There was no place God could not go. No chasm too deep where He could not reach down.
— “The Lady and the Lionheart”
After a difficult year for live performance, the arts are staging a comeback. Broadway shows are set to reopen, and 2021-22 season rehearsals are under way at dance companies nationwide. Turning Pointe successfully performed a series of in-person mini-show recitals last Spring, and STARZ Theater Company successfully brought both Mary Poppins and High School Musical Jr. to life this year. Now, with venue rentals fully approved for the upcoming fall and winter months, Fidele Youth Dance Company has embarked on their eighth season, preparing a stage adaptation of “The Lady and the Lionheart,” a Christian fiction novel written by Christy Award-winning author Joanne Bischof.
Since the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was reported nearly three months before last season’s Spring auditions, cancellations and altered plans have devastated virtually every arts institution in the country, with 64 percent of Colorado performing arts nonprofits reporting “severe financial impact” from the virus. For FYDC, that meant refunding tickets and raising the 2020 season curtain for only a limited number of family members after new restrictions were put in place by the health department just one day prior to production weekend. At the season’s conclusion, students, staff and families alike felt the impact of a grueling year.
“I kept going back to Matthew 11:28,” FYDC Director Mimi McKinnis said. “‘Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest.’ The funny thing is, I thought that reading would help me rest when I picked up ‘The Lady and the Lionheart.’ Obviously God knew what He was doing.”
The poignant passage of scripture turned out to play a significant role within the novel, and within FYDC’s future as the first divinely-written detail of a truly anointed season.
“There’s a part in the book when Charlie Lionheart leaves without a word to Ella,” McKinnis said. “She doesn’t know why, or what’s been said. She only knows what she sees. But God knows. He knows how their stories will progress through the steps He has laid out and how it will all work out for His glory in the end. If we hadn’t adapted to COVID by enhancing our online presence and filming our performance of Ruth and Esther, Joanne couldn’t have seen our heart and what we’re capable of as clearly. At the end of last season, we only knew what we saw, but God had written our next chapter, and His hand is in every word.”
And so, with the blessing of both Turning Pointe Owner Tina Cook and Bischof herself, “LionHeart” was born.
“As I read the book, I started taking notes,” McKinnis said. “Chapters became scenes, characters became roles, and music started playing in my head. By the time I was finished reading, all I had to do was start a playlist and type it all up officially.”
In the subsequent months, dates were set, costumes were designed, props and set pieces conceptualized and steps choreographed to create this year’s production, along with finalizing the additional elements also making their debut this season.
“We added the Student Directorial Team this year, which will allow members of Senior Company who were chosen for the team to put on their own director’s hats and create a digital piece that will open our streaming and live performances,” McKinnis said. “And along with online on-demand viewing, we’re also creating Watch Party resources like themed devotions and a make-at-home menu designed exclusively for FYDC based on meals made in the book. We’re hosting our first Mini Camp, we have digital sponsorship options, held three brand new fundraisers and even won East Coast Ballet’s ‘Word Dance’ prize, which was awarded by the daughter of the director of the company I danced with growing up. It’s already been a really special season.”
FYDC has also welcomed a handful of new guest faculty members this season, including Cook, Turning Pointe Training Division Director and aerial silks instructor Sara Murdaugh, improv troupe member and State of Colorado Thespian Society Overall Finalist Sarah Hirleman, Caroline Arthur, a former FYDC pointe soloist and member of Ingredients Dance Company/Dance Revolution, and Peter Zapalo, a Team USA Exercise Physiologist with five Olympic Games in Sports Science and Medicine to his name. Even Bischof herself made an appearance during the company’s annual Kickoff/Intensive Week, answering questions from students and praying with the cast via Zoom.
“We’ve assembled an incredible village in His name this season,” McKinnis said. “I’m so grateful for Joanne’s support and encouragement, and for our Captains, volunteers, performers, sponsors, and everyone else who is playing a part in bringing this beautiful story to life on the stage.”
Featured soloists and members of Senior Company will also lend their talents to the Company off the stage this season, teaching scripture and worship dance at FYDC’s first Mini Camp from 2-4 p.m. this Saturday. Registration is open now through TurningPointeSchoolofDance.com, and is available for students ages 3-9. In addition to learning from members of the cast, Mini Camp students will watch a sneak peek of “LionHeart,” enjoy a production-themed snack and craft project, and even perform their very own act for their family.
“The heart of FYDC has always been impacting our community for His Kingdom through the arts,” McKinnis said. “We’re excited to continue our mission this season by sharing the beautiful gospel message of this novel, partnering with Mary’s Home (a local organization committed to creating a safe haven for members of the Colorado Springs community escaping poverty and abuse), and by showing our youngest students how the gospel and the arts can intertwine for His glory at our Mini Camp. I can’t wait to see how the Lord will continue to work in us and through us.”
Follow FYDC on Facebook and Instagram (@fideleyouthdancecompany) for performance details and announcements, Mini Camp registration information and more behind-the-scenes looks at their 2021 season.