Monaire
Monaire takes the stage in the darkened auditorium
He positions himself in the center
And prepares to be transported
From tribulation, agitation, sadness and doubt
A Spiritual swelling up
And out of the sound system
Let Go and Let God
Step Aside
All cares and obstructions cast off
He moves in communion with the music
Limbs become agents of expression
Channeling and broadcasting emotions
In the sweep of his arm, the extension of his leg
The light in his eyes and the bend of his back
The history of his life experience,
At once deeply personal and yet achingly universal
We are transfixed as our stories and struggles
Are revealed upon the stage
No longer adrift we are
Returned to our shared origins
Submerged in the experience
Our grief alleviated, our spirits uplifted
We are soothed and strengthened
Understand and are understood
In union we rise clapping, weeping,
And shouting our praise
The performance a reciprocal revelation
Blessing the giver and the receiver in equal measure
I dance to show myself
I dance because I love God and
I want to serve him
Amen
When you witness someone expressing themselves through their art in the most intimate and profound way, it strikes a chord deep within your soul. Your senses are aroused. Your mind engaged. You connect, not just to that individual, but to your deepest self. It is an extraordinary experience. At an event celebrating Women’s History month at Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School, I was privileged to participate in such an event.
Monaire Lawrence, an eighth grader, took the stage in the hushed auditorium as Step Aside, an inspirational song about overcoming obstacles through faith, began to emanate from the sound system. We all waited expectantly for the performance to begin. Monaire is known to be a good dancer and we were confident that he would not disappoint. He positioned his body and awaited his cue.
He began to move slowly at first, his body interpreting the music; fluid and graceful. As the spiritual grew stronger, his dancing became more ecstatic and impassioned. At times he seemed possessed as he jumped off the stage and danced in the aisle. Limbs become agents of expression, channeling and broadcasting emotion. At turns mournful, yet determined and ultimately triumphant.
It was understood that that we were a part of something special; that what we were witnessing was a young man pouring his heart and soul into his dance. There was no hesitation, no self-protection. It was pure emotion; raw and uncensored, deeply personal yet accessible to all.
The reaction from the audience was electric. Wave after thunderous wave of applause, hoots, hollers, and whistles. Seats were emptied as we rose and cheered. Several sensitive souls, myself included, were unable to restrain our tears. It was clear that with little dance training and a limited dance vocabulary, his art was understood and deeply appreciated. His performance solidified my belief that art, like human experience, is universal.
Main photo: Monaire Lawrence, 8th Grader, CASA Middle School, Bronx, NY
Awesome. Loved it. So proud of him. He’s an awesome person and dancer. He’s come a long way. And his passion for praise dancing is strong.
I really connected with this one Fran… well done! And good for you MONAIRE 🙂 keep dancing!
As a lifelong member of Baptist churches, I am use to seeing adults and children respond with emotion to music and words. Our praise comes in the form of dancing, singing, crying, weeping, and sometimes silence. This performance by Monaire was exceptional because he is so young and showed us such emotional depth. Also, the fact that CASA gave him the platform to speak to us is heart warming.
Amazing!!!!