Final Days

Dear friends,

I am currently writing to you from the good ol' USA. We are back a few days ahead of schedule due to the concern over MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), but I'll get to that in a little bit.

On Monday, we traveled to DIMA - Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts, and had time to settle into our rooms and attend an orientation meeting with some members of the international studies program. We also met some of their K-Pop dancers, and worked out our plan and schedule for our collaboration with them in creating a collective piece for our joint performance on Thursday.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we were able to rehearse with the K-Pop dancers - they learned parts of our choreography, and we learned some of theirs to incorporate in our collaboration. They were INCREDIBLE dancers - their movement was fierce, and they were all very talented. Working with them was a joy; they were focused and passionate about their dancing, but also were willing to have fun as we worked, which built a wonderful environment for creativity. We created two pieces with them - one a hip-hop/contemporary fusion piece, and one contemporary piece. The friendships built in just six hours of rehearsal was yet another example of the common ground found with other college students who are also pursuing dance, and a testimony to the Lord's working in our hearts and theirs to form relationships.

We also had the opportunity to work with DIMA film students during our time there. We split into smaller groups to work with different students on dance films. Being able to collaborate with these students was a great experience - they were so receptive of the work that we brought, and were so excited about working with dancers. They were considerate of our tiredness and continually asked if we were okay to take another go at it, with different camera angles and focuses. One group brought us ice cream after filming outside all afternoon, which gave us an opportunity to get to know them as we took a break between shoots.

On Wednesday night, we received word from the international department that DIMA was being closed down and students evacuated due to the outbreak of MERS in the country. We met together that evening to talk about options and pray together over what our plan should be. Doors were opened for us to leave Korea the next day, so we packed up and drove to the airport on Thursday morning. Leaving was hard - there were plans for the last few days of our trip that we had been eagerly anticipating. We had the opportunity to meet up with the K-Pop students on Wednesday evening to say goodbyes, and had the chance to pray with them before we left.

Even though we did leave early, our time in Korea was full. We know that every encounter that we had was one prepared beforehand by God, that He was not surprised by the fact that we left on Thursday, and provided the means for us to be able to leave. We trust that seeds were planted and watered, that God's Word will not come back empty, and that His plans for us were fulfilled.

Please keep praying - for our team, as we adjust back to being in the States. We are praising God for health and safety in our travels. Please pray for the protection, health, and safety of those in South Korea. Five people have died from MERS thus far - pray for the virus to be controlled and not to spread further. Pray for healing both physically and spiritually - that people would turn to God during times of uncertainty and sickness.

We so appreciate you all in your support throughout our journey, and we continue to thank God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers, just as you have prayed for us.

Love,
Kelly

Last Friday Night

Hey guys! Grace here. First of all I want to say how much I have loved being here in Korea. God has shown me so many things about Himself and His love for us. He has taught me how to love people in new ways and how to see people through His eyes. It is truly beautiful. 

I wanted to write and share with you about last Friday night. After leaving Hanyang University, we went to Sung Young Kim and his wife Eun Young's house for dinner. We were actually their very first guests in their new home! (They were very proud that they could say their first guests were Americans.) They were incredibly hospitable to our excited group and welcomed us with food and sweet company. It was such a good time to be together, laughing and telling stories. We were able to talk about the piece Sung Yong choreographed for us, "Help". We told him some of our favorite moments of the dance and he shared his with us also. It was very inspiring to hear him talk about his motivation and intent behind the movement. 

There were a few moments while we were there, that the Lord gave me a glimpse of His heart for this lovely couple. I was blown away by the glorious light beaming from them. With every word that was said, whether it being about the Lord or not, I could tell that they both were intently listening and wanting to hear more. We were there for hours, but could have stayed for longer. They kept saying "be comfortable" and "be at home here". Their love was radiant. I actually didn't want to leave. We finished our yummy food and then exchanged gifts. Before we left, we prayed for Sung Yong and Eun Young and were able to leave our blessings in their beautiful home. The love of God was pouring out as we sat around them on their living room floor. I know He has such an amazing plan for them. They are strong leaders and through their passion for movement and creating, the Lord will open so many doors for them, in Jesus' name. 

We were so thankful for the time we got to spend with our dear friends. In the words of Uncle Kim, "to have an honest dance, there cannot be any lies in it." He has taught us how to move honestly and with utmost abandon. He has taught us what it means to help- to help is to be patient, to help is to see others, to help is to listen and love with all you have.

Days at Hanyang ERICA

Dear friends, 

I am writing to you from the backseat of a van that is pulling away from Hanyang University. We are leaving with hearts that are full to overflowing. We have been here for many days, and we have been blessed beyond measure by the welcoming and generous hearts of the students and teachers here. 

First, I wanted to thank you all for your prayers as we performed at Gangdong Dance Festival. We believe that God's truth was poured forth through our dancing, and that it will not come back empty. We were able to enter the space with a spirit of worship and a desire for God to come be our help as we spoke and danced truth about what help is. It was an honor and privilege to dance on that stage, in that space, knowing that we had been chosen for the purpose of dancing there. 

On Sunday, we performed at Gajwa Jeil Church. We were pretty exhausted by the time we got there, but the Lord provided joy and strength and energy through the joyful hearts of the congregation. We received so much blessing from the people there, and left with full hearts and full bellies due to the abundant generosity of the church. 

On Monday, as Emma and Kaleb and Alayna worked with Haejun, the rest of us took classes with the dancers at Hanyang - ERICA campus. Monday through Friday were long days- full of classes and rehearsals and attending various performances at MODAFE. Our three dancers working with Haejun's company performed on Tuesday, and they did a phenomenal job. The piece, Trauma 3.0, was so poignant, and spoke to the processing of emotions and relationships, the comfort we seek and the comfort we try to give. It was an incredible piece, and the dancers did a wonderful job. 

I think we would all agree that this week has been beautiful. Both Ms. Morton and Ms. Newland taught various classes, and we were also able to take classes from the teachers and professors at Hanyang. Taking classes was wonderful, not just because the classes were good (which they were), but because of the students we were able to take classes with. To have the common ground of being college dance students was a foundation upon which we were able to build relationships, and dancing with these beautiful people was a gift. They were so eager to learn and to share, and even though days were tiring, their energy was high and helped us to keep ours up. 

Today, Saturday, we were able to share dances with the students. They shared some of their various choreography works and other pieces, and we shared to of our works. To see the work and artistry of the students was such a gift. There was so much power and truth in their dancing and choreography, and to be able to share our hearts through dance with them was yet another opportunity to communicate God's love. One girl pulled out her phone after we performed "Voices" and translated Korean to English in order to tell me that she was deeply moved, and another girl told me that we were angels after she saw Glorious Spirit. They received what we shared, just as we received what they showed. One of my favorite moments from today was a girl who came up to us and told us that she was also a Chrisitan.  To be able to encourage those who are believers has been such a blessing and encouragement to us, and to know that there was more than dance uniting us, but also the mighty Spirit within our hearts. 

The students to sent us off with lunch and gifts that they bought for us themselves, and it was clear that they had put time into preparing the gifts for us. We took many selfies and had many hugs and said goodbye and "see you later" over and over again. There is no way to fully express how much we were connected with these students, how openly they welcomed us, and how generously they shared with us. We have all left parts of our hearts at Hanyang, and have been filled up to continue on in our time here.

Tomorrow (Sunday), we have an evening performance, and on Monday we travel to DIMA to begin our residency there. We praise God for the people and time at Hanyang and continue to lift up our time as we seek to do the work God has prepared for the rest of our time here. 

Love to you all, 

Kelly

Saturday, May 23

Dear friends, 

I just wanted to quickly share 2 things with you heading into this weekend.

First of all, I wanted to share with you a theme of these past two weeks. Almost every time we're introduced at Bal Malhada, we are asked what that means to us in English. For us, it translates as "feet speak", and once that is explained, those who interact with us realize that we have chosen a Korean phrase as our name. To see their faces light up with understanding speaks so loudly. Not only are our feet speaking, but our name is as well, opening doors for conversation about the Lord, about the verse that our name is taken from (Isaiah 52:7), and about the work that we are doing in Korea. 

The other thing I wanted to share with you is what we're doing tonight (Saturday). We have the opportunity to perform "Help" at Gandong Dance Festival. This is a huge blessing, as the Lord has clearly opened doors for us to be able to share our work at this festival, and we are so thankful for this honor. We are praying that God uses our piece to proclaim His truth. That we would not be concerned with the performance itself or the prestige of the venue, but that we would remember why we dance and who we dance for. Please be covering our physical bodies in your prayers as well- for strength and wellness as we prepare for and then dance this evening. 

We are so encouraged knowing that your prayers are with us, not only for tonight but for the rest of this trip. Thank you for your support as we continue to seek God and the works He has prepared for us. 

Words from Alayna...

Emma, Kaleb, and I are in the midst of rehearsing a piece with the Korean dance company "Rising Tide" which will be performed at MODAFE on Tuesday, May 26th. MODAFE is one of the largest contemporary dance festivals in the country and companies from seven different countries will perform during the festival. Haejun Lee, the director of the company, is also a chair of the dance department at Hanyang University. Going into rehearsals, it was overwhelming thinking about learning a twenty minute piece in only a week. However, the three of us have experienced the grace of God and the joy of the Lord in this rehearsal process. We have been warmly welcomed in by the company which is comprised of students, professors, and alumni of Hanyang. Even with the language barrier we have communicated easily and are forming great relationships. The piece is entitled "Trauma 3.0" and is focused on the pain and worry we feel for others in difficult situations. In different sections of the piece we do a lot of dancing on the floor and Haejun communicated to us that those motions are an action of wiping tears off the floor. Please pray over this piece and our relationships with the other dancers. The theme of this piece lends itself to discussions about the heart of God and the love and care He has for us. Pray He would show us in different ways to demonstrate His love to those we are dancing with and those that see this piece. We are really looking forward to performing this piece on Tuesday but need the Lord's strength and peace to cover us. May we dance for an audience of One! 

Love, Alayna 

And Now a Word From...

Hello followers!! 

This is Joshua writing. Being here in South Korea has been a major blessing to me and my life. The best examples are the opportunities I had to teach hip hop classes. The first was with 8th graders at the Chadwick International school. They were a bit shy and nervous about my movement vocabulary but my fellow teammates helped keep the energy high. The other time was at Seoul Women's University. I had a blast with them. They enjoyed the song choice, which was "Fantastic Baby" by Big Bang! K-pop for the win. High energy, happy atmosphere, and invested. I have been filled past the brim. Teaching hip hop in Korea has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. 

First Days

Dear friends, 

Our first few days in Korea have been good. "Good" is a word we throw around a lot, but I use it because our time has been truly good thus far. There have been some hiccups here and there, some illnesses, and some "what is this Korean GPS telling me?" moments, but we have been able to do and see a good deal in these first few days, without doing too much - a good way to acclimate to being in Korea. 

On Thursday, our first full day in the country, we had a leisurely breakfast and devotion together - that's something we've been able to have most days, which will not last much longer, but has been wonderful. We then drove to our hostel in Seoul, where we've been staying ever since. That night, we were privileged to visit Korea National University of the Arts, the top art school in the nation. We toured their dance facilities and met with the dean of the dance department. Their alumni are dancing with renowned companies all over the world. We then watched their ballet department's performance of variations from classical ballets. The dancers were incredible - some of them had been in the top ballet competitions around the world. While their dancing was ridiculous, there was also a feeling of pressure and nerves throughout the entire performance - the hard reality of the standards and demands of not only ballet as an art form, but Korean culture, and KNUA specifically within that greater culture. 

On Friday, we went to Gyeongbokgung Palace. We walked around for about an hour and a half, and took in the immense compounds. The palace is right in the middle of Seoul- the city comes right up to the palace gates, and the peace that comes just leaving the modern city is amazing. There were tourists from all over the world, and it was incredible to take in the palace with so many others. Grace and I were stopped by other tourists and many people asked to take pictures with and of us, which was an adventure. 

That evening we explored a nearby market and then ate at a traditional Korean restaurant, which required us to eat sitting on the floor. 

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to worship, take class, and dance with Pneuma Ballet. It was such a sweet time of fellowship, blessing, and encouragement for all of us. The freedom and beauty in their lives, worship, and dancing reminded us once again of why we dance. A beautiful way to begin our dancing here in Korea. 

This Sunday we worshipped together on the rooftop of our hostel, and then prepared for our time performing at Onnuri church's evening service. We were blessed by their hospitality- in feeding us, in Pastor Jae's sharing his heart with us, and for their welcoming spirit. It was so good to share in worship before dancing - to be recentered on the purpose of our dancing. Our prayer is that the fame and glory of God would spread across the nation, as this worship service was broadcast throughout Korea and the greater Asia area. 

Although these days have been lighter, we are only getting busier from here on out. Please pray for us to continue to draw from the fullness of God's strength, for continued health and safety, and we would continue to trust in the Lord as He is faithful to go before us and shows up in greater ways than we could expect. 

In Christ, 

Kelly

#110toes

Dear friends,

We've made it. Not without some minor snags along the way, but we've made it to Korea, by the grace of God. 

Now that we're here, I wanted to share with you an overview of what our trip will entail: 

Thursday and Friday are lighter days for us. We'll be using those days to travel as well as to attend a ballet choreography showcase at the Korea National University of the Arts, which is comparable to Juilliard in the U.S. 

This Saturday, May 16, we will be involved in an exchange with Penuma Dance Company, a Christian dance company. We will each be presenting works and sharing in dance and worship together. On Sunday, we will perform at and worship with Onnuri Church in Seoul. 

The first half of our second week will be filled with presentations and workshops at various schools. Monday, May 18, will be spent at Chadwick International School; Tuesday we will spend at Seoul Women's University, and Wednesday we will be at another international school. 

From there, we will travel to Hangyang University on Thursday the 21st. (Alayna, Emma, and Kaleb will have travelled there earlier to begin work with Hae Joon Lee.) We will be taking classes with the dance students there as well as preparing for the Gangdong Dance Festival on May 23, where we will be performing "Help". 

On Sunday, May 24, the start of our third week in Korea, we will worship with and dance at Gajwa Jeil Church, and then will attend the Modafe Dance Festival in the evening. We will continue to work with Hungyang University that week and will attend Modafe performances. Alayna, Kaleb, and Emma will be performing on Tuesday, May 26,  and we will also be able to see Sung Yong and his wife perform that Thursday. 

On Friday, the 29th, we will rehearse for our performance at Stage M Theatre, where we will be presenting "Help" on Saturday. We will also be performing "Help" at Incheon Flats on Sunday, May 31. 

In our final full week in Korea, we will be traveling to DIMA (Dong-ah Institute of Media and the Arts) where we will engage with the students through workshops as well as various film projects. On Friday, June 5, we will be able to go to a Korean Folk Village, which will be an amazing cultural experience as our time in Korea comes to a close.

On Saturday, June 6, we will be performing at Geon Children's Home and then exploring and touring Seoul. On Sunday, we will be leading worship through music and dance at Seoul Grace Church. 

And that's it! We leave Korea on June 8, and will return to the States on the same day - we're basically time travelers- it's cool. 

I know that there's a lot of information in this post, but hopefully it will give y'all a reference and framework as to what we'll be doing with ourselves for the next four weeks. I also hope that it will help you to know how to pray for us as we seek to share God's love - in churches, in secular schools, in rehearsals and classes, and in main stage performances. 

Thank you for your prayers for traveling mercies. Please continue to pray for safety as we travel throughout the country, for safety over sick and hurting bodies, and for safety over our hearts and minds. 

We are here. We are safe. We are eagerly awaiting and expecting God to do amazing things in and through us in the next few weeks. 

In Christ, 

Kelly

Only a Day Away

Dear friends, 

This morning (Tuesday, May 11), we will be boarding a plane to travel to South Korea. We have been preparing for this moment since August, and now the time has come! Excitement is mounting as final details come into place. 

As we prepare to leave, I wanted to share a few of the opportunities that we will have in the next month:

On May 26, three members of our team- Alayna, Kaleb, and Emma - will be performing a piece set by Hae-Joon Lee, a professor at Hanyang University. This is an incredible honor and opportunity for these dancers, as they will be working with him extensively in the week leading up to the Modafe Dance Festival. Below is a link providing more information about Hae-Joon and the work he will be setting for the festival. 

http://www.modafe.org/modafe2015/english/program_view.asp?idx=43

We will also be performing Sung Yong Kim's work "Help" in Gangdong Dance Festival. This festival will feature an incredibly diverse group of performers and pieces. We are so looking forward to participating in both of these festivals. Below is an article that provides more information about Gangdong:

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130408000801

Please pray for us as we travel to Korea tomorrow- for smooth travels, for safety, and for rest and recovery from jet lag. We will be posting our itinerary when possible, in order to share with you a better picture of what our time in Korea will be like.

Next time you hear from us, we'll be in Korea!! Rejoicing in all that God has already done in and through us, and eagerly expecting and awaiting what He has in store for us this next month. 

Love, 

Kelly 

Unite Our Hearts

Dear friends,

These past two weekends, Bal Malhada had the opportunity to perform together as an ensemble for the first time, participating in Belhaven University's Spring Dance Concert. We were in the studio almost every night rehearsing the show, and then we performed in three shows each weekend. While these past two weeks have been exhausting, they have also been good. There is something inexpressibly unique about dancing and performing together as an ensemble, and I would ask you to bear with me as I do my best to put this experience into words.

From the rehearsal process - photo by Seanne Rodgers

We performed two separate pieces in the Spring Concert, both of which are ones we will be performing in our upcoming fundraising concert, and then taking with us to present in various venues in South Korea. The first piece is entitled "Glorious Spirit" - a trio of shorter pieces that combine to create an atmosphere of worship, communion, and blessing. We've known and rehearsed these works since last fall, and to see them culminate in performance was an incredible experience. The energy and life that comes in a performance added an entirely new feeling of praise and worship to our movement, as the Spirit worked in and through us to proclaim the glory and blessing of the Lord.

"Glorious Spirit"

Our second piece is one set by Sung Yong Kim this January, which he entitled "Help". In this piece, there are many moving parts, many sections, many interactions between and among us, the dancers. As a part of it, I have a very limited view of what is going on in the work as a whole, and it is only when I can watch a recording of it that I gain a better understanding of what is truly being communicated in our movement. In my own dancing, I find multiple moments of connection with one or two other dancers, and it often includes walking or moving alongside of them, standing with them, or seeing them. It is on stage that I feel we have begun to truly see each other, to truly know how to help each other, both on stage and in living alongside of each other.

"Help"

Usually, at the end of a performance, I feel a finality, a sense of closure, of relief, of sadness: "We've done it. We'll never perform that piece again. It's over." But this time, I am left with a sense of expectant anticipation: "We've started. We are scratching the surface of what these pieces are, of what they mean, of what we have been given and can give to those in the audience. We've barely begun. There's so much more." As we rehearse and perform these pieces - for the next five weeks or so - we have the ability, the time to, dive deeper, to truly dig into our work, and to share that depth with those who bear witness. We have begun to be even more united just in the process of dancing on stage together for the past two weeks, and we get to continue in that unity, to build upon it.

What a gift we have been given, one that is not ours to keep, but one that we must share with others, an offering back to the Giver of all things. Join me in praying that as we continue in preparation and in going to South Korea, that God would continue to unite our hearts to dance, sing, and declare His praise.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but please know that we are incredibly thankful for you, dear readers of this blog!

Love,
Kelly

Busy Days

Dear Friends, 

We are in the midst of busy days - days full not only with ordinary tasks, but additional work, events, etc. As we continue to count down the days until we depart for South Korea, each day in and of itself seems long, even as the time is flying by.

Three of our Bal Malhada dancers participated at the Mississippi Museum of Art's event "Night at the Museum: Artworks Come Alive" this past Friday (April 10). Emma, Josh, and Conrad, accompanied by Trailand Eltzroth, created improvisational work outside of the museum, greeting guests with their first art experience of the night. Our performers captivated many as they set the stage for a wonderfully rich, art-filled evening!

Another event that will be taking place in the near future at the Mississippi Museum of Art is our Bal Malhada fundraising concert! On Tuesday, May 5, we will be presenting many, if not all, of the pieces that we have created for our trip. The doors open at 5:30, where there will be time to mingle, eat, and talk with the dancers; at 7:30, we will be performing our repertoire. We are so excited for this opportunity to share with you all the work that we have been doing and the work that we will be taking on tour to South Korea. 

Please join us in prayer - that we would not wish this time away, that we would not get so caught up in looking forward to Korea that we are not present in daily life.
Please pray that we would continue to have strength and health as we prepare, as we rehearse.
Please pray that we would find rest in Jesus in the midst of our busy schedules.
Please pray that the Lord would continue to work in our hearts to make us ready for what He has in store, and that He would continue to work in the hearts of those we will be encountering in our journey.

I feel that I say this every time, but please believe me when I tell you just how thankful we are for you - that you're reading this blog, that you're coming alongside us in prayer. Your support is such an encouragement as we continue in this time of preparation. 

In Christ, 
Kelly

We love y'all!

A Season of Preparation

Dear friends, 

We are roughly a month away from embarking on our journey to South Korea. It's coming so quickly, and yet most days it seems that there is still so much more to do before we leave. Speaking for myself, I know that I can get bogged down in the day-to-day moments, in the details of our trip, in the rehearsals, in the fundraisers, in the meetings. However, I would do well to remember the bigger picture - of the fact that we have a bigger goal than rehearsing good dances, or raising a certain amount of money. These things have their place and are important, and I'll share more regarding those aspects of our preparations later.

But first, please bear with me as I share what the Lord has been doing to prepare my own heart. I have been learning in the past few weeks that while we do serve a God who is both big enough to take care of the details of our lives, and one who delights to care for those details, our God is much more than a detail-worker-outer, and His plans are much greater than my mind can comprehend. Our goal is not met once we raise a certain amount of money, or once we create a certain amount of pieces to take to South Korea. Our goal is not met once we get to South Korea, but even there is only starting, and may not even end upon our return. Our purpose, our goal, is to be the hands and feet, the vessels that have been called by God to share His love - with each other, with those here in Jackson, with those in South Korea, with everyone we encounter in this life, not just for the next two months. The next two months are set apart in that we have a specific calling to a specific place, but they are not the goal in and of themselves.

But even as I have been in a season of individual preparation, we have also been in preparation as a team. We have rehearsals almost every day, working on the dance pieces we'll be performing here in the States this month, as well as additional pieces we'll be taking to perform overseas. Please pray for us to have physical strength, as we continue to push our bodies in our classes and in our rehearsals. 

In addition, we are devoting energy to our fundraising efforts. We have received from so many people, and are so grateful for how God has provided through you all. But we do still need to raise more support to make this trip possible. We are currently working through a crowd-sourcing site, and we would love for you to visit our campaign page, to share it with your own friends, and to help us get the word out about our endeavors and our trip. This page (link found below) also serves to explain who we are as Bal Malhada, and to share our story. 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bal-malhada-south-korean-tour-2015

We are also engaging in various community outreach opportunities.We had the opportunity to work with music and dance ministry at a local church - St. James Episcopal. We helped create a Holy Week walk the weekend of Palm Sunday, reenacting and portraying various moments of the Holy Week through movement. Later in that same week, we attended a Seder (Passover) meal at Northshore Church; it was a beautiful time of fellowship not only among our team, but also with the congregation that is our home base. Both of these events allowed for us to reflect on the work of Christ - who He is and what He has done for us, especially as we seek and prepare to share that good news. 

Praying in Gethsemane

The Arrest

The Crucifiction

Just as the Church observes Lent in preparation for Easter, we are in a season that has been set aside to prepare to go to South Korea. We are holding on to the promise that God will use this time to equip us for the work He is calling us to, to make us worthy of His calling. Please continue to pray alongside of us, that He will continue to bring the work which He has started to completion.

We are so thankful that we can share in this journey with you all.
In Christ,
Kelly

Monday Morning Joys

Last Monday, March 2, Bal Malhada had the opportunity to go to Richland Upper Elementary School for their Read Across America event. At 9:00 on a rainy morning, 200 third graders crowded into the school's cafeteria with us, and sat down expectantly. We smiled when we heard whispers of "look, high schoolers!" before their teachers told them that we were actually in college. As we tried to warm up our cold toes, Ms. Morton prayed with us, that even though we were presenting in an educational outreach performance, that we would still impact the lives of these young children.

Dancing in ballet shoes on a tiled cafeteria floor, with tables grouped around our open space, we began by performing three pieces from our collective repertoire of dance works. After showing these pieces, we presented a poem, entitled, "Michael Built a Bicycle"; the first time, we read the poem by itself, and then we repeated it to the accompaniment of movement, to see if the students could remember more details of the story. Following this, we used our bodies to create the letters of the alphabet, working through the book "M is for Mississippi".

Performing the piece "Mighty Spirit", choreographed by Cynthia Newland

We then asked the students to stand up and move with us, beginning with an interactive warm up to connect their brain and body movements. We taught them to use various body parts to write their names in space (finger, elbow, nose, etc.) with different types of lettering (print, cursive, uppercase, lowercase, big, small), before creating some of the simpler alphabet shapes with them.

Using our elbows to write our names in space

To conclude, we used dance to show different parts of a story: characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution. We had previously asked the students for different ideas for each story component, and the result was very creative: Superman and Aquaman in New York City saving a woman and her cat from a burning building. We had created a dance/pantomime to portray this story, and had the children guess as to what had been happening. Their responses were inventive and usually close, if not exact. One boy, who clearly had extensive comic book knowledge, figured out the identities of both superheroes, before guessing that we were in Gotham. Many students, when first seeing the woman and her cat going for a walk, exclaimed "kitty!" before we heard one young man, upon seeing Grace, who was the cat, quietly say "pretty...". After we were finished, we heard another student say emphatically, "This is ART."

And so it was. Sometimes we tend think of art as something which must be at a higher level, slightly out of reach, almost unattainable. But for these students, even in the simplicity of our performance and interactive explorations, we had shown them a new type of art. We had opened doors for them to understand movement and dance - that it could be used for the higher, beautiful truths, as well as the simpler, everyday ones. Just as Ms. Morton had prayed in the beginning, we had an impact on these students, even as they impacted us. We helped them to discover art, and they helped us to remember the simple joy that inspires our art in the first place.

Welcome

Welcome! 

We are Bal Malhada, or "Feet Speak", and we are so excited to be going to South Korea this summer, to use dance to share the truth of the gospel. We have been preparing for this trip for many months, and are eagerly awaiting what the Lord has in store for us as we continue on our journey.

We will be in South Korea for a month, from May 10 through June 8, 2015. We will be visiting various cities throughout the country, working with churches, schools, universities, retirement centers, hospitals, and orphanages. We will be preforming at these venues, as well as offering teaching and training in dance. 

During our trip, our desire and purpose is to share through our gifts and talents as Christian artists. We are confident that God will work through us to impart His love through performances, teaching workshops, and discussions with audiences, congregations, and fellow dancers. 

Our ensemble is under the leadership of Cynthia Newland and Laura Morton, both of whom have led previous dance tours to South Korea. These women are also members of the Church at Northshore, our sending congregation. 

From L-R: Laura Morton, Emma Eltzroth, Rachel Jaeger, Alayna Brenchley, Conrad Useldinger, Kaleb Reilly, Catherine Woodfox, Joshua Bell, McKenzie Williams, Kelly Weber, Grace Miller, and Cynthia Newland

We invite you to come on this journey with us. We invite you to follow our blog, to hear testimonies of God's work before, during, and after our trip. We invite you to support us in prayer as we continue preparations and as we embark in May. We invite you to consider supporting us financially, as we each need to raise $4,200 in order to cover travel, lodging, and food costs. 

Support by check:

Please make your check payable to Bal Malhada and send to:

Bal Malhada

c/o Cynthia Newland

1509 Ivy St

Jackson, MS 39202

For questions for donations made through check contact: cynthiaanewland@gmail.com

Support online:

http://www.northshorerewired.com

Go to the tab: “Giving”

Go to: “Donate” and follow prompts to “Bal Malhada: South Korea 2015” complete online giving information and note which individual you are supporting.

For online giving questions contact: BalMalhada@churchatnorthshore.com

Your financial support for this trip is critically needed and greatly appreciated. All donations are tax deductible.

In whatever way you are able to support us, know that we are incredibly thankful for you. We welcome you as our partners in pursuing Kingdom work. 

In Christ, 

Kelly for Bal Malhada