It was so wonderful connecting with Shannon Benton! Shannon is a professional dancer who has performed with companies such as Ad Deum Dance Company, HoustonMET, Open Sky Arts Collective, and Zion Dance Project. She recently completed Youth with a Mission’s Arts in Movement Discipleship Training School and earned her certification in Progressing Ballet Technique. Shannon currently lives in the Kansas City area where she is dancing with Störling Dance Theater and is a faculty member for Störling Conservatory.
I am so grateful for Shannon’s heart for racial reconciliation and the wisdom she shares. As artists, we can play a role in the process of racial reconciliation through storytelling, connection, and valuing the beauty in our differences. We chat about how empathy is so crucial and how listening with the intent to understand creates the space for deeper relationships. Since recording this episode, she became the first staff member of Unite KC, a faith-based, grassroots organization committed to taking action toward racial reconciliation in Kansas City.
Identity is another key topic of our conversation. Shannon explains that if we listen to the world’s ideas for identity, we will have a hard time finding a “place to stand,” but if we look to our Creator, our identity is built on a solid foundation. May you be encouraged by Shannon’s words to be faithful as you walk in your calling as an artist.
Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Shannon's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app. We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!
