01 SC Mag 02-24

and share the love of Jesus
through movement,” Van
Es said. “I think everybody
thinks of the dualism of body
and spirit, and body being
evil and spirit being good.
But when they see it, it’s kind
of like, ‘Oh, but wait. The
spirit can lead us to move
this way.’”
The studio’s church tour routine has been different
each season, and in the past the group has danced to instrumental
music, traditional hymns and contemporary
Christian worship music.
Over the years, Van Es said many churches have grown
enthusiastic in their reception of her dancers, who have
performed across a wide variety of denominations in
communities all around N’West Iowa. After the troupe
performs in a church, it is often invited back, she said.
“There has definitely been a softening,” Van Es said.
“We could almost do it every week of the year, and it’s
just that our parents and students want to go to their
own home churches for worship instead of traveling every
“I think kids know how to just dance until we
tell them they shouldn’t. Why do we tell them they
shouldn’t? Just let them dance.”
single Sunday.”
For the first time this year, Robin’s School of Dance
has two separate troupes that travel to area churches and
participate in Sunday morning worship services. The studio’s
original church tour took place twice a year, around
Christmas and Easter, two important dates in the Christian
liturgical calendar.
“Simply because those seem to be exciting times in
the church, and celebratory times, and the churches are
always so beautiful, decorated at that time,” Van Es said.
In recent years, the church tour has shifted to other
times of year. Dancers typically spend several days a year
traveling to as many regional worship services as possible
on a given Sunday. The most church tour stops took place
the last Sunday in January.
“Oftentimes, we don’t get to stay for the worship
service when we do share our routine because we’ll
dance at the beginning of a 9:30 service in Rock
Rapids, which is what we did last Sunday, and we
go right over to Lester and do the end of their 9:30,
then we quickly go right over to Rock Valley, and
we do the beginning of their 11 o’clock service,” Van
Es said. “We try to share with as many as we can.”
Until this year, the church tour was limited to
members of the studio’s competitive dance company,
which this year includes 76 dancers of all
ages who elect to participate in competitions. Their
church routine includes all ages in a single performance.
— ROBIN VAN ES
DANCE INSTRUCTOR
“They each have their individual sections with
their small groups, divided by age and ability, and
then they come together at the end for a big, kind
Students rehearse a routine at Robin’s School of Dance in Sioux
Center. Members of the studio’s competition company also
participate in an annual tour of churches throughout the area,
where they perform a lyrical dance routine during worship services.
SPRING 2024 | SC MAGAZINE 33