Core of Fire Dance Ministry
Core of Fire is an interfaith dance ministry of mature women, who use the healing power of dance to combine spiritual connection and creative movement into choreography that speaks to one’s deepest longings to express the awe, wonder and anguish of the life experience. This unique ministry further seeks to provide opportunities for all women, no matter their age, shape or training, to release their inner dancer, and to experience the exhilaration that comes when we abandon ourselves to the joy of movement.
Dr. Carol Penn is the main choreographer. She trained as a professional dance artist with the world famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and is an award winning choreographer for her work with her Washington, D.C. based company Pennvisions and the New Visions Dance Theater. Dr. Penn has now completed her life long dream of becoming a medical doctor. She combines mind body medicine in her medical practice, and continues to direct Core of Fire.
Core of Fire has performed in churches, congregations, religious meetings, cancer survivor meetings, 911 families survivors services, and is part of the regular music ministry in Donna's home church in New Jersey, where Core began. . Donna Renfro has helped Core be invited into Unitarian Universalist congregations, district meetings, even GA! Reverend Donna has started dance groups in three churches besides the one it was founded in. She recognizes dance and movement as being an important part of her ministry, even though she is no longer close enough to the original Core of Fire to participate with them in person. The original and newest members of Core of Fire did just come together online to record one of their dances for worship during the Covid Pandemic.
Core of Fire at Metro NY UU District Annual Meeting, dancing to 'Holy Now' while Peter Mayer sings and plays guitar. Peter gave us permission to use his songs for dance. This link to Church of the Earth, was one of our favorites. We have another environmental justice dance to We Belong to the Earth, that was so moving that the men in one congregation told us it made them cry. We sometimes used the tagline 'We make men cry'!
Being announced as an award recipient of 'Angels Among Us' from my seminary, for bringing the Arts, dance specifically, into my ministry.