Reborn
My daughter attends Christ in the Arts, School of Dramatic Dance. She works hard to learn her dances each semester. All of the performances use color, music, and movement to illustrate great stories of love and redemption. In January, she performed Reborn. The first Act takes the audience from creation to the cross, showing the presence of the Father, Son, and Spirit through everything. In this production, the Spirit is portrayed as a nurturing Mother, offering comfort and guidance.
As the curtain opens, the Trinity is joyously dancing in white light. Then, bright colors show the perfection of the Garden. When sin enters, everything becomes gray. The people move slower, there is more strife and fighting, and a sense of hopelessness fills the stage. The spotlight shines on one girl, the one chosen to raise the Messiah. During this scene the song “Be Born in Me” plays (this was my daughter’s scene, an angel gathered around the Baby Jesus). The audience watches as the Son grows from a baby into a man and begins His ministry.
Everyone He touches receives a red belt, color over the gray. The audience sees Him heal the sick and cast away demons! The character of Mary Magdelene is wrapped up with black scarves, held by the darkness. This powerful scene illustrated her agony followed by relieved joy when Jesus sets her free.
Then they see Him arrested and crucified with the thieves on either side. During this scene,
“This is How Love Wins” plays. The “colors” move in an out of the scene, showing that hope is still present, even when all seems lost. The thief He forgives is welcomed to the Kingdom, embraced by the Spirit, and taken to paradise.
The Resurrection scene is probably my favorite (besides the part my daughter was in). As everyone is gathered, two men run into the scene excitedly, indicating the empty tomb. Then Mary Magdelene comes in, emphatic to Mary the mother that she has seen Jesus. Mary stands in disbelief. Then the crowd parts and she sees him ALIVE!
Act Two brings the audience to modern times. They watch Eva, grow from a little girl into a young woman. As a girl, she spends every spare moment reading her Bible. She loves Jesus and tries to do what is good. As she grows into a young woman, she’s confronted with the lies of comparison, legalism, and perfectionism. Her vibrance is replaced by gray despair as the enemy takes over. She’s bound by the darkness until she remembers her first love. She prays and the Father, Son, and Spirit surround her and set her free!
The performance ends with “Greater” by Mercy Me. The lyrics remind us that “There’ll be days I lose the battle. Grace says that it doesn’t matter ’cause the cross already won the war.” and “I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed when others say I’ll never be enough. And greater is the One living inside of me than he who is living in the world.”
If you would be interested in viewing this or other performances, go to https://www.christinthearts.org/.