Thursday, June 5, 2008

Props to "The Minister" on "So You Think You Can Dance"?

Thursday, June 5, 2008
I'm not a big fan (though I do watch a few of them) of the overly hyped and often lackluster performance-reality shows like American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the "Stars", America's Got Talent, etc.. However, as my wife and I were watching a little of SYTYCD last night I was blown away by a mid-twenties (I think - it's a guess) dancer who choreographed a dance to the Story of Solomon. The judges ripped him apart thinking his dance ought to have been more sexually charged and his reply was "I'm not gonna do that crap! (From here it is a loose paraphrase of what he said) The story I'm telling is not about sex but forbidden love - having feelings, but not acting on it. I don't need to put that stuff in my dancing." They pushed further and he replied "I'm a minister and refuse to compromise my beliefs." They (one female judge in particular - the one on the far left) told him she liked his dance but needs to get his "issues" resolved. WHAT?! And issue would that be, exactly? The issue of treating a woman correctly? The issue of placing sexuality in its proper context? The issue of telling a story in an imaginative and non-exploitive (and non-overly-obvious) manner?
I know he'll probably never read this, but props to you my brother! Way to represent! Way to stand your ground! That was a powerful dance (even though I don't get dance, I was moved! I was moved prior to even knowing it was about Solomon or that you were a minister) and how you handled yourself on stage against those ridiculous comments was great! Thank you for faithfully demonstrating what it means to be a follower of Christ and not selling out! That was a true demonstration of how Christians ought to live "in the world, but not of it" (and participating in the arts in a manner worthy of the Gospel) and an example I would be proud to put on display for my teens (my youth group) to learn from. Keep on, keeping on!!!
That's what "The Minister" on SYTYCD is all about Charlie Brown...

Note: I tried to find a video of the dance and his conversation with the judges to post here, but to no avail. Sorry. If I see it later I will post it here.

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