Jubilation Dance Ministry to perform spring concert
by Madison Garner
Dance can be a means of creative expression, socialization or exercise. For students involved with Whitworth’s club, Jubilation, dance is a method of worship.
Jubilation is a student-led club where dancers across all skill levels can come to worship God through dance.
“It is a space where you can express emotions through movement rather than words,” said Jubilation member and junior Janna Rixon.
Words, for some people, are not the easiest way to communicate to God, said Jubilation dancer and senior Katherine Traylor.
“For me, it’s about using the body God gave me to fully appreciate creation,” Traylor said. “Since the world was created, it has been in motion. Dance is a reflection of that.”
The styles of dances that are taught range from hip hop to ballet. The classes are welcome to students of all levels, from twenty years of experience to no experience.
At the end of the year, the classes perform choreographed dances for the Whitworth community. Every class is led by a student who choreographs the dance. For the final performance, the leaders pick verses that their classes’ dance will be centered around.
For sophomore MacKenzie Wattenbarger, the performance is the best part of being in Jubilation.
“I like the end performance because you finally see it all come together,” Wattenbarger said. “It’s cool to perform and say ‘I did that, I was capable of doing that, even with no dance experience’”.
Some of the students will perform for the first time.
“I’m excited for [the final performance] to be their first performance,” Traylor said. “I’m excited for them to have that adrenaline rush, that bare feet on the stage, and experience that for the first time.”
Whether the show is the student’s first time or fourth time, Jubilation will be fun and uplifting, said Traylor.
“It’s a really great celebration of dance and dance as a form of worship,” Traylor said.
The Jubilation Dance Ministry spring performance will be May 5 in Cowles Auditorium at 7 p.m. Cost of attending the performance is $2.
Contact Madison Garner at mgarner16@my.whitworth.edu