Opinion: Shall We Have This [Mimosa] Dance?

By Cordie Troxell

Mimosa is an annual banquet held every spring for over 70 years, a gala created to celebrate the arrival of spring, while also meant to celebrate the campus blossoming. Mimosa started in 1955 to symbolize the growth and blossoming of the Mimosa tree on campus. The whole banquet was a dedicated celebration; there was music and singing, however, there was no dancing; even more than 50 years after the first Mimosa happened, while much has grown and changed, dance is still a sore subject with people getting upset as college students dance at Mimosa. It should be time that we integrate dance into the campus culture more, not as a "worldly" distraction, but as a disciplined form of worship, art, and collegiate excellence.

The conversation around dance in an Adventist education has been viewed with hesitation for years. If we exclude dance, it not only causes students to miss out on a unique hobby, but we are also missing out on a recruitment tool. Collegiate dance is a massive draw for graduating high schoolers, and not having any dance on campus seems wrong. If we have gymnastics, why not ask for a dance?

Movement has been and always will be part of human history. SWAU takes pride in their

whole-person education, but how much pride can one really take if we do not even harness what we learn and apply it? By allowing more ecclesiastical or technical dance, SWAU can provide students with a way to express their faith that words or music alone cannot reach.

As bachelor programs grow, students interested in choreography, production, and

performance deserve a space to hone those skills on their own campus rather than seeking them elsewhere. By incorporating dance with other degrees, we can strengthen and grow the connection between majors. History majors can use choreography as a primary source to

understand cultural shifts and social structures. Education majors can implement

"kinesthetic learning" to help students process information through movement, while communication majors can help study non-verbal storytelling and produce media coverage of performances. And kinesiology majors can analyze the biomechanics of movement and specialize in dance-related injury prevention.

Now it is understandable that many worry about the “secular” nature that many often

associate with modern dance. Many are concerned regarding modesty and appropriateness, which is valid within our community’s standards. But like everything else, dance encompasses a broad spectrum. In the same way we curate our literature and cinema, we can establish a framework for dance that aligns with our university’s values—focusing on technical skill, storytelling, and artistic talent.

Here at Southwestern Adventist University, we are encouraged to use every gift of ours to the fullest potential to worship God. Through the arts, the divine is revealed: a choir lifting

harmonious voices in praise, and an orchestra weaving melodies into living psalms for the Lord.

If we can use our voices to sing and hands to play, why not use our bodies to move in celebration of what the Lord had given us? It is time to look past the stigma of dance and

recognize it for what it truly is: a profound act of worship. When voices fail and hands cannot

find the notes, our movement becomes a powerful, wordless praise unto the Lord. Let’s give the

students the chance to find their rhythm.