Quarantine Bingo- Oqpied Optimist Style!

Here is a little fun for your Wednesday! A happy, optimistic, crafter's version of Quarantine Bingo; for the dancers, and artists, and painters, scrapbookers, seamstresses, crocheters and knitters everywhere! I know I am able to get bingo in multiple directions with this chart and I hope you can too! What prize will you be giving yourself in reward for getting Bingo? I think I will give myself a nice spa day because after all, we are in quarantine (though hopefully not for much longer), so with all the time in the world that we have right now, why not! 😊

Stay Happy, Healthy, and Safe friends! 💗
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My Grocery Haul: Quarantine Edition

Hello out there! How are you surviving? I hope well! I have not left my apartment complex in two weeks because of the current pandemic, trying to take this quarantine business seriously. Call me crazy, but also call me healthy- at the beginning of the month I set a goal to try and not leave my apartment complex for the whole month! Well now we are halfway through April and it's safe to say, I've done a pretty good job so far! I am naturally an introvert and homebody so it hasn't been hard for me to find ways to fill my time. As far as groceries, well that is what I thought would be fun to talk about today!

Today I'm going to share with you the food that I purchased on my last grocery trip, keeping in mind that it would have to last me the whole month. I thought this would be a lighter, more fun post for you guys to take in! Maybe I am just geeking out (I am definitely "adulting out") but I always think it is fun to hear about other peoples' grocery habits and purchases. Since having to shop frugally and more wisely with Covid-19 putting me out of my jobs, my grocery shopping habits have changed quite a bit. I've had to choose to forgo purchasing the less important things that unsually are staples on my grocery list such as poptarts 😜 and other non-essentials (sorry, you're probably sick of that term). The following 5 lucky items made my list of "Essential Quarantine Must-Haves" (we're talking food people! Don't get me started on the whole toilet paper thing...) for their shelf life, versatility, and low costs!

One. 

Eggs. Don't you just love how eggs can be cooked so many different ways; Scrambled, poached, fried, boiled, etc! And they can be used to enhance so many other dishes, and used in baking too!

For the simple people (like me): The 14 Most Essential Ways to Cook an Egg

For the egg connoisseurs: 100 Ways to Crack an Egg

Two.

Lots of Chicken. For the same reason as the eggs, chicken made it on the list for its versatility and for being a cheap form of protein. I Opted to buy these frozen precooked and preseasoned bags of Tyson Chicken to help with my, dare I say LAZINESS, but more so busyness. They are just easy and convenient to cook. Hey, if I choose not to prioritize gourmet cooking, that's my choice! 😉 How do you like to cook your chicken?

Three.

Nature Valley Bars. I have just always loved these, they can be bought in bulk, and are a great cereal alternative, and you don't even need milk! They also can be deemed as versatile; when crumbled up they can serve as a granola and be added to other tasty treats like yogurt for example. I bought huge boxes of them on discount at the grocery bargain outlet so they also get points for being low cost.

Four.

Tortillas. I love these babies! And they have to be the "Mission" Tortillas. Those ones are the best! I could eat these round the clock, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and snack time too! They are often used by me to make all kinds of quesadillas, burritos, and sandwich wraps. I'll even eat them plain or make them into chips! Let me know if you'd like to know more about how I do that. It's so easy and delicious!

Five.

Lots of fruits and vegetables. Sure they won't have the longest shelf life, but my plan is to freeze some of them for making smoothies later! Often you'll find me drinking banana, avocado, spinach, and kale smoothies! Do you have any good smoothie recommendations?

Well that's all folks! Those are my top 5 grocery must-haves of the season. Mind you, OF COURSE I have other things stocked in my fridge and pantry! For example, Rice will forever be a staple on my shelves (talk about versitle and cheap), and I have all the other basics too: milk and bread and such- I also have a TON of black beans from when I bought them in bulk from BJ's Wholesale Club to make black bean avacado brownies for when Ballet Magnificat was supposed to come and visit but then never did. Does anyone have any idea on what else I can do with black beans?

The above list is just a short list of items I wanted to especially highlight from my last grocery trip. What would your list of "Quarantine Grocery Must-Haves" consist of? Think: if you were stranded on a desert island with prospects of staying alive, what foods would you want to have with you? I just think it would be so fun and interesting to hear everyone's responses so leave it in the comments down below! 

And Stay healthy, safe and blessed!

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“Glorify Dance Theater” Breaking Ground in PA

Since having just moved back to Pennsylvania, my home state, this past semester, I'm still learning what all the PA Christian arts community has to offer after having been gone for so long. To my surprise, I recently discovered there is a professional Christian ballet company here and not far from where I live, Glorify Dance Theatre (GDT) the resident ballet company of Glorify Performing Arts! The idea of using dance as a means to share the gospel and glorify God, which GDT does, has always been near and dear to my heart considering that's what I've spent the past seven years doing, but even now, having retired from that and being on the other side of things, I can say getting to watch and support other artists doing it is just as much of a joy! I don't believe anything quite like GDT, a young company established in 2018, ever existed before I left PA in 2008, so learning of their existence got me really excited and wanting to know more!
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The past couple of weeks I've had the pleasure of corresponding via email with Melody Stanert, The founder and director of Glorify Performing Arts and Glorify Dance Theater. I learned that it was on Easter eight years ago when God presented her with the idea to start the company! In her words:

 "On Easter of 2013, I was at home laying on the couch venting to God about how much He messed up my life plans.  I had intended to audition for a dance program in NYC but due to an ankle injury was stuck in a boot and on crutches so I couldn’t pursue my goal (this came a few months after finding out the MFA program I wanted to do was discontinued). As I paused to take a breath amidst my tirade, I had this vision pour into my head: Start a Christian performing arts company that has a professional ballet company, a professional theatre, and an education department.  Each area of the company would use their art to help strengthen Christians’ faith and it could ultimately be a non-threatening environment to bring nonbelievers to a show that would expose them to the deeper layers of Christianity.  Imagine it kind of like a Lincoln Center, but for Jesus.  This idea had nothing to do with my plan to become a dancer on Broadway, but I felt it take root so deeply in my heart that I started to figure out what needed to happen to bring Glorify Performing Arts (GPA) to life." 

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If you are interested in learning more about GDT, it's backstory, job opportunities, and how it works, then stick around! Melody so kindly accepted my request to interview her, which is what I will be sharing with you today! And how fitting to be sharing it with you on a Tuesday, the day I usually allot for sharing testimonies. Glorify Dance Theater is definitely a testimony to God's providence, how He can glorify himself even in small beginnings, and how He can use something as unconventional as the arts to do it!

PC: Revelations Video

The  Interview

Lillian: Tell us a little about yourself!
Melody: My name is Melody Stanert and I’m from West Chester, PA. I’m the founder and Artistic Director for Glorify Performing Arts and the choreographer for our resident ballet company, Glorify Dance Theatre. I am an energetic, friendly, and empathetic individual who loves telling stories. I went to Palm Beach Atlantic University to get my BA in Dance, but I missed the seasons, so I happily came back from FL upon graduating. I go to NYC any and every chance I get, and if I’m not there, you can find me down the Jersey shore enjoying the sun and sand.


Lillian: Can you share a little with us on what your history with dance looked like along with your faith journey and how they may have converged, leading to the establishment of your company?
Melody: I fell in love with ballet when I started taking class with Edmond Novak and Irina Kovalska who had danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in their youth, and then started teaching in the suburbs of Philly.  As a young dancer, Mr. Novak instilled in me a love for telling stories and expressing emotions through ballet.  I loved the pas de chat filled kitty-cat dance, and the sailor dance where I got to push a broom around the stage, and the tarantella inspired tambourine dance was my absolute favorite.  But dance had nothing to do with Jesus until friends of mine introduced me to a dance ministry they joined at The Church of the Good Samaritan.  I started taking their class, and suddenly, there was a whole new life to my movement.  I remember dancing in church one Palm Sunday to a very 90s “hosanna” song; I had streamers on my wrists and could have tripped over my long white skirt, but as I was jumping and waving my arms, I felt like I was praising God in a way that was more filling than I’d ever experienced.  (Note: before I start sounding too spiritual, I’ll freely admit I loved the fact that people were watching me perform and I hoped they wished they were as amazing as I was… Pride is definitely something I had to work on :)  I continued dancing at church and secular dance studios, and ended up going to college for dance, where my ballet teacher, Ms. Eileen, instilled in me a new passion for excellence.  She was one of the most demanding teachers I’d ever had.  One class she literally stopped the pianist during our second demi-plie because we weren’t putting enough heart into the movement.  She talked about how God had gifted us as dancers, and it was our responsibility to use our gift to the utmost as a way to honor Him.  I’ve had the blessing of growing up in a Christian home and had parents who always supported my love of the arts and when I told them about the idea God gave me to start GPA, they were ready to do what they could to help.  It has been a humbling journey because things rarely go as expected; I’ve been learning to rely on God more than I ever thought possible, and while He often doesn’t do things the way I want, my faith is being transformed to utterly rely on Him through the process.


Lillian: I love that! Tell us, what is the mission and/or vision of Glorify Performing Arts?
Melody: The mission of Glorify Performing Arts is to present compelling, professional productions to encourage and empower Christians in their walk of faith, inspiring them to step forward boldly to impact the world.


Lillian: How does the faith that you and your dancers have shape the company's choreography, productions, and performances?
Melody: Our dancers come from a variety of denominational backgrounds and may have differing viewpoints on theological issues, but one thing is across the board: faith in Christ is the bedrock of what we do.  This past fall we did a production called “Alive In Us” which used contemporary ballet to explore each fruit of the Spirit.  For example, I thought about the fruit of Peace, and when we have the Peace of Christ in our hearts, how does that impact our daily life, and how does that translate to movement?  As the dancers performed, the audience was visibly moved by the production, and many people left saying they had a new picture of the way the Holy Spirit works through us.  This spring, our show is less obviously “Christian” but it takes the Biblical concept that our identity is found in Christ and nothing else and translates that into a fun story set in the 1950’s where a girl is told her clothes aren’t good enough, and a model is replaced by another model which puts her career in jeopardy.  The goal is that the ballet helps the audience to see that when we’re in situations where the things we value are out of our control, God is the only solid rock in which we should place our hope.

Lillian: What kind of dancers do you look for to join GDT?
Melody: I’m looking for classically trained ballet dancers who are great at acting/emoting and comfortable dancing contemporary repertoire - and love Jesus, of course! 


 Lillian: Tell us about the GDT performances! What are your venues like and who would you say would be the ideal audience for GDT to perform for?
Melody: We’re only a year and a half old, so we’re still developing our performance opportunities, but within the next season or two, we’ll do a small, more abstract performance in the fall, and either perform using space at a local church or rent a small theatre. At Christmas and in the spring we’ll do full-length ballets that tell a story and for that we rent local high school/college auditoriums.  Also in the spring, we hold a fundraising Gala that has a small performance component to the evening.  Throughout the year I want to go to nursing homes and school chapels to share God’s truth with the people there.  The content of the show tends to change who our audience base is, but generally, we’re reaching families with pre-teen kids, 20/30 somethings, and older adults. 

   Lillian: What can audience members expect to experience attending one of GDT's shows?
Melody: Audience members can expect to be drawn away from life outside the theatre and whisked into the movements/story on the stage.  Our hope is that they sense God’s love for them and truth of His grace through our performance; that they aren’t just watching a show, but are experiencing a moment in time wherein their soul is moved and they leave feeling empowered to share the beauty of Christ with their friends/family.


Lillian: What is your favorite thing as Director/Choreographer of GDT, and then maybe a not so favorite thing?
Melody: My favorite thing as a choreographer is the moment when a movement phrase I have in my head is translated onto the stage and it works!  It is so fulfilling to watch dances that were once just a fragment of my imagination become reality.  I also love getting dressed up for opening night.  My not so favorite thing is just about everything business related.  Trying to keep track of business expenses, and put together budgets, and talk to potential sponsors is so stressful.  Somehow it’s no problem to organize all the music/choreography for a ballet, but to be organized about everything else does not come naturally for me.

PC: Revelations Video

  
Lillian: Do you have any secret talents, or maybe a hobby unrelated to dance?
Melody: I LOVE musical theatre! Not quite unrelated to dance. I also randomly talk in foreign accents all the time.


Lillian: Do you have any favorite bible verses?
Melody: I occasionally find myself battling anxiety so I’ve found a lot of comfort in:

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God...”
Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 
 John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Lillian: What advice would you give to young dancers dreaming of dancing professionally?
Melody: Be realistic but don’t limit God!  I wanted to be a Disney Princess at one point, but at 5’9”, no amount of “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” was going to make me short enough to qualify.  God designs each of us uniquely, so hold fast to the fact that YOU are special in His eyes and pursuing your dream of dancing professionally is completely worth it; just remember your journey is unique to you, so keep your eyes fixed on Christ, and let your soul shine even in simple barre exercises like tendus!

PC: Juliana Wall Photography.

Lillian: I've steered this interview thus far. Before wrapping this up, is there anything else you would like to share? Any last words you would like to leave with us?
Melody: We at Glorify Performing Arts / Glorify Dance Theatre believe art plays a powerful role in helping us to understand our world and the God who created it.  Many people are needed to bring our vision to life, so if you’d like to get involved in any way (not just as a dancer :) please reach out!
Click HERE to get involved!

Click the following link for more Audition Info!

Well that's all folks!

I hope you enjoyed this post! I know it was a fun one for me to put together!

Let me know what you thought about this kind of post and if 
you'd be interested in hearing from other artistic directors!

Have a Blessed day in the Lord!

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   Have You Read...  

My Ballet Class Lesson Plan

Ballet students and teachers, this one is for you! I remember when I first started teaching dance, It was so helpful for me to look at WHAT other ballet teachers planned and HOW they planned for their classes. "Back in the day" it was hard to find resources online that would help give me a frame of reference for teaching dance. I would love for my blog to be one of those resources ballet teachers can visit for help.

Let's start discussion. If you also are a dance teacher, share with us in the comments below what your routine is for preparing to teach class. How do you like to go about your lesson planning? It always helps me to write down my ballet class combinations. Today I'm going to share with you what my notations typically looks like! Below you will see some intermediate/advanced level ballet barre combinations I have prepared, suitable to be conducted at the studio or even at home. Let me know if you can decipher my chicken scratch! I've included a key below to help you interperet my abbreviations and code. I hope you will find this interesting, even if you are not a dance teacher!

Key:

•  Bal. - a releve balance

• ft. - front

• bk. - back

• FB - face barre

• R - right

•  L - left

•  F,S,B / F,S,B,S - en trios / en Croix

•  o, i - outside, inside

• GB - Grand Battements

• Ronds - round de jambes

I hope you like my "piggy" paper! 

Thanks for stopping by!

I have had a lot more free time on my hands lately and am enjoying getting the chance to update my blog more! Let me know what other kinds of topics 

you would be interested in me posting about!

I'm trying to keep things fresh, real, and relevant here. 😉

Until next time, be blessed!

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“How the Virus Stole Easter” A Poem by Kristi Bothur

I couldn't have said it any better than the way Miami City Ballet's Artistic Director said it: 

"In times of massive upheaval, of insecurity, of darkness, and of the unknown, artists and art will rise up to show what courage looks like and what resilience can do. This is what artists do, they lift people up to bring them closer to humanity, they lift people up to bring them closer to grace."  ~Lourdes Lopez 

Of course, I'm partial to the art of ballet, but that quote goes for any medium of art and I feel like now more than ever, it is poetry that is ministering to my soul the most in this season. Creators and artists everywhere are rising to the occasion to deliver hope to people with their talents and giftings. Lately, I keep stumbling upon emotion-evoking poems I can't help but not keep to myself, so dear readers, I hope you are not growing weary from all my poetry posts. Here's another one coming to ya today! I hope you love it as much as I do! Surely this one will make you smile. Let me know in the comments down below what you think about this awesome piece and how you feel about poetry in general! Enjoy!

How The Virus Stole Easter 

by Kristi Bothur With a nod to Dr. Seuss 😊 (To be read in the rhythm of the "Grinch")  

Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began,
Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land.

People were sick, hospitals full,
Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school.

As winter gave way to the promise of spring,
The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.

People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen.
They YouTubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.

April approached and churches were closed.
“There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed.

“There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out.
No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.”

Holy Week started, as bleak as the rest.
The world was focused on masks and on tests.

“Easter can’t happen this year,” it proclaimed.
“Online and at home, it just won’t be the same.”

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the days came and went.
The virus pressed on; it just would not relent.

The world woke Sunday and nothing had changed.
The virus still menaced, the people, estranged.

“Poo poo to the saints,” the world was grumbling.
“They’re finding out now that no Easter is coming.

“They’re just waking up! We know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
And then all the saints will all cry boo-hoo.

“That noise,” said the world, “will be something to hear.”
So it paused and the world put a hand to its ear.

And it did hear a sound coming through all the skies.
It started down low, then it started to rise.

But the sound wasn’t depressed.
Why, this sound was triumphant!
It couldn’t be so!
But it grew with abundance!

The world stared around, popping its eyes.
Then it shook! What it saw was a shocking surprise!

Every saint in every nation, the tall and the small,
Was celebrating Jesus in spite of it all!

It hadn’t stopped Easter from coming! It came!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the world with its life quite stuck in quarantine
Stood puzzling and puzzling.
“Just how can it be?”

“It came without bonnets, it came without bunnies,
It came without egg hunts, cantatas, or money.”

Then the world thought of something it hadn’t before.
“Maybe Easter,” it thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

The churches are empty - but so is the tomb,
And Jesus is victor over death, doom, and gloom.

So this year at Easter, let this be our prayer,
As the virus still rages all around, everywhere.

May the world see hope when it looks at God’s people.
May the world see the church is not a building or steeple.
May the world find Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection,
May the world find Joy in a time of dejection.
May 2020 be known as the year of survival,
But not only that -
Let it start a revival.

Wasn't that fun? To check out more really amazing poems  just hit the "poetry" tag below or on the right-hand-side column under "tags" Thanks for stopping by!

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-  "The Gods of Men Are Falling" ~ by Roda Griffin

- "Cycles" ~ by Unknown 

- "God's Hall of Fame" ~ by Walt Huntley

The Gods of Men Are Falling

 "Christians can't be frightened with 'Heaven'," my old roommate encouraged me with during our discussion after church this morning. Also, to further enhance your daily dose of eternal perspective brought to you by The Occupied Optimist, below is a poem my pastor shared in our church service this morning. I hope it speaks to your heart as it has spoken to mine.

The Gods of Men Are Falling 

by Roda Griffin  (March 21, 2020)  

The gods of men are falling
They’re crashing to the ground
And with the endless tumbling
Men’s lives and dreams are drowned

The gods of men are falling
The house is coming down
We stagger with the pressure
And silence is our sound

The gods of men are falling
The god of health goes first
We’ve worshipped at this altar
Where many find their worth

One touch of blackened illness
Has brought us to our knees
No one is exempted
Indiscriminate disease

The gods of men are falling
The god of sports is gone
Entertainment’s vanished
Pop culture’s lost its song

Hollywood is emptied out
Each resident has fled
The god of movies cannot save
We plead to God instead

The gods of men are falling
The god of leisure’s next
Cruising ships sit vacant
The travel world is vexed

Planes sit grounded from the air
Dream holidays are dashed
We cry over our losses
It happened all so fast

The gods of men are falling
The god of wealth stripped whole
The stocks, they spiral downward
It’s way out of control

Our lover, wealth, abandons
He’s taken wings of flight
Grinding business to a halt
It’s happened overnight

The gods of men are falling
We worshipped them with heart
We gave our souls to their embrace
We served them all in part

We placed our hopes upon them
Entrusted them our soul
We set them up as idols
We followers untold

But...

These gods of men are falling
Empty at their core
Within a day they make their grave
Destroy us by the score

We looked to them for mercy
The love our hearts longed for
But they could never save us
False idols, as they are

And now we see the fallout
Of trusting emptiness
These gods would never save us
They’re lacking every strength

The gods of men are falling
They fall before I AM
The only true, eternal God
Who was, and is to come

They bow before His greatness
Who makes the sun to rise
The One who made the earth and seas
The One who rules the skies

They bow the knee before Him
On their faces fall before
The One who with a Word commands
The One who rules it all

The gods of men are falling
We’ve peeled their layers back
Seen them for what they really are
And all the power they lack

The true God, He is standing
Where the gods of men fall flat
He has been our Saviour
And He is coming back

When all has crashed around us
The house of cards is gone
God will still be for us
God and God alone

This world is just a passage
A temporary home
One day we’ll live in heaven
And worship at God’s throne

No sin disease may enter
No contaminant allowed
No, nothing that’s destructive
Will be part of that crowd

So take heart, dear believer
And when you look around
Don’t be fearful when you see
gods falling to the ground

They were never meant to save you
Or be worshipped or be served
By a child of God like you and me
As though heaven’s here on earth

You’re a child of the Mighty One
Who still sits on the throne
And while the world unravels
You won’t ever be alone

Our great and Sovereign God
Who never slumbers, never sleeps
He it is Who stands beside you
He it is Who your soul keeps

So let the gods take tumble
To reveal the Lord our God
Who is great in all His power
Who is Faithful to His Word

Who is loving, kind, compassionate
The Saviour of our soul
Who surpasses any idol
Who amounts to more than gold

Our everlasting Father
Prince of Peace, the Mighty God
Wonderful our Counsellor
Who is the Word of God

He will never, never crumble
He will never, never fall
Our past, present, and future
He is God over it all!

...And with that my heart cries, "Maranatha!"
Thanks for stopping by today!
Stay Healthy and Safe
and God Bless!

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