Valentine’s Dance
Dear Sisters,
Recently, a good number of you had the opportunity, at the Valentine’s Tea, to see Rebecca Houck perform a contemporary dance, choreographed to a poem by Page Malbrough. Afterwards, several people had questions about the content and form of the dance, as well as about the costume choices. I felt it necessary to make Rebecca aware of some of the difficulties that arose, and she received them very graciously.
I think it is important to say here that I stand by Rebecca, her craft and above all her intensely passionate heart for Jesus–both to know him and to make him known. In the arts, we are often asked to encounter things that are foreign to us, or that make us uncomfortable. This is, in my opinion, and in that of other Christian artists, one of the primary needs for the arts in Christian life: to open a picture of reality, whether that is one of joy, struggle, or what have you. Most of us are not well-acquainted with the art of dance, and that’s OK–we can learn and talk with each other about it.
I know Rebecca feels as I do, that dialogue and communication are *essential* in our life together as a body, and she has offered to present an explanation of her piece in the following blog entry. I know that if you had anything you wanted to discuss with her, she would welcome the chance for open dialogue, as this can only further our understanding of each other. That being said, I also recognize, acknowledge and validate the struggles that my sisters had with the piece, and I want to reassure all of us that we are FOR each other, and that when we believe on Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside each one of us–whether we agree with each other or not. We can learn to trust each other because HE is trustworthy.
So here are Rebecca’s words. In the comment box, I will also post Page’s poem as a reference. I TRULY welcome ALL comments; please measure your words, and seek to be charitable along with your honesty. You all are treasures.
“The Burning of My Heart”
by Rebecca Houck
I was grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Page on our performance piece for the Women’s Valentine’s Tea and then later to have Eve join us. Up until several months ago I didn’t think God was going to use my gift of dancing and choreography in the church. It has been my experience that people in the church have not been very receptive to contemporary dance. But I am very excited to be part of what God is doing through the arts at Lamb of God. I love the Lord with all my heart and I have a burning desire to be with Him and to do His will.
As part of my choreographic process, I spend time with the Lord asking for His anointing and praying that my dance would be an offering to Him, pleasing in His eyes and benefiting those who view it. This dance was no exception. I love when God reminds me of David in 2 Samuel 6 when he danced and disrobed himself in the sight of others in celebration before the Lord. The Holy Spirit living inside me moves me to dance and choreograph His message of truth and hope in a way that is artistically sound.
It was my gift to my sisters at Lamb of God to share my dancing and choreography with you. And I was blessed to work with my loving sisters Page and Eve. Last November, I was able to share with some women that were at the Women’s Worship Arts Apprenticeship about the vision God gave me for dance, but for those of you who weren’t there I would love to share with you as well.
I’ve written a rough description of my dance for the Valentine’s Tea because I wanted to share with you where I was coming from with regards to my artistic choices. So, I have written out some of the dance movements, my thoughts and how it relates to God’s truth and Page’s poetry.
The dance at the Women’s Valentines’ Tea was about my burning heart for the Lord. The piece started out with me moving in a sensual way representing the love for ourselves separate from God. Then as I turned and realized everyone was looking at me, my sin was exposed. I stood there vulnerable in my “loin cloth” represented by a revealing top that I was wearing. Page starts reciting her poem, “A burning heart must first be full… the follower ashamed in his loin cloth like a fig tree in leaf without fruit…its silk unraveling to reveal his nakedness” as I wither to the floor in a grotesque fashion representing the destruction of my sin. I lie on the floor as Page recites “The world strips me of my linen cloth. I break away. I desert my love.” Those words and my stillness impact us to feel the death we experience living in sin.
Then my arm is lifted and I move as if someone is dragging me (Jesus). I roll onto my back protruding my heart as if Jesus Christ is bringing me back to life. My legs begin to rock until it rolls me over and I’m on my knees lifting my arms to the Lord. I’m reaching upward and moving on my knees with passionate articulations throughout my fingers, arms, and back muscles as Page continues to recite her poem, “A burning heart must draw near…Who, like Peter, comes only as close to the fire… ‘I will follow you Rabbi’…A fisherman, casting aside his net, abandons his boat to flail in dark waters.”
I rise to my feet with a turn only to contract inward and then explosively fall to the floor in a humble, prayerful, repentant position as I am bowed down undulating through my back as if crying. Page recites, “The world strips me of my anonymity. I break away. I desert my love.”
My feet are lifted off the floor as I take a headstand position and then smoothly transition onto one leg as the other leg is extended upward. God has lifted me up from my humility and repentant heart. I draw my hand across my lips and up to the Lord representing my kiss to him. Oh how I love Him. He lifts me up.
Yet I am only human. I fall to the ground. Page recites, “Like the temple that crumbles…I stumble over myself…Burn O heart! … Crawl through the crowd on hands and knees… and rise a new temple from this fire…” As she recites, I am moving through the dance sometimes falling to the floor and other times lifting into powerful and technically sound extensions.
Page recites “Higher and higher” as I’m lifting my leg and arms up to the Lord. And from the extension I fall to my knees, crawling and reaching to God out of desperation. “Crying out, ‘Mercy!’, ‘Have mercy on me, Son of David!’, ‘Grace and grace to it!’”
From the ground, my place of surrender, God lifts me up as I move through leaps and jumps. I fall to the ground again, but with each breath I rise higher and higher as Page recites her poetry, “Who saw me the day I offered my two coins…No one but you Lord. Only you see the whole life…The beggar on his feet.” I rise to my feet by turning and extending my hands as if I am the beggar on his feet that Jesus has redeemed.
The dance begins to transform into more technically sound, passionate movements with leg extensions, open arms, turns, backbends, arm balances… as Page recites, “Whole lives split open and beaming…You know my whole life from which pours this sacrifice. Drawing near I fill to bursting…Burn again O heart, And flow anointed one…”
“Burn, burn forever.” I fall to the floor with my heart protruding repetitively like a beating heart and extended upward as if you could see the fire of God that’s burning from my heart.