The Full Story
About Us
We are a non-profit dance company birthed out of the desire of two dancers who found the professional world of dance to not be their calling, but who still longed to use the art they had loved their whole lives and the skills they put countless years into honing. We had a problem to solve, if there was no place for us to go, why not make one. A place for this remnant of dancers to have a space to pour out what they have harbored inside. The idea was born. But that wasn’t all, there was a bigger purpose for this. Why were we to do all of this? Not merely to scratch the itch of dance, no that’s not it at all. What was our “why”. And just like that Ekklesia was spoken into existence. An interesting word for sure, “what does it mean?” I’m so glad you were thinking that! Ekklesia is the Church, not just a church building but the Acts 2 Church, the body of Christ, the called out ones! What a name! Remember that part in the bible where Jesus says in Matthew 16:18 “... on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it”. That is who we are. We are part of the Church, part of the body of believers, using the gifts, talents, skills, and opportunities that God has given them to pour out unto Him as an offering. Simultaneously using these things as tools to spread the good news that is the gospel of Jesus Christ, in whatever way he calls us to do it. Right now that looks like sharing the Love of God through the art of dance and using dance as a conduit to provide needs for his beloved children. To love God first and then to love his people by meeting physical needs that they might have. We look forward to one, giving to those who might be right next door, but also those who are across the world. We are all God's children and we get to love because He first loved us.
Mission
Our mission as a dance company comes down to what Jesus said was the greatest commandment “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. We long to do just that. We love God by giving Him our everything, our “yes” to His call, to make Him First in our lives, to pour ourselves out unto Him. From this place of being emptied before Him, a willing vessel, we long to be used by Him, and Him moving through us to love others. How we long to do that through Ekklesia is in two major ways, both of equal value. The first is the ministry of dance itself, to worship before God in the presence of others to encourage and uplift, creating an atmosphere where Holy Spirit can have His way and move on the people in a way that only He knows they need, to touch their heart and change their lives. If we only put on a show what was it all for? We long to make a holy space for him to move, as Moses and the Israelites built in the desert, and David and Solomon built in the city. The second way is through meeting physical needs with the provision the Lord provides and blesses us with through projects and other avenues . A large percentage of all of our proceeds will go directly to providing for the needs of others. We will be working with established organizations here in the states as well as in foreign countries, to sow into what they are already doing for the kingdom. We also desire to provide for the direct needs of the people in our community such as but not limited to sowing into an adoption, support of a foster family in need, funding missionaries, and local projects we feel that this Lord is calling us to support. And how will we accomplish all of this? You! Whether you donate to us directly, come to one of our shows, host Ekklesia at your local church or event, or share the message and news of what we are doing, you are taking part in expanding the Kingdom of God. Not only do we desire to be able to give to these different things ourself, but also encourage the people who we connect with to in turn do their part to connect with these organizations themselves helping support them directly. Creating a space for us to lift up and exhort each other and to bear one another’s burdens. This is the mission.
The Heart
As you have heard above a few times the greatest assignment of the church, the Body of Christ, is to love and this comes from Matthew 22:37-39. This gives us the foundations for everything we are to do, first love God with absolutely all of us, every area of ourselves our whole lives. From knowing Him and His love we can then love others with not just our incomplete cheap love, but His love, a costly love, the kind of love lays its life down for one another. From this position we can go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons (Matthew 10:8), bring good news to poor, bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1). But if not done in love then it is of no true value, if I have not love I am nothing, and it profits me nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) for all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We are nothing apart from Him and have nothing to offer on our own accord apart from His love. Him First then others. Poured out to Him as a drink offering, our whole selves, all of us, every last drop like an empty, eager, and willing vessel for Him to fill so that we can be poured back out onto His body, the Body of Christ. Everything we are, emptied out before the king of kings, unto the holy lamb of God and his body, out of utter gratitude to our savior. May we always be of willing and useful service to our God. It is only when we get to a place of understanding who we are in Christ and the access we have to Him that we understand our true authority in Him, on whom and what we stand. We stand on every word that proceeded and proceeds out of the mouth of God, every promise, every proclamation, every instruction and every commission, sealed and signed with the blood of Christ Jesus. When we know who’s we are, we can stand in faith that we will see mountains move, strongholds break, and prison doors be flung open wide. When we stand in the fulfilment of Jesus Christ the son of the living God who was crucified, raised again and is now seated on the right hand of God, then we know that we have whatever we proclaim in accordance with the word of God (Mark 11:23). Let us move, stand, walk, run and dance in faith that by the authority given to us, we will see every promise of God fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven.
More Information
We are a project based company. What this means is, we do not work on a fixed yearly schedule like a normal dance company, rather we work by projects. This allows us to work with the different lifestyles of our dancers and the fluidity of projects. Becoming more flexible with our projects allows us to create new projects in a shorter amount of time for different occasions. Such as fundraisers, churches, events, and our own showcases. Each project will range roughly 6-10 weeks depending on the size and magnitude of the project being developed. Dancers will commit to 1-2 days of rehearsals prior to the showcase, on top of committing to working on their technique and conditioning in their own time.
This company is fit for dancers with pre-professional and professional level of technique, specializing in ballet and contemporary styles. Although our desire is to not always stick with these styles and to eventually branch out into other styles of dance.
Although excellence and technique is something we desire and work towards, the heart posture of each individual, and their walk with the Lord is most important to us. This is the first and foremost top priority that we take into consideration when we look at any dancer looking to join Ekklesia . We are looking for dancers who have the same heartbeat as Ekklesia. Who are equipped and ready to step into an active role in the mission field. This encompasses more than just showing up to rehearsals and performing well. This entails giving God your yes daily, to commit to being invested with intentionality into the move of God in your own lives and what he is calling Ekklesia to do. Faithfully praying and pouring into the project you are currently involved in, and serving the Lord and his body together as a team.
