Christian ballet troupe dances through Camarillo
By Mira Reverente Special to the Acorn

ON THEIR TOES- Members of the Mississippi-based Christian dance troupe, Ballet Magnificat, performed "The Scarlet Cord" on Wednesday at Camarillo Community Church. The troupe's local performance was sparked by an e-mail invitation by Camarillo resident and dancer Kelsey Souser, 17.

It started out as a graduation present for a Camarillo teenager. High school diploma in hand, Kelsey Souser, was looking into dance workshops during the summer of 2006. A student of ballet since she was 6 years old, Souser just knew she wanted to venture farther than Camarillo, at least for the summer.

Ballet Magnificat, a Mississippi-based Christian ballet troupe, offered Souser just the ticket.

"I just found out about Ballet Magnificat's summer workshops and decided I wanted to sign up," Souser said. "My family said they would support me and I also had some money saved up so off I went to Jackson, Mississippi. I didn't know anyone and had to stay in a dorm. It was a great learning experience for a 17year-old girl, to just live and breathe ballet for two weeks."

Two years later, Souser found out that "The Scarlet Cord," Ballet Magnificat's newest production was touring the West Coast. A long shot, Souser sent an e-mail to ask the company if they would consider adding Camarillo to their tour schedule. It didn't take long to get Ballet Magnificat's commitment and things just started falling into place for the staging of "The Scarlet Cord" in Camarillo.

"We've only done about 10 performances of 'The Scarlet Cord' so far," said Kathy Thibodeaux, founder, artistic director and principal dancer of Ballet Magnificat. "It is loosely based on the biblical story of Rahab.... Set in the Communist Soviet Union, it's a story of love, betrayal, hope and forgiveness."

Thibodeaux, silver medalist at the II USA International Ballet Competition, founded Ballet Magnificat in 1986 after a stint with the Jackson Ballet Company, now Ballet Mississippi. "Christian dancers were difficult to find before and Christian ballet companies were rare, if not unheard of," she said. "While both groups are touring, we have a fulltime staff that stays behind to man the fort and teach classes."

The troupe's Camarillo stop on Wednesday at the Camarillo Community Church was squeezed in between shows in Arizona and Oregon. "They like performing in small towns, school auditoriums and community churches," Souser said. "It's really about faith, spreading the gospel and glorifying God through ballet. It's easier to impact people in these smaller, more intimate venues."