Humans of Lee
Photos: Jaclyn De Vries
This week we met senior Meredith Lim in the rehearsal room. Lim has been involved in Unity Dance Troupe and Lee theatre since freshman year.
'How did you get involved with Unity?'
'I danced through high school; I started when I was 15; I was part of a competitive dance team, and I loved it so much. But when I came to school, I had in my mind that I was never going to dance again because it was a liberal arts school ... I knew it was smaller and dancing wasn't a huge thing.
I knew we didn't have a dance team and if I joined cheerleading there wouldn't really be dances ' it's mostly stunts and acro, which I couldn't really do. It was really discouraging, so I tried to settle that before I got here.
I was sitting in chapel one day when there was a little video promo [for Unity] and it just said, 'Come to auditions.' There were so many people, and I was so scared ... and it was wonderful. I had so much fun. At the end of it, [the leader] asked us all to just let loose and improv dance. It was something I [had] never done before. It was very bizarre to me because it was a complete side of dance I had never done before, but I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking, 'Dance, I can do this now.'
This is my fourth year with unity, and we've grown so much. I've seen people come in and out of it, and just being a part of it, I don't regret anything. It's cool because we're becoming a nonprofit and we're actually offering classes to the community. It's not just ballet, it's not just modern [dance] anymore. We have jazz, contemporary and hip-hop. I'm teaching a hip-hop class that I'm [really] excited about.'
'Did you ever face any judgment for dancing?'
'People had, I think, an idea that dance had to only be liturgical, otherwise 'What's the point; why are you doing that?' But it doesn't have to be liturgical. I think dance as an expression, as an art, is worship in itself. But, that doesn't mean it has to be worship. Excellent dance, passionate dance, whatever it is, to me, is worship.'
'Why do you think it counts as worship?'
'Any talent or any joy given to you by God ' that's going to be sharpened into a skill. I think that's the best thing you can do.'
'Have you had a similar experience with theatre at Lee?'
'People are sometimes a little bit wary of theatre because it can push boundaries, and it should push boundaries, [because] it goes to places that people think are uncomfortable.'
'What is the biggest thing that's changed about you since attending Lee?'
'I think I am more open to accepting ideas, and views and opinions, and even just trying to see all sides of a person. At the same time, I think I am a little bit more grounded in what I believe personally, even about myself.'
'Can you tell me about those beliefs?'
'I'm in the process of trying to completely understand that God is always present; he is not absent. I've come to the discovery that I can never wrap my head around how powerful, and how wonderful, and how all-knowing God is because I want to put human qualities on him. And humans will always fail you. And maybe that's a little bit cynical senior stuff, but being a senior has made me a little bit cynical.
You can lay anything at God's feet and he's not going to judge you. And he's not going to be upset [because] no matter what you're his little girl, little boy, princess, prince, whatever. He's just so happy that you are you. I think everybody has potential to become, not to sound cliche, but to become great. And I think everybody owes it to themselves to tap into that. That's one of my biggest regrets ' that I didn't come to Lee believing I could pursue theatre, pursue dance. I spent a year or so thinking, 'Oh I have to do something else,' denying that for a little bit. That's just the worst thing you can do. Don't do that. Love God, love yourself and the rest will come.'
