Page 30 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2024 - Online Magazine

A Tale of “TALES”

by Randall Hinds

nce upon a time, not long ago This book had all the elements of which resulted in performances in
and not far away, there was a great story: a captivating plot; 2007 and 2008. During that time,
Oa boy, no longer a child and a unique variety of characters; a we officially began Christ in the Arts
not yet a man, who lived in Enchanted magical, medieval-like setting. And (CITA) which became an extension
City…” it had the added benefit of colorful of the ballet classes our daughters
illustrations that made the reading were already teaching.
So begins a very special book that I of it so beautifully enchanting.
read aloud to my family beginning Time passed, and CITA continued
in the mid-1980s, and many times If you haven’t had the chance to read to grow. And ever so often, we
after that. It was one of our family’s Tales of the Kingdom, then maybe you would dream of making a full-
first experiences with the amazing can recall some other great story that scale dance production out of the
power and influence that certain got hold of your heart and wouldn’t Tales books. But the challenges
stories can have on the heart. let go, made time stand still, and were daunting, mainly because the
made you long for something better rich dialogue was what made the
A Tale of the Kingdom is a classic story and higher. I really hope so. books so delightful and seemed so
of a lost young boy who, through necessary for conveying the story
fear and desperation, stumbles As you would expect, our family properly. And, of course, this kind
into a previously unknown realm returned to Tales of the Kingdom and of production would have very few
where everyone is uniquely loved its sequel, Tales of the Resistance, words with which to tell the story.
and valued. But it’s also about the many times as our children were
difficult and dangerous journey that growing up. But it didn’t stop there. Even so, we began seriously
this boy, so scarred in his early life, When the kids were older, they had working on a full-length, original
must take to find his own authentic the idea of turning these great books ballet that, though necessarily
identity and calling. into an original musical, which modified, we hoped would still
we began working on in 2006, and capture the magic inherent in the

30 Lubbock Senior Link