About Ballet Magnificat!
Directors
Kathy and I would like to take this opportunity to share with you a little of what’s been going on here at Ballet Magnificat! as well as a little about the upcoming year. From our beginnings in 1986 to the present, we have seen God do wonderful and marvelous things beyond either one of our comprehension. The thought never entered our minds that we would be doing what we do! I mean… Kathy obviously is very gifted, dancing formerly with Ballet Mississippi and winning a silver medal at the II USA International Ballet Competition in 1982, and I, on the other hand, was a touring musician with the band David and the Giants. Nevertheless, here we are… working together with an incredible group of people in what we believe to be the most unique dance company in the world.
This year celebrates Ballet Magnificat!'s 25th anniversary! We had a wonderful reunion in August with about 150 current and former staff, dancers, and family members who were able to attend from all over the country! This summer was Ballet Magnificat!’s annual Summer Dance Intensive with over 300 in attendance! Our theme was “He’s Coming”. Many made decisions for the Lord and were ministered to in the midst of classes and choreography. Our Pre-Professional level gave an outreach performance at the Mississippi State Hospital for the staff and residents.
It looks like the vision for the future is becoming “more international” with overseas invitations coming regularly. The Alpha Company is scheduled to dance in Honduras and El Salvador in February 2012 and has an invitation for performances and workshops in the Philippines, which looks good for May 2012. The Omega Company returned earlier in the year from an extensive tour of Europe, dancing in Paris for the first time to a sold out audience and packing theatres and churches from Germany to Venice, Italy (with a new European tour shaping up for 2012!). Macedonia, in particular, was special in that the company was able to integrate and meet with the director and some of the dancers from National Ballet of Macedonia who attended the performance. Finally, our Trainee II Company had the opportunity last year to dance in the capitol of Honduras at the Manuel Bonilla National Theatre.
One thing especially on Kathy's and my heart is our new Global division. It’s a longer-term (9-month) international mission focus of help and partnership with individuals and churches who want a Ballet Magnificat! presence in their country. Right now we have two graduates from our Trainee Program in Honduras with requests from several nations and regions such as China, Macedonia, North Africa, Brazil, and Chile. You can find out more about it here.
The big production this year, and I mean BIG… will be Snow Queen! I think you will really like this ballet and that is an understatement! We are very excited and busy here with beautiful costume construction, prop building, set design, and choreography for over 100 dancers in the works, with Kathy and Jiri working feverishly.
Lastly, we all feel urgency in the Spirit because we believe that time is short (Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17)… Our hearts’ desire here at Ballet Magnificat! is to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father’s business and go where He wants us to go and do what He wants us to do. It’s not about OUR kingdom, but HIS Kingdom!
We love you all… grace, peace, and blessings!
Sincerely,
Keith and Kathy Thibodeaux
Executive and Artistic Directors
