“I think the Lord has called me to dance and represent who Jesus is through movement.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

There are few places you can present the gospel to excited, cheering crowds. Last Friday, however, Frank Ryan Catholic Intermediate School was the exception to that rule, and the Kingdom advanced with leaps and…pirouettes.

The crowd of 350 students (including Muslims and many raised as atheists) buzzed with excitement to see Arise Youth Ballet perform.

“What started as something to help train our students turned into a full-blown ministry,” explains Naomi Gilman, one of the directors of Arise School of Dance.

Learning a performing art has two sides, Gilman explains. You must master the technique and have a strong stage presence.

“To learn to connect with an audience and tell a story, you need the opportunity to perform.” Photo by Stephen Shew.

“To learn to connect with an audience and tell a story, you need the opportunity to perform. The main way secular studios do this is competitions. It is a very self-centered world. It is very money driven and it is not a great environment.”

Having trained in secular studios and worked as a professional dancer, Gilman knows firsthand. So to get around this with the Christian dance studio she now runs, Arise formed a youth dance company for their students. The group performs all around the city, in schools, churches, and anywhere else they are invited.

“As Christians, if we are going to take our kids out and do any platform ministry, obviously we want to prepare them,” Gilman says. “That led into a program where we do Bible studies, ministry training, and teach them how to share the gospel, their testimony, and to pray for people,” all as part of their dance training.

Abigail Gilman, 14, joined Arise six years ago. She says dance helps her connect with God.

“Sometimes when it is hard to talk to God or say something, I just dance it.”

Photo by Stephen Shew.

Being part of the company, she says, also helped her “draw closer to God and understand His Word better”.

Dancing to the worship songs also impacts 15-year-old Daniel Rudenberg.

“It has deepened my relationship with God a lot, constantly worshipping Him through ballet and putting my heart out there.”

Myriam Iles, 20, is in her fourth year with the company. She says the time has deepened her faith, while also giving her a greater appreciation for the arts.

“I am surrounded by people who love Jesus. It is a good environment and it strengthens you that way,” Iles says. “I think the Lord has called me to dance and represent who Jesus is through movement. When I dance, I pray, asking the Lord, ‘Please make it clear to the audience who we are dancing for.’”

Photo by Stephen Shew.

In addition to sharing testimonies and praying with the people from the audience, the dancers portray stories in the performance. At Frank Ryan, the message was to surrender your cares and burdens to Jesus.

Photo by Stephen Shew.

Although they do not have alter calls in their performances, Gilman says they see the fruit of their work as the dancers mingle with the audience afterward.

“We have had people encouraged, prayer requests answered, and people give their lives to the Lord.”

Despite the dual focus, Gilman underscores that Arise is not a second-rate studio. In fact, based on their students’ exam scores, Arise is one of the top ballet studios in Ottawa. That came across clearly at Frank Ryan Catholic Intermediate School, as the rowdy kids were quickly won over by the impressive choreography.

“One of our dreams is to set ourselves up as the kind of presence in the city where non-Christians send their kids to us because we give the best ballet training. We do see it a little bit, but we want to see it more.”