More Than Dance: What I Have Seen, What I Am Studying, and Why It Matters
There has been a shift in what I am aiming to do in this MA program. It has been a journey of peeling back my focus, and I expect that I will continue to refine it as I move forward. I am writing here simply to get everything out of my head and onto paper. I will
Working Title
More Than Dance: Faith, Joy, and Youth Transformation in a Faith-Informed Dance Community
Research Question
How does a faith-informed dance practice foster youth transformation in ways that can inform a transferable framework for educators?
Over the past thirteen years, I have observed the transformative power of dance across a range of global contexts. While these experiences have shaped my understanding of how dance impacts individuals and communities, this study focuses specifically on Memphis Belle. I approach Memphis Belle as a sustained and deeply relational site of practice, where patterns of growth, connection, and transformation can be examined more closely and over time.
Deeper Dive
For the past thirteen years, I have taught dance in many different places around the world, including Mexico, Haiti, South America, Africa, South Korea, and the United States. Each context has been different in culture, language, resources, and student experience. Some students arrive eager to participate, while others are hesitant, unsure, or even resistant. Yet across all of these environments, I have consistently observed something similar. Students change.
This change is not limited to technical improvement. It shows up in how students carry themselves, how they relate to others, and how they engage with the world around them. I have seen students who were withdrawn become expressive. I have seen students who were disconnected begin to form meaningful relationships. I have seen confidence grow, discipline develop, and joy become visible.
For many years, I did not stop to analyze this deeply. I was focused on teaching, on creating joyful experiences, and on moving from one context to another. But after seeing these transformations happen again and again, in completely different environments, I began to ask a more intentional question: what is actually happening here? Dance is clearly part of the answer. It is important, but it does not fully explain what I am seeing.
Over time, I have come to understand that what is happening is not only about movement, but about what I call the world of the heart. By this, I mean the internal space where thoughts, emotions, motivations, and struggles exist. This internal world is not always visible, but it shapes how students engage, how they respond, and how they grow. When the heart is opened and brightened, when students are given room to move, connect, and communicate, something begins to shift. The dance changes, but more importantly, the person changes.
An important part of my teaching practice, and something that distinguishes it from other contexts, is that it is shaped by faith. My work is grounded in a Christian understanding that identity, value, and purpose are not earned through performance, but received as a gift. This belief influences how I teach, how I relate to students, and how I understand growth.
In practice, this does not always look like direct instruction about faith. At times, there are explicit moments, such as in camps or structured programs, where the Gospel is shared. However, in other contexts, faith functions as an underlying orientation. It shapes the emphasis on joy rather than pressure, on connection rather than competition, and on purpose rather than performance alone.
Although I have seen these patterns across many global contexts, this study focuses specifically on Memphis Belle, a dance community that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am choosing to study Memphis Belle not because transformation only happens there, but because it provides a sustained and relational environment where these patterns can be observed more closely over time.
Memphis Belle emerged during a period of uncertainty. Schools were closed, students were isolated, and many were navigating confusion, fear, and disconnection. When I first began teaching dance to a small group of students from my church, the response was not immediately positive. Many of the students did not want to dance. Some disengaged, avoided participation, or distanced themselves from the activity.
At first, it could have appeared to be a lack of interest in dance. However, it became clear that the deeper issue was not about movement, but about connection. The students were not only disconnected from the activity, but also from each other and, in many ways, from themselves.This realization shifted my approach.
The space could no longer be only about teaching choreography. It had to become a space where students could engage with their internal experiences.We began to focus on faith, communication, discipline, relationship-building, and giving.
As this foundation developed, dance was no longer separate from these elements. It became the place where all of them were practiced and experienced. Through rehearsal, students learned patience as we worked through choreography, formations, and timing. They learned what it meant to stay present even when something was difficult or repetitive. They learned to listen, to adjust, and to move not only as individuals, but as a group.
At the same time, something relational was happening. The students began to grow closer to one another, and our connection as a group deepened. What started as a collection of individuals slowly became a community. Trust developed. Students became more willing to communicate, to support one another, and to share what they were thinking and feeling. I also saw my relationship with them change. There was more openness, more honesty, and a stronger sense of mutual understanding.
Faith continued to play an important role in this process. It was not always something that was spoken directly, but it shaped how we approached the work. We understood that joy was not something we had to force or manufacture, but something we could receive. From a faith perspective, we believe that this joy comes from Jesus. At the same time, from a practical standpoint, dance itself contributes to this experience. Movement, music, and shared activity naturally create energy and positive emotion. Together, these elements form a powerful combination.
I began to see that the students were not only becoming more capable dancers, but they were also becoming more disciplined and more aware of how they showed up in a space. They learned to arrive on time, to be prepared, and to take responsibility for their role within the group. They also learned what it means to give, not only to each other, but to an audience.
When we perform, there is an understanding that dance is not only about executing steps correctly. It is about sharing something. It is about offering energy, presence, and intention to the people watching. This idea of giving became an important part of our practice. Students began to understand that their role was not only to perform, but to connect to communicate something beyond the movement itself.
Over time, I noticed that this shift affected how they carried themselves both inside and outside of rehearsal. They became more confident, more engaged, and more willing to step forward. Some of the students who initially did not want to dance became consistent participants and even leaders within the group and beyond our community.
Looking at this process now, I can see that what developed in Memphis Belle was not only a dance program, but a space where multiple layers of growth were happening at the same time. There was physical growth through movement, relational growth through connection, and internal growth through reflection and engagement with the heart. Faith remained present throughout, shaping the environment and the way we understood what was taking place.
I am interested in understanding this program more clearly. I want to examine the structure of the program itself, what elements are present, how they function, and how they might be meaningful beyond this specific context. This is where my study begins.
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