Ballet Magnificat began in 1986 as a far-fetched dream in the mind of Kathy Thibodeaux. At the time, the idea of a professional Christian ballet company was virtually unheard of. Kathy, no stranger to the ballet world, had danced with Ballet Mississippi and earned a silver medal at the USA International Ballet Competition in 1982. In a world that often celebrates self-promotion, Kathy felt called to create something different: a professional company rooted in excellent technique yet fully driven by worship. Today, Kathy and her husband Keith are celebrating four decades of Ballet Magnificat. The company has toured in more than 40 countries and now includes a Professional Company and Events Company in the U.S., plus a full sister company in Brazil – each with its own School of the Arts.
Through all the growth, the heart of Keith and Kathy remains unchanged. Erin Bergman, Executive Assistant with Ballet Magnificat, speaks to their steadfastness. “I’ve been able to watch them through the growth of Ballet Magnificat. They never get sidetracked or diluted, but stay single-minded on glorifying the Lord,” she shares. Bergman joined the company in 1999, just as international touring began. This international reach is a core component of Ballet Magnificat. Bergman notes, “Dance has no language barrier, so it’s a really unique thing. There are many cultures that value dance even more highly than Americans do.” This has allowed Ballet Magnificat to fulfill its mission to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to the widest possible audience.
In today’s culture, especially in the post-COVID arts world, it would be easy to let outside noise shape a company’s direction. While many organizations focus on ticket sales and bottom lines, Keith and Kathy’s leadership has stayed singularly focused, helping the company weather every season. Keith shares, “I think it’s easy to drift with your purpose and vision, and make up for it by adapting to culture. In our case, because of the gospel, Jesus gave us a reason to dance, and that’s something we work and worship out of.” Dependent on the Lord as their source, Keith and Kathy’s commitment to mission-first living and seeking God’s approval above all else shapes the daily culture at Ballet Magnificat.
Some might assume that grounding a professional ballet company in faith would compromise artistic excellence. Ballet Magnificat proves the opposite is true. Bergman notes the unique environment the company offers dancers. “There truly is an extreme push for excellence from a technical standpoint. Kathy has set that standard. She doesn’t want sloppy ballet. But, for dancers to promote one another is unique in the ballet world which tends to be so cut-throat.”
When asked how dancers pursue technical growth while also letting their dance be an act of worship, Bergman explains, “It’s an interesting line to walk. You’re pushing hard, and honing your craft. Instead of the mindset that this is for my glory, you’re doing it as an offering of worship for the Lord.” Bergman shares that Ballet Magnificat’s trainee program provides several years for dancers to shift their mindset. Each day begins with devotions – a time of prayer and worship – that recenters dancers on the mission. Remarkably, this same culture has been fully duplicated in Brazil.
Ballet Magnificat Brazil launched in 2017, after Keith and Kathy toured there with the company. Locals kept talking about the region’s large dance population. Dance as worship was not foreign to them – Brazilians are such vibrant, expressive people – but what was lacking was technical training. Enter Melanie Plasman. A native South African, Plasman was a former professional ballerina in Cape Town who gave up her profession to become a Ballet Magnificat trainee years earlier. “Melanie is a phenomenal teacher. She really excels at training dancers,” shares Bergman. Plasman accepted the role of program director, moved to Brazil, started a family, and has been instrumental in building the program. Today, Ballet Magnificat Brazil fully mirrors its U.S. counterpart with a School of the Arts, trainee program and company – a powerful testimony to the universal reach of the gospel.
The power of dance paired with the gospel is evident in transformed lives. Keith shares one memorable story from their ballet Freedom, based on Jehoshaphat. “There were these two ladies who had been friends in the past, and had a falling out and didn’t speak to one another for years. They both happened to come to a performance, and ran into each other in the lobby as they were leaving. One lady apologized to the other and got down on her knees and asked for forgiveness. I think that’s a testimony to how God uses ballet to touch people’s hearts.”
Stories like these are common as the company’s repertoire has grown over the years. Ballet Magnificat’s repertoire began as stand-alone worship pieces. In 2000, Deliver Us became their first story ballet, set largely to the score from The Prince of Egypt, it tells the story of Moses. Since then, the company has added contemporary ballets, such as Stratagem, inspired by C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, and choreographed by Keith and Kathy’s daughter Tara. Most recently, Ballet Magnificat has been touring their latest story ballet, The Call, inspired by the life of Elisabeth Elliot.
Ballet Magnificat’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. Before consolidating into a single salaried company, Ballet Magnificat had two. The decision to merge caused significant worry, but little did they know COVID was right around the corner. Keith reflects that the Lord prepared them for the difficult season ahead. His advice for leaders facing hard choices is to stay the course, “When you make a decision, and you know it’s the right one, but it happens to be a hard decision, you need to follow through and not cave to the winds of adversity.”
When reflecting on this milestone, Kathy expresses deep gratitude, “God’s grace. We wouldn’t be here without His grace…” Keith adds, “To do something that had not been done before, and grow it to where it is now with another company and school in Brazil, is completely a miracle.” This year also marks Keith and Kathy’s 50th wedding anniversary. Their shared leadership, forged through decades of partnership, remains one of the ministry’s greatest strengths.
As Ballet Magnificat looks ahead to its 40th anniversary reunion event later this year, there’s a deep sense of awe that God has turned an unlikely dream into an international ministry touching hearts worldwide. Contrary to most professional dance companies, Ballet Magnificat has no “ten-year plan.” Keith says, “We look for opportunities and doors that the Lord opens. We’re not so much into a ten-year prognostication of what we want to happen. We’re growing what we have and trying to be the best with what we have right now.”
As we wrapped up our conversation, Kathy shared one of her favorite Bible verses, “One of my favorite scriptures is Ephesians 3:20, ‘God can do exceedingly, abundantly more than you can imagine or think of.’ That’s what He’s done with us. From the beginning when we didn’t know what was going to happen, He has exceeded far more than we could have asked for.”
To learn more about Ballet Magnificat! visit www.balletmagnificat.com.
By Melody McTier Thomason of Dance Informa.
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