About Immanuel Dance Company
and Immanuel Ministries
Immanuel Dance Center was founded by Madi Portes in 1997 and was originally a dance ministry that she started out
of a church. When Madi first started going to church, she thought of how wonderful it would be to have a dance
company dancing to the beat of the Lord's drum. It was a thought that burned in her from the onset of her salvation,
being that she was in the professional dance business. She assumed that dancing and church did not mix, an
assumption that many mistakenly make, but she decided to go for it anyway. The first time Madi danced in church, it
was to a song named "Immanuel" and in looking for a name for her company, decided as a dedication to the Lord that
her dance company would be named as such -- Immanuel. Thus, Immanuel Dance Center was born which is now
home of the Immanuel Dance Company and Immanuel Ministries -- or just Immanuel for short.
Immanuel Dance Company and Immanuel Ministries consists of both female and male dancers that come from
different backgrounds, different races and nationalities and range from age 8 to 40 something. Their repertoire consists
of Jazz, Modern Dance, African, Praise and Worship, Interpretive Dance, all forms of Latin Dance and Hip Hop and
Funk. They perform at conventions, conferences, schools, festivals, secular events as well as religious events, churches
and private functions. Their bio, to name a few, consist of performing at the Jersey City Christian Children's Parades,
the Jersey City Puerto Rican Day Parade and the New York City Dominican Parade, representing Goya Foods, for five
years performed at Ocean Grove, New Jersey for WMCA570 AM and WWDJ970 AM Big Splash Christian Festivals;
Summerfest at Ocean Grove, New Jersey for 99.1FM Christian Radio, Magic Music Days at Orlando's Disneyworld, has
won semi-finals and the finals for McDonald's Gospelfest three years in a row and much more.
Although Immanuel has done a lot of work since their inception and all through the Grace of God, two events stand out
and are considered to be the most rewarding experiences. The first one was in 1998 when Immanuel won second place
in a nationwide video contest being held by Carman Ministries. Winning Carman's Mission 3:16 Video Contest gave
five of Immanuel's dancers the opportunity to go to Acapulco, Mexico on a missions trip with Teen Mania Ministries.
They were there to make a difference in the lives of many orphans, the poor and the underprivileged people of Mexico.
This experience gave Madi an opportunity to produce, direct, choreograph and see the vision that was placed in her
heart come to life on video and broadcasted all over the world. The second experience was when Immanuel had the
awesome privilege of performing at the New York Call in August, 2005 for Donnie McClurkin in Long Island, New
York. To be able to be chosen to minister in front of 20,000 was absolutely and a life-changing blessing. "To be called
to minister before many was an not only an honor, it was very emotional and indeed a humbling experience that will be
carried in my heart forever," says Madi.
Immanuel and Madi's aim is to attract the youth especially, as well as people of all ages, through the art of dance, and
at the same time be a positive outlet and a beacon of light for all to receive encouragement and hope in their lives
through a relationship with God. "Our aim is to be able to go into different communities and areas and reach out to
the untouchables and the unreachables -- right here in our communities. Our 'Mission Trip' is right outside our
doors."
God has opened and continues to open the doors to Immanuel Dance Center, Immanuel Dance Company and
Immanuel Ministries and their is still a lot of work to be done. This is only the beginning! Madi and Immanuel have
proven over and over again and they posses a very high tolerance for adversity and their perseverance has demonstrated
their continual strength. Madi lives by the words "to whom much is given, much is required," and accepts her
challenges with her arms raised and her firsts clenched, ready for a good fight with the Word of God as her weapon.
"...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
And Here We Are....
God With Us
Immanuel.
|
|
