha!e the opportunit# to in*luence the art that our *ello) brothers and sisters e$perience+ Elder Da#le# shared an e$perience )here he *elt the spirit throu"h dance late one ni"ht+ 8e thou"ht that choosin" a dance to )atch late that ni"ht )ould be somethin" he could *all asleep to+ nstead he had a much di**erent e$perience+ 8e "ained a ne)er and deeper understandin" o* the atonement+ Elder Da#le#<s e$act )ords( 0 t )as a po)er*ul and precious e$perience in m# li*e( an e$perience made possible throu"h artists )ho had responded to the ;i"ht o* Christ in this collaborati!e creati!e endea!or2 3Centerin" the Arts in Christ( 20016+ 1e can chose to be inspired b# Christ and allo) 8im to help us create and touch li!es+

Coles 3 ,no) that aspire to be a part o* Contemporar# Dance Theater )hile am a student at %&'+ The# ha!e the uni=ue e$perience o* tra!elin" and sharin" their testimonies throu"h dance+ 1hile aspire to pursue membership in this dance compan# ,no) that the nternational >ol, Dance Ensemble( &oun" Ambassadors( and other dance companies here at %&' "et to tra!el and share their talents )ith the )orld as )ell+ 1hen these companies return o*ten hear stories o* ho) man# audience member or someone )ho shared their home )ith them has come to understand the mission o* %&' so much more *ull# and their hearts ha!e heard a ne) son"( the son" o* the ri"hteous+ 9ur creator "a!e us art to communicate 8is lo!e *or us and appreciate the "i*t that this mortal li*e is to us+ Elder Da#le# closed )ith this statement( 0 pra# that )e )ill not den# oursel!es access to the po)er o* Christ as )e see, learnin" and edi*ication throu"h the arts+ :ather( hope *or the da# )hen all )e do )ill be centered in Christ( that )e mi"ht then en-o# the spiritual abundance 8e has promised those )ho are obedient and *aith*ul2 3Centerin" the Arts in Christ( 20016+ 8o) blessed )e are to ha!e a >ather in 8ea!en that has "i!en us men )orth# to lead us and help us understand ho) creati!it# is all a part o* 8is plan+ %&' is a )onder*ul place to learn and "ro) creati!el# and spirituall#+ A*ter this e$perience as an artist at %&' hope to touch a *e) more li!es -ust ha!e been touched b# so man#+ Dance is more than a )a# to e$press )hat is inside o* #ou it is also a )a# to brin" the spirit into #our li*e and brin" it to others+