Liberty University introduced a new dance major for the fall semester under the School of Communication and the Arts.
“We’re training champions for Christ, within the understanding that dance is a gift given by the Lord, and we’re using that to praise and worship him,” said Aubri Siebert, associate professor and program director of dance.
This new program will allow students to explore the many careers in dance, specifically through a Christian lens. In 2020, interest from students and faculty led the university to create a dance minor.
“We saw how many of our students were saying that they wanted to continue to train in dance and were really searching for a way to be trained in dance and taught to be strong in their identity as children of God,” Siebert said.
Students like sophomore Emily Rafano were especially happy for the opportunity to study dance at Liberty.
“Studying dance at a Christian university was of utmost importance to me because much of the dance world can be very secular,” Rafano said. “However, the Liberty dance program teaches students to use the gift of dance to glorify the Creator rather than ourselves.”
Even though the idea of a dance major had strong support, the team also faced some challenges. One of the challenges was figuring out how to teach students to put Christ first and dance second.
“Their identity is in Christ, and the art is something that they can just thank the Lord for because he gave that to them,” said Siebert. “We have to teach them to worship and praise him through that.”
Because dance seems ungodly to many in the Christian community, some hesitate at the idea of having a major dedicated to dance.
“I think it comes down to the fact that we’ve seen dance used in ways that do not honor the Lord,” said Siebert. “When we see art forms do that enough, there can be ideas that we should run from it.”
To combat this, the dance program staff wants to encourage students to pursue their craft in a way that honors the Lord, as Psalm 149:3 says, “Let them praise his name with dancing.”
Liberty dancers are encouraged to use their talent to spread the light of the gospel.
“We have the artistry to sit at the table and to talk to different artists and explain what it looks like to utilize dance for the Lord,” Siebert said.
The new dance major students will be performing in a concert in January titled “Inquiries in Motion.” The concert will feature eight new pieces, choreographed by both Liberty staff and guest choreographers Greta Sugai and Cynthia Newland, who have worked internationally.
“As choreographers, we start to ask questions and find ways to present either things that we find interesting or maybe use a quote that inspires us,” said Siebert. “It’s an act of research and discovery as we create new movement.”
Students have already seen growth both in their talents and in their relationship with the Lord.
“My experience with the dance major has been nothing but incredible,” freshman Addison Deskins said. “I already have opportunities for new experiences, and we have already begun to study enhanced techniques and skills. I cannot wait to expand my repertoire of knowledge and experience.”
Twitchell is a feature editor for The Liberty Champion.