Valerie Linsner | Season in Review
One of our Ballet 5:8 traditions at the end of each performance season is to ask the artists of the company to share some reflections with us. Getting to know the dancers and hearing about their journey is always a treat, and this year is no exception - even in a year turned upside down by a national pandemic! A special thank you to the artists of the company for sharing about their experiences in the 2019/20 Season.
Congratulations to Ballet 5:8's Valerie Linser, who was promoted to Company Artist at the conclusion of the 2019/20 Season.
Company Artist, Valerie Linsner
Q. Pick one word to describe the overall season. Why?
A. Refinement. Refinement is how metal is purified. It is melted in a fire and the impurities are taken out of it. As a person, being "refined" is painful, but necessary, and oh so good. I feel as though God has done some refining throughout the past season, and while not every moment has been fun per say, I am so thankful for a faithful Father God who doesn't leave me in my brokenness, but renews me, refines me, and calls me higher.
Q. Can you share a favorite moment from on or offstage?
A. It's not one particular moment, but during each performance of Butterfly there is a scene in which the two young boys, played by my friends Libby and Miranda, improvise playing together. Sometimes they play catch with a potato or poke fun at each other, and one time they even played tag. This comes after quite a somber scene in the ballet, and since none of us ever knew what they were going to do, they always provided a fun surprise and much needed comic relief to all of us backstage, and to the audience as well.
Q. Of course choosing this is probably going to be hard, but out of the works you performed this season, does one stand out as the most meaningful or most notable for you personally? Why?
A. Definitely Butterfly. I grew a lot as a person during this season because of this ballet in particular and the hard questions it forced me to ask myself. I'm so thankful to God for helping me to better understand what hope as a believer is -- a confident trust in a solid foundation. Jesus is my solid foundation, and trusting Him no longer feels like a gamble, because I know He is always near and faithful. He has proven himself over and over, in the light and in the darkness.
Q. Is there a particular quote or idea that has been inspirational to you this season?
A. "You give life, you are love, you bring light to the darkness. You give hope, you restore, every heart that is broken. Great are you , Lord. It's your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise." Lyrics from the song "Great Are You, Lord" by All Sons and Daughters
Q. What room did you dance in during quarantine?
A. I started out in my parents' kitchen, and changed mid-quarantine to the dining room -- better floor.
Q. What are you up to this summer?
A. I'm an RA for the Ballet 5:8 Summer Intensive, and I'm loving it.