As best I can remember, my first work of choreography for an audience was for a 4th grade group project in P.E. (physical education) at my public elementary school. I vaguely remember the group of girls meeting at my house to put together an aerobics routine. How we landed on using Amy Grant’s “Sing Your Praise to the Lord” as the music is hazy, but I remember rewinding the tape over and over to the exact cue and our very artistic and dramatic start.
The next year, my solo dance to The 5th Dimension’s “People Everywhere Just Want to Be Free” meant so much to my history teacher that she had me perform it three times, including once for posterity via the cutting edge video yearbook being produced by a student team.
At the time, none of those moments seemed particularly significant. In fact, to some they may seem wholly unrelated to worship. In hindsight, however, they were the first opportunities I had to exercise leadership, certain creative skills, and express my faith - all before I had a chance to feel insecure about them. I share these memories with you as a reminder to all of us that there is no prescribed age, no prescribed context where one can begin to discover their giftings or offer them as worship.
Learning to use our artistic talents in the art of worship starts somewhere, but it is just a beginning. The rest of our lives this side of eternity is the middle. Here we continually discover, develop, fine-tune, and reach for excellence. We keep reaching because we worship the good, faithful, true God who is worthy of more than our finite selves can offer. And, in his goodness and kindness, He dearly loves the work we offer within our limitations.
For me, this beautiful middle has been marked by community. Perhaps, the same could be said for you. Perhaps you hope it will be. Call them your partners, team, family, or group chat. Regardless of the name, you need community to keep going. Consider who might play the following parts in your growth from the beginning through this beautiful, messy middle of becoming an artist and a worshiper.
Professors
Over the years, I have realized there are people from whom I learn a lot. The list is full of speakers, authors, musicians, artists, podcast hosts, as well as people I know personally. They share information and help me think and feel and do in new ways. These people have become my teachers, and most of them do not even know it. Though there is no formal education program that I applied to or degree I received, I have been their student.
I like to call some of these individuals my “Personal Professors.” Not everyone voice gets this title. It is one earned over time. Some hold the position longer than others. None should be on a pedestal.
Who are your Personal Professors? Think about how giving someone this title makes you want to learn more from someone. Maybe a title helps you discern or even decide a voice should have less influence on you. Perhaps, it helps you identify what you want to learn. You may need a professor who is an expert in the same craft you are developing. You could look for someone who is a just ahead of you and on a similar journey. Remember you also need teachers who are outside your field that inspire you or broaden the scope of your knowledge and understanding.
Peers
During my high school years, I was either at school, church, or the ballet studio. So many of my waking hours were spent with my fellow dance students. We were close as friends and confidants; some were even like family. Time together and close bonds made us not only better dancers but better collaborators. Ideas formed in those in between spaces and you could catch us choreographing for ourselves in our free time. I now feel that camaraderie with fellow teachers, especially as we work toward common goals.
You may have known a similar spirit of collaboration as part of an ensemble or orchestra. Writers and painters, whose work can require more time alone, produce beautiful things when they are spending time in community with others. Artists like the renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma collaborate with others across mediums and around the world. Communities like the residents of Montmartre in Paris in the late 1800s inspired influential work we recognize and study even now.
Who are your peers? Do you encourage, inspire, and collaborate with one another?
Pupils
Depending on your stage of life and learning, you may also find yourself in a position of teaching, mentoring, or formal leadership. Having personal professors and collaborative peers will prepare you to pass on your process and craft or your insights and understanding to others you encounter. As any experienced teacher or leader will tell you, teaching and leading is often the context in which we learn the most. And, I believe lifelong learning is key to offering our best to worthy Creator.
Do you have opportunities to shepherd others? How are you investing in others who will carry on skills and work and continue the inherited joy of co-creating for the glory of God?
It is a beautiful thing that a scientist can teach a musician and a dancer can inspire a potter and a painter can model the creative process for a poet, but we must be thoughtful and prayerfully discerning about our influences. The Holy Spirit is our most precious partner in all we do. Listen to the Spirit’s voice first and always. The gift that God gave in establishing the Church for His glory keeps giving gifts to us, so we may offer them in return to the ultimate Teacher, the ultimate Partner. May it be through Him and for Him that we add beauty together in this messy middle until we all get to worship Him in perfect collaboration for the forever end!
Join us at Animate 2025 to cultivate your artistic gifts and deepen your understanding of worship in community. Registration is now open! Choose an artistic track that inspires you and participate in a variety of toolbox classes, including dance-focused sessions taught by Amy Dobelstein, the author of this post.
Amy Dobelstein grew up balancing rigorous academic study with hours of ballet and regular involvement in the local church. As an adult, not much has changed. She works as a research professional in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine. She also teaches ballet at Briarwood Ballet, a ministry of Briarwood Presbyterian Church. And, she remains involved in her local church, spending time with young professionals. Amy finds the variety in her interests and environments strengthen her teaching style and inspire creativity. Her primary aim in the arts —whether teaching, choreographing, or leading — is to provide a safe and healthy context for dancers to seek God, his glory, and to develop as disciples of Jesus.
Keep exploring Animate with these must-read posts!
For further reflections on Animate, check out:
Answering the Call: Young Leaders at the Heart of God’s Mission
Animate: A Reflection of the Church as One Body in Christ
Coming Home to Diverse Worship Practices – A Fuller Picture of the Glory of God
