“Bloom is one of my favorite words,” studio owner Tina Cook said, reflecting on the 20-year journey of Turning Pointe Dance. “In nature, when we see a bloom on a plant or tree, it’s a sign that fruit is coming. It indicates a time of beauty and freshness. I also love the old adage of blooming where we are planted, to not wish we were somewhere else in our journey, but to be content with where God has us in those moments—to let the petals of our lives unfold as worship before Him.”
As the studio’s Bidecennial celebration grows closer to its finish line, and classes start to wrap up the steps for their final performance—as our students and families start to feel and see the first hints of spring, this month, we’re studying what it means to bloom, and praying through Isaiah 35:1-2…
“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.”
When a recital dance is finished, it feels like a preview of its grand finale. It brings about a sense of finality in what you’ve been working toward as you prepare to reach a final performance, under the lights, on the big stage. When a plant or a tree blooms, it’s a sign to us that fruit is on its way, and that the work done so far will pay off with a harvest. But a bloom is more than a promise. Each plant blossoms for a purpose, much like we, as Christians, were not saved from something, but for something even bigger. Some blooms produce pollen for the earth that helps other flowers grow. Others provide shade, food or habitats for the living things around them.
You see, a plant doesn’t bloom through its own power. When planted and cultivated properly, it can’t help it! It doesn’t bloom for its own sake, and neither should we. If we’re truly blooming from being deeply rooted in Him, and offering our petals as worship, it’s our purpose to share the fragrance of salvation here on earth, and to spread the vibrant hues of His light to those around us.
In 2012, having just grown into the Training Center, Turning Pointe began to bloom in its new space. And with that, began to share the beauty of God’s work to the surrounding community. The newly-formed companies and divisions took on service projects with Title III schools, worked volunteer shifts and collected donations for Care and Share Food Bank, and started performing for nursing homes in the area twice a year. Students went on the studio’s first mission trip, and boxes in the lobby began collecting donations for local shelters and resource centers. These initiatives are still alive, well, and growing today as we continue to live out our mission and connect our faith to action.
But with blooming also comes expansion, be it in the form of larger blossoms or fruit itself. For Turning Pointe Dance, that meant another season of relocation after another season of growth.
“I wanted to stay planted,” Cook said. “Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? In 2017 our lease would be up at the Briargate Blvd and Union space, and it was apparent I needed to look for another solution. The growth was not slowing down and we were just out of space. We had bloomed where we were planted, and now needed to be repotted in a larger vessel.”
But just as a plant can’t help but bloom, after the first decade of careful planting and cultivated dreams, in God’s perfect time, Turning Pointe blossomed through a process of details only He could orchestrate so smoothly.
“Trembling and afraid, we took a step and purchased the 15,000 square-foot building that is now our beautiful Turning Pointe home at Library Lane,” Cook said. “I knew that once again, with this repotting, that growth would happen again. But this time I had a lot more help in the endeavor. My prayer has always been and always will be that I want Turning Pointe to be a place where we praise His name with dance. So whether we are in a 15,000 square-foot building or a carpeted church classroom, the heart and mission remains—it’s all about Him.”
“There are days when I miss our small beginnings as a little seed or even a sprout, but then I look around at all of the beautiful blossoms and vibrant colors all around me in the people He has brought to this garden and I’m so thankful.”