This Christmas season finds me looking back 22 years.

In 2003, I produced Celebrate Dance in Canton, Ohio with the Living Fountain Dance Company. At the time, I do not think any of us were thinking about legacy or preservation. We were simply showing up week after week, trusting the work, trusting one another, and allowing movement to speak from the inside out.

Revisiting this footage now, I am struck by the courage it took to make art that was sincere, vulnerable, and community-rooted. These dancers brought their whole selves into the room. They showed up with generosity, curiosity, and a willingness to listen to their bodies, to the music, and to each other. That kind of presence is rare, and it stays with you.

This particular piece, set to Wonderful, Merciful Savior by Selah, holds a quiet weight for me. It reflects a season of hope, humility, and trust, values that feel especially poignant at Christmas. Time has changed all of us, yet the heart of that work remains intact. I’m grateful for the choreography by Allison Chrusciel Prucha. The movements still carry tenderness. The intention still breathes.

I am deeply grateful for every dancer who shared that chapter with me. For their artistry. For their commitment. For the relationships that shaped not only the work, but my life as a teaching artist and choreographer.

As the year comes to a close, I hold this memory with gratitude. For the past. For the people. For the privilege of creating together.

Merry Christmas, and thank you for being part of this story.