Last Sunday, April 21st, we had the privilege of running a full program at Oak Lawn Bible Church. The feedback we heard after the performance was incredible. Some audience members had never experienced live dance performance before, not to mention live dance performance with the goal of sharing stories of hope and engaging in worship. Others enjoyed the opportunity to spend the two hours as something of a spiritual mini-retreat, being refreshed through the time spent specifically sitting in God’s wonderful presence. The performance marked the first of a string of 10 performances in the final four weeks of the season, and it was a great sendoff for which we are immensely thankful.

Friday morning (04/26) we will be hitting the road for our first long-distance tour of the 2012-2013 season, a jam-packed weekend with three performances and two sets of master classes. The first stop, Friday night, is the Academy of the Arts in Spring Arbor, Michigan. Saturday’s performance is a Studio 55 School of Dance in Hillsdale, Michigan, and Sunday morning’s performance will be at Caring Community Church in Albion, Michigan. While we spend much of our time performing within the greater Chicago area we are thrilled for the opportunity to be able to share the Gospel, encourage students in the arts, and uplift and refresh believers in Christ through this weekend’s Michigan performances.

If you have a moment to join us in prayer, please ask God to:

• Keep us safe as we travel to Michigan on Friday and back to Chicago on Sunday
• Bring exactly the right people to attend this weekend’s performances
• Be with each of the Company Artists who will be teaching master classes as they seek to inspire and encourage the students in those classes
• Anoint us with His Spirit to be able to share the good news of the Gospel and to start meaningful discussions of life and faith

To God be all the Glory, Honor and Praise Forever and Ever!

Truly, we are thankful. Again, this move would not have been possible without God’s constant provision for our many and various needs. Now, we eagerly wait to see what God is going to do this year even as we thank Him for all that he has already done.

If you are interested in supporting the ministry of Ballet 5:8, please let us know! You can find more information on our donors page.

North-siders, this one is for you! The Ballet 5:8 Company is performing as part of a collaborative performance, Common Threads, this weekend at Links Hall. Performances are tonight (Friday) and Saturday at 8:00pm, and Sunday at 7:00pm. This is a rare opportunity to see several different Chicago companies and artists come together for three special evenings of dance performance.

More information

First off: Did you know that the fall School of the Arts class schedule includes an adult Yoga class?

Second, in case you’ve never met Stephanie, our Yoga instructor, or had a chance to hear her story, I asked her a few questions. Whether you’re already planning to take her class, or you didn’t know that it existed until today, I’d encourage you to take a moment to read a little about Stephanie and how she ended up as a Christian Yoga instructor.

Q: When did it all start for you?

A: In 2005 my sister-in-law, who is also a yoga teacher, convinced me to come and try out her class at a local health club. I remember feeling like yoga was easy for me, that it wasn’t a big deal.

And then the next day came and I was sore all over.  I loved that.

That sparked my yoga journey.  I loved that yoga made me feel strong and flexible, the arm balances challenged me, and it was fun: because classes were different every time it kept me from getting bored. I continued taking classes for a few years after that and during that time my sister in-law began encouraging me to take a 200 hour yoga teacher training program.  I was skeptical of a training program feeling it would conflict with my beliefs.  A year or two passed and the thought of doing a training program surfaced again.  My husband and I prayed about it and felt pretty quickly that I should sign up. I enrolled at the Yoga Room in Crown Point that same week.

Q: What would you say are the top five benefits of Yoga?

A: Increased Mobility

Whether you are male, female, young, old, flexible, or inflexible you are going to begin to loosen, stretch, and increase your range of motion through a consistent practice of yoga. Many people even find that they need fewer trips to the chiropractor when they make yoga a regular part of their life. Yoga uses a different type of traction than chiropractics- it has staying power!

Strength

I love that while practicing yoga you are using your own body as weight. Yoga can be hard! Holding poses statically is much more challenging than it appears and it builds tremendous endurance and muscle strength, safely.

Calm

Yoga offers many ways to relax which is a nice addition to an exercise routine.  It would be unusal to go to the gym, work out really hard and then lie down on the floor, close your eyes, have someone guide you through a relaxing breathing technique, and then adjust you with a calming essential oil.  But these are the very things that happen in class. Breathing techniques (that are commonly used in a therapist’s office), visualization, restorative poses, and quiet are all applied in a yoga class.

Confidence

Yoga is very approachable. Poses that seem incredibly difficult can be brought down to a reasonable starting point and as a student begins to become more comfortable in the early stages of learning the pose (called an asana) he or she gains confidence as they begin to accomplish what once seemed impossible. Seeing muscle taking shape in the arms never hurt anyone’s confidence level, either .

Community

Just like any other hobby, sport, church group etc there is a whole yoga community out there and it is really fun to become a part of it. Once you have found that class/studio that works for you it won’t be long before you are forming relationships with fellow yogis.

Q: What would you say to someone who has been left with the impression that Yoga is “weird”?

1. I get that, I really do.  I thought that, too.

2.Have you tried it or is that something that you perceive?  I can say with confidence that there is nothing ‘weird’ in my class. You’ll come to class stretch, move, stretch some more, and relax for 10-15 minutes, and you will leave feeling great.

3. Maybe you did have a weird class! I’ve been to weird classes. I don’t enjoy them either and I take steps to ensure I don’t repeat the experience (IE. research, word of mouth from a trusted source). Similar to having had a bad meal at a restaurant before, I have had a bad yoga experience or two, but I haven’t stopped eating at restaurants and I haven’t stopped taking yoga classes.

Q: How would you describe, for you personally and/or in the classes you teach, the collision between Yoga and your Christian faith.

A: When I came to the decision to go through a teacher training program I really wasn’t thinking that yoga could be an outreach for the Lord. Almost as soon as I began teaching however, people were saying things to me like “what is different about your class?” or “this feels so different than what I’m used to” and I quickly came to realize that this isn’t about me teaching yoga at all. This is about God and being used by Him to reach a community of people that otherwise may not be reached. I am regularly in prayer about keeping myself open to the way He wants to use me. I’m not out there pushing God on people, but I am not shying away from who I am either. I’m just me; I love the Lord, and I’m willing to put myself out there for Him and remain true to Him and that’s what people see: Him through Me. The Holy Spirit is quite amazing in His work and I have been able to share with more than one student that what they feel is not me but the Holy Spirit. For people who share my faith I am glad to be able to offer them a place where they feel comfortable practicing a form of excercise that offers them relief from headaches, sore muscles, stress, tension, workouts that were punishing their bodies, etc.

Q: What should people look for in a good Yoga instructor/studio?

A: When looking for an instructor I would choose someone who has gone through aminimum of 200 hour training. These teachers are taught how to keep their students, safe for the most part (a student should always listen to their own body and never feel forced into a posture that causes pain in the knees, shoulders, back etc), and how to sequence a class with care. Word of mouth is always a good way to learn about great instructors and studios as well. If a recommendation is coming from a trustworthy friend who is usually on point with your comfort level that would be a good place to start.  Everyone has a different preference for style so try a few teachers and studios.

Q: Any resources to share?

A; The Yoga Journal has a website that is great for taking a look at asanas (poses) and learning about a lot of different postures. Check them out here.

Stephanie Rumbuc RYT 200