Jennie Belle
Jennie Belle is the Program Director for Farmworker and Immigrant Rights at the North Carolina Council of Churches. She hails from South Georgia, graduated from Rice University in Texas, and has lived and worked across Latin America and Spain. She came to North Carolina six years ago to pursue a dual degree M.Div./M.S.W. graduate program at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill where her work focused on raising awareness about farmworker justice and organizing churches for social justice. When she is not advocating on behalf of our immigrant brothers and sisters, she enjoys dancing, running, and Pilates. While trained in multiple forms of dance, Jennie began liturgical dance 15 years ago and she has continued to share the gift of dance while at Duke Divinity School and with churches across the state. She currently resides in Durham with her husband and two dogs and is a member of First Presbyterian Church.

Dance the Story: Creating Non-verbal Storytelling
Storytelling does not have to involve words; we have the ability to tell stories with our bodies. Movement is a universal language in which all people everywhere can express themselves and understand one another. Everyone has the power to embody the message and stories of God in a way that truly connects with people. In this workshop participants will be invited to learn how to use their bodies to tell stories, especially in worship and in personal prayer life. We will begin with a warm-up going through traditional praise and worship postures as a means of body prayer and continue into using our bodies in group activities to tell the stories of ourselves and others. Please note that this workshop is designed to be accessible to everyone. All are encouraged to participate in an environment that seeks to liberate and cultivate the natural creative movement resources in a nonjudgmental environment.