Who could have imagined that little Mireille — whose foot was crushed in an elevator at age two — would become, through sheer enthusiasm and courage, the prima ballerina of the Paris Opera?
But the fleeting glory of stardom does not satisfy Mireille. She longs instead for total surrender to Christ, whom she discovers one day and who becomes the center of her life.
Her dream: to unite religious vows with the art she still loves with passion. Why not a convent where she could dance for God?
A long stay in a Carmelite monastery, followed by time with the Visitation sisters, help her measure the obstacles ahead and clarify her hopes.
The book closes with a moving manifesto for sacred dance and the union of body and art in praise of the Lord.
We would encourage Mireille Nègre to acknowledge in her writings those who came before her in this faith — and there are more than David and Teresa of Ávila. Mireille Nègre holds a special place in her heart for handicapped children, to whom she has devoted part of her dance teaching, including at L'Arche in Trosly.
We hope one day she will tell us more about this in a new book.
H.B. (from Ombres et Lumière, no. 73)