Scripture tells us that dance is a sacred expression of worship. Psalm 149:3 declares, “Praise his name with dancing,” and Psalm 150:4 echoes, “Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes!”
Our God is truly a God of diversity! “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12, NIV). Also, in 1 Peter 4:10 we are called to use our gifts for the Body of Christ: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” He has gifted the Body of Christ to express our love and worship to him in unique ways, using the talents and passion he himself has placed within each one of us!

Since 2005, Expressions of Joy Dance School and Company (EOJ) has sought to worship God and serve the church through the medium of dance. EOJ seeks to impact both the audience and performers to fulfill Jesus’ command to go everywhere and preach to everyone (Mark 16:15). Speaking of this Great Commission, Creative Director Josiane Geyer says, “We do it through our students on stages and through our community outreach programs — always building the bridge between Christ and our audiences, always reaching out through arts and dance so that many may see that he is the Way!”

EOJ’s vision is to be the artistic bridge between the sacred and the secular through the power of dance. Their mission is to train artists to their highest potential for outreach through innovative and original Christ-centered performances! The training is excellent and the program rigorous, using mainly Ballet and Modern genres (EOJ follows the Russian Vaganova syllabus method), expanding to include other dance styles and theatrical forms when student maturity allows. The heart of EOJ is that the Gospel would be preached and that the Christian community would come together to realize the God-given potential and power of the arts for salvation. Geyer expresses, “We hope to be a blessing to the community and to bring truth to many Christians about using dance as worship!”

Beginning on July 1, EOJ will host a dance summer program to train and audition new students and artists for next year’s outreach performances. The program is also designed to offer current students a stronger challenge than the previous year, preparing them for the next level. This year’s program will specialize in ballet, pointe and variations, contemporary dance and partnering principles. EOJ is still receiving registrations, but space is limited!

The power of the performing arts speaks right into the hearts of the people, and EOJ hopes to encourage many young artists who have the calling and passion to truly make a difference in the Kingdom of God. For more information, or to learn more about EOJ’s summer programs and becoming a new student/artist, please visit expressionsofjoy.org.