Dramatic Truth
Wednesday, March 10th 2010
“Technical excellence is released for God's purposes.”Liz Dimmel, Executive Director
Trainee Testimonial : : Aubrey Smith
With a mom leading a worship dance group, chances were slim that Aubrey Smith wouldnt be a dancer. At age 8, they rented a studio and Aubrey began a journey that continues 10 years later.
“I started taking youth ballet at University of Iowa in Iowa City and studied there for 8 years. I had a wonderful teacher, Grace Snider, until she moved away last fall. We got a new director who had a very secular approach. It was a hard time. I felt pressured from technique to weight to attitude. Our classes were completely silent. Even looking at each other in class was considered disrespectful. Her demands were very high.”
“I grew a lot as a dancer technique-wise. But it tore my love for dance. It drove me to achieve, and the approach was very egotistical. At performance time, the director brought in other dancers for the key roles. I stopped dancing in May 2008 because I didn't like it anymore…”
Aubrey took the summer off and unfortunately had an accident, which added to her recovery time.
“I came here to see if there was any love left for dance in my life. I wanted to get away from what the world has made dance. I love to dance, and while my experience was important, it was hard. I think my time here [at Dramatic Truth] will be a healing time for me. The classes and overall attitude of people here are the exact opposite of what I was dealing with last year. I experienced a lot of egotistical people, but I am thankful for that experience. I learned a lot. But here, my eyes and heart are softening towards everything.”
What could a dancer expect to find
at Dramatic Truth?
“You're not dancing for yourself. You're dancing with a mission. This is the first time I've been able to use professional quality towards something other than pleasing myself or other people. I can use my dance as a mission to reach the world.”
“There's no pride or competition with each other. There's encouragement. There's not physical pressure. They accept our body type and help just try to find our best potential rather than making cookie-cutter dancers, which is what I grew up with. There's a lot of encouragement from other dancers. People are great outside the studio, too-it's a good community.”
“I feel like God has had me in many different places in dance. I think it's okay to dance in a secular studio, and I'm so thankful for that, but now I'm able to channel what He's given me and focus it toward Him. I think its great that I've had a variety of experiences. I'm thankful that God has brought me through all that, and now I can find the purpose for me.”
Thanks for joining us, Aubrey!
Were thankful for this new season in your life at Dramatic Truth.