It was Heidi’s birthday this past weekend. Heidi and I have had a long tradition that instead of buying gifts for these occasions, we go on a dates together (including a special dinner) and spend our money on an experience that has lasting memories.

For whatever reason, I was having a tougher time trying to figure out where and what to do for her birthday this year.

I looked at what was playing at the movies but I didn’t have a clear sense to go that direction.
I looked at live theatre and nothing stood out.
I checked what shows were live in Vancouver, but still, there was nothing that caught my attention.

I did notice that the ballet was in town, but I didn’t think too much of it. My selfish concern of “sitting through” a ballet was creeping into my decision making process (I know – it was Heidi’s birthday not mine).

Reluctantly, I took the plunge and ordered the tickets online. The deal breaker was the fact that the ballet was choreographed to the music of Sarah McLaughlin, a Canadian singer, song-writer who I have always enjoyed and appreciated.

What we experienced was hard to describe – it was like we were transcended to a different place for a couple hours. For me (and for Heidi), I love watching and experiencing a story. Watching a movie or a good television program, can be entertaining; seeing live theatre can be even more entertaining; adding live music to this experience – like a Broadway show, brings this entertainment to yet another level; but adding the choreographed movements of human bodies as they move in beautiful unison and harmony, connects with the soul as much as anything.  The symphony of human movement has such a powerful message. I was reminded that our bodies are temples of the Lord!

I would have never labelled myself as one who loves ballet…and, like most men (men who desire to be viewed as really masculine), I will not necessarily point out how the ballet impacts me. However, I do think that the ballet can teach us wonderful things about ourselves and about the human condition. Our lives are filled with settings that find us out of synch and we desire to find a partner or a group of people to dance with. Our lives can be awkward and at times really not moving smoothly, and yet God places people in our lives to dance with us to help us in the awkwardness and the bumpiness. Sometimes our lives are filled with emptiness, and we need others to dance with us and help us become more whole.