She wants her dancers to learn they are part of something bigger than themselves by giving themselves to the dance and to their fellow performers. Sawaya' s speciality is liturgical dance, which she studied at the Berkeley Institute of Religion. Her students dance in Judge's monthly Mass, doing simple hand movements and sometimes full performances during Easter and other religious holidays. It's just another form of prayer. People think dance is a big complicated thing.
Dance is just an extension of life.
And observers say seeing it lifts their spirits. Dianna Swartz, who teaches religious studies at Judge, said Sawaya shares her spirituality through the liturgical dance. And she encourages the students to use spirituality in dance. For the past several years Sawaya has also created theme concerts for the students, hoping to push her dancers to learn about the world. This year they danced about the end of the millennium, interpreting events like the industrial revolution and the Holocaust.