Fidèle Youth Dance Company presents “Out of Egypt,” an original production based on the book of Exodus, Saturday, November 16 at 2 and 6 p.m., and Sunday, November 17, at 2 p.m. at Mitchell High School. Tickets are available at the door, or in advance at www.TutuTix.com/TurningPointeSchoolofDance.
Creating “Out of Egypt”
As told by Fidèle Youth Dance Company Creative Director Bree Mielke
And the Lord said: I have seen the oppression of My people in Egypt, and have heard their cry... and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
— Exodus 3:7-8
"As far back as I can remember, my favorite Biblical characters have always been Joseph, Moses, and Daniel. I read their stories repeatedly, and I still love to hunt down archeological articles, radio dramas, sermons, documentaries, novels, anything even remotely related to them. I’m captivated by the way each of these men -two of them at very young ages learned to be courageous by trusting the Lord completely, and were used in powerful ways because they were faithfully looking to Him.
During most of my childhood, I was fascinated with all things Egyptian history, since Moses and Joseph lived out much of their stories in ancient Egypt. I even started trying to learn to read and write hieroglyphics, though I never got terribly far with that.
I was also already in love with dance. My mom describes our home decor style from those years as something like Wide Open Space For Dancing-Classic. We had a giant CD and record collection, and one record had a stage musical-style take on the story of Joseph; so I spent hours and hours dancing to and dramatically miming my favorite songs from that one on repeat in the living room. (Of course usually dressed in fabulous blanket-and-fabric toga gowns I’d created.)
Then when I was about 6 years old, I saw my first in-theater movie. I was instantly captivated by Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt, playing out in one of my favorite settings, about one of my favorite people. And I couldn’t quite grasp what moved me so deeply about that beautiful scene when God speaks to Moses from the Burning Bush.
Not only is the story of Moses very well told, especially coming from secular filmmakers (and amazingly without trying to downplay or explain away the hand of God in the story!), but Hans Zimmer’s incredible score completely captured my little dancer heart.
Once I got the soundtrack, The Prince of Egypt and that Joseph record were turned on to dance to constantly, for hours on end through the next years. Sometimes I’d choreograph a little of what was in my head for The Burning Bush; things that reminded me of the golden angelic creatures the Lord later told Moses to craft on the top of the Arc of the Covenant.
Most often I’d dramatically choreograph “Deliver Us,” complete with props and costumes and fabric, cast my dancer friends in parts, then invite them over and try to get my grand imagination to come out in a full performance on my parents’ wide-open bedroom floor. Unfortunately my friends were never as enthusiastic about it as I was, but getting dressed up in my colorful layered fabric-togas was still fun, even if we didn’t get far in the planned performance. And I’d try it again another time. Once my little brother was old enough to join in, I made him a pleated reversible tunic out of an oversized t-shirt, complete with detachable accessories, so he could be little Aaron and then switch to little Moses. (I’m pretty sure I also put him in a laundry basket as baby Moses several times when he was smaller.) He was happy to join in, and my sister was always game and loved dancing as little Miriam.
Over the years, I wondered occasionally how I could put the full story of the Exodus on stage. I saw one smaller dance company do a show based on The Prince of Egypt once, but nothing that captured what I was picturing. I still loosely choreographed and thought through scenes in my head, but there it stayed.
Last fall we were talking through ideas for Fidèle’s 2019 season, and I felt prompted to suggest this long-dormant idea, just in case. When Mimi and Tina were all for it, I was definitely surprised. And a little stunned. It felt like it was the right time, but I suddenly wasn’t sure I was ready to pull this massive project together.
Around December I dove in headfirst. Sifting through notes and ideas, finding and arranging and cutting music, thinking through sets and costumes, bouncing ideas off my wonderful siblings and my best friend Darcie, writing the scene-by-scene script notes, choreographing (more than half in collaboration with Mimi and with Moriah Swank — I’d work with you guys on anything!), building the Burning Bush (thanks for “Bushing” with me, Mimi!), sewing some of the costumes, etc. etc... Fleshing out a dream I hadn’t really seen coming.
So many people supported me in so many ways as I’ve invested hundreds and hundreds of hours in what has been truly a labor of love. I know I can’t thank them enough!
Seeing this show come together has been a surreal experience. At every step, there has absolutely been no way I could take credit for anything coming about as well as it has; God’s hand has been everywhere, and any concerns I’ve had have been met with solutions I couldn’t have dreamed up or forced to happen in a million years.
There were still moments when my heart would fall, feeling totally unsure whether any of this made sense or would work outside my own head. But those times were most quickly washed away by hearing people excitedly anticipating the story, and by these phenomenal dancers (and actors!) taking my little dream deeper and farther with their skill and passion than I could’ve hoped.
We hope you are engaged and encouraged by our take on a portion of this enormously epic part of history. I hope you come away with a bigger picture of the power, tenderness, and patience of God, and knowing that He is not distant."
"We must tell stories the way God does, stories in which a sister must float her little brother on a river with nothing but a basket between him and the crocodiles. Stories in which a king is a coward, and a shepherd boy steps forward to face the giant. ...Stories with fiery serpents and leviathans and sermons in whirlwinds.… Stories with dens of lions and fiery furnaces… Stories with courage and crosses and redemption. Stories with resurrections."
— N.D. Wilson
