Impact of the Arts: ORU’s Grace Gimotty Discusses Christian Dance and Its Growing Influence
Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas
Finance
In 2024, ORU opened the 74,000-square-foot Peggy V. Helmerich Media Arts Center (MAC),
and the first dancer on stage was Grace Gimotty, a finance major who’s also pursuing
minors in Dance, Spanish, and Nonprofit Business. Classically trained in ballet, Grace,
who’s been dancing since she was 3 years old, was selected to perform “He Is” as part
of the MAC’s grand opening and ribbon cutting. For the University, Grace’s dance performance
was historic; it not only christened the new MAC, but it also put a spotlight on ORU’s
growing dance program.
“With the addition of the MAC,” Grace said, “ORU Dance is being elevated. The dancers here are talented, and we’re bringing in famous choreographers to work with our artists. ORU Dance is starting to receive more attention both for its dancers and for what it teaches, which is unique. It’s rare for a program to train its dancers as priestly artists.”
So what does Grace mean when she says “priestly artists”? It’s a description you won’t find in a course catalog, but it’s a description that accurately describes ORU Dance. At ORU, the arts are more than just the performance, more than just the spotlight, more than just the applause. As Grace accurately describes it, the arts at ORU are for God.
“By practicing their craft,” Grace said, “priestly artists show God the creator, and they also minister to people. Dance, for example, is multi-directional. You meet the Lord through your creative gifts, but at the same time, when you step on stage, you're ministering outward. It’s like Michelangelo. Look at his statue of David, and you realize God touched Michelangelo as a creator. As artists, we first have an inward revelation, then we share it with the world.”
"By practicing their craft, priestly artists show God the creator, and they also minister to people. Dance, for example, is multi-directional. You meet the Lord through your creative gifts, but at the same time, when you step on stage, you're ministering outward."
With the opening of the new MAC, ORU continues to demonstrate a commitment to the Arts and its importance in higher education. Recognizing the global impact of artists and storytelling, Dr. Norman Mintle, ORU’s Associate Dean for the College of Arts & Cultural Studies, noted that, “We tell stories because we have to, because the creator God has put in us a need to share.” This “need to share” is fueling the growth of Christian entertainment and producing a new generation of skilled Christian artists.
“In the past,” Grace said, “the Christian dance world focused less on technique. But God is a God of excellence, and today’s dancers focus on the fact that God loves good quality. They spend hours perfecting their craft. A new generation of Christian dancers is on the rise. You’re now finding successful Christian dancers in places like Los Angeles and New York. And there’s been an influx of Spirit-filled dance companies around the world … dance companies that are well respected.”
As artists, today’s Christian dancers are finding more professional success and more opportunities to create. But as Grace notes, this hasn’t changed the mission; success hasn’t removed God from the artist.
“As dancers,” Grace said, “we all want to use our gifts to glorify the Lord; we’re in tune with the spiritual. I’ve had my most powerful encounters with the Lord, not in church, but in the dance studio. Our Father loves beauty because beauty is at the center of our whole creation. As artists—as priestly artists—we continue to behold the beauty of God.”
For more information on ORU’s Dance degree, visit oru.edu.
UNIVERSITY BRIEF
ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 16 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor’s level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 165 nations in the last 5 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.
The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #8 university in the nation for student experience and one of America's Best Colleges (2025). This new category rates the best colleges in the U.S. to have a great experience while attending. This ranking is powered by one of the largest-ever independent surveys of verified college students and recent graduates in the United States. Niche has recognized ORU as one of the top 25 most diverse colleges in America, the # 1 best Christian college in Oklahoma, and the # 1 in Oklahoma for diversity. Princeton Review ranked ORU as the best regional college, and College Raptor ranked ORU as a Hidden Gem in the Southwest. Heritage.org classified ORU as a great option for families prioritizing freedom, opportunity, and civil society.
ORU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as:
- #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
- #2 in Most International Students
- #3 in Best Value
- #6 in Best College for Veterans
- #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West
For more information, visit www.oru.edu.