The Daze Phase

“ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness ”  

- 2 Corinthians 12:9

The verse above seems to be the scripture I keep falling back on these days as we enter into week four of Ballet Magnificat's Summer Dance Intensive 2017. At this point, students and teachers alike are all relying on the grace of God to carry them through. We always should be doing so of course, but it seems like now more than ever we are in need of his strength physically. Spiritually there have been some battles, but over all, our souls are soaring. God has done so much. It is hard to describe in words everything that He has been doing in me, but I will try, as well as inform you on what has been happening around me! Keep reading! 

• The first 2-week session of our summer dance intensive finished up with the student gala performance Friday and a shop trip on Saturday to break-up the weekend for the 4-weeker students.

I taught the level-six students "Gypsies" from Ballet Magnificat's Snow Queen. Here I am with "my gypsies" in a group photo!

Pictured here are all the students involved in the first session of Ballet Magnificat's 2017 SDI; over 300 students! They all did such a marvelous job in the student gala!

My small group at Renaissance Mall posing for a group picture in front of this beautiful fountain on shopping day. Boy, was it a hot day!

3rd week. So far, so good. #sofarsogood #balletmagnificat #bmagsdi2017 #heavencomedown

A post shared by Lillian Marie Ortiz (@oqpiedoptimist) on Jul 18, 2017 at 9:55pm PDT

• The second 2-week session begins ushering in new students, and teachers for our teachers workshop coming from all over!

Pictured here are the teachers enrolled in our teacher's workshop this year out on an outing with the founders of Ballet Magnificat Keith and Kathy Thibodeaux. Aren't they a beautiful bunch!

• The Brazilians arrive! Our friends and partners from Ballet Magnificat Brazil arrive on the scene visiting our home base in Jackson, Mississippi for the first time! So exciting for them AND us! We love our Brazilian friends!

Vanessa Zuliani the operations manager for Ballet Magnificat Brazil, Kathy and Keith Thibodeaux, and Vanessa's Husband are fun people! 

Some dear friends and trainees of Ballet Magnificat Brazil watch the companies perform and enjoy taking it all in.

• Last Tuesday I was given the wonderful privilege of sharing my testimony during morning chapel.

In the words of Paul: 
"When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

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• The choreographer Tara Thibodeaux Drew came back to town to finish what she started from last month.

Stealing a peak from the upstairs window, I snapped this photo during Tara's rehearsal with soloists Margot Truelson and Deborah Meis.

• Choreography is not the only thing brewing around the Ballet Magnificat studios. The following pictures feature the costume team working on their latest project.

• The first week of the second session finished with a company performance of "Light Has Come."

The companies are rehearsing one last time before their last performance of the summer #bmagsdi2017 #heavencomedown #rehearsals #pointe #ballet #professional #allforjesus #unity #lighthascome #ministry #worldwideballet #videooftheday

A post shared by Ballet Magnificat! (@balletmagnificat) on Jul 21, 2017 at 9:58am PDT

Transforming a ballet studio into a theater; we are excited to perform for the 2nd session students at our month long intensive #bmagsdi2017 #heavencomedown #dance #ballet #perform #summer #dancing #showtime #allforjesus #timelapse

A post shared by Ballet Magnificat! (@balletmagnificat) on Jul 22, 2017 at 3:04pm PDT

The days are loooong but the summer program is flying by fast! Stay tuned for more updates coming soon! SO much to write, SO little time! Feel free to follow me on my other social media platforms for more live real time updates, for when I don't have time to update here at The Occupied Optimist! Links are found on my about me page. I'd love feedback on any specifics you are interested in me writing about!  Please share any thoughts you may have in a comment down below. Gotta Run, but until next time, Blessings in Christ Jesus! 🌞 ______________________________________________

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