About Us


Through the arts we will

Worship God, Love People, Share the Gospel, 

and Make Disciples of Jesus Wherever We Go!


Paradosi Ballet Company is a touring Christian dance company that utilizes ballet as a ministry tool for evangelism, leading worship, and bringing the love of Jesus into dark and lonely places. The ministry is the Pacific Northwest's first professional Christian ballet company that was founded in 2007 with the goal of sharing the love, hope, and beauty of Jesus Christ through dance, drama, and personal witness.  While the ministries primary focus is on the West Coast of the United States, the company has toured extensively across North America and Europe proclaiming the name of Jesus to the world!


The dancers in the ministry are all full-time volunteers who have a passion for the Lord and making Him known.  Instead of entering the entertainment world, these women have chosen to use their gifts to glorify Jesus while sharing His life giving and life changing message of hope.   The members of the ministry do not want to be seen as entertainers but rather as worshippers and evangelists proclaiming the name of Jesus to the world!


Paradosi dances at a wide variety of venues such as churches, conferences, theaters, fairs, festivals, fundraisers, schools, homeless shelters, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and even on street corners. 


Dance In Evangelism

The arts have the ability to cross social, economic, cultural, and language barriers like no other medium.  When Paradosi dances in worship during outreach events people stop, watch, listen, and often start asking questions; questions that will change their life forever.  


Whether we are dancing in worship on a street corner or in a church before someone who does not know Jesus, they often want to know why we are doing what we are doing. They want to know where this joy is coming from that they are seeing on our faces. They want to know what this peace is that they are experiencing. They want to know why the tears are streaming down their faces.  They want to know if we believe the message that was shared. They simply want to know more.  


When these questions are asked, the door is opened wide for us to share who Jesus is, what He has done in our lives, and what He has done for them.   We want to reach people for God and He has given us this beautiful and powerful tool of dance to quiet peoples minds making room for the Holy Spirit to enter.  We consider it a privilege to be used by God as ambassadors of His hope and are excited for the opportunities that He will provide for us to continue sharing His love with the world in the season ahead! 

Dance in Worship

It is our desire to pursue excellence in the arts for Jesus and to give it back to Him in praise for who He is and what He has done.  When we dance in worship, we are acknowledging that He is our creator and through our dancing we are reflecting back to Him what He has so freely given to us.  


It is our hope that through our worship people will see a small glimpse of the beauty, joy, peace, and love that comes from Jesus and desire to learn more about Him. 

Our History

Founders Joel & Tennille Carver


How It All Began

Before starting Paradosi, founders Joel and Tennille Carver both ministered with Ballet Magnificat, the world’s premier Christian Ballet Company located in Jackson, Mississippi. 


While serving at Ballet Magnificat, Tennille was blessed to be mentored by Director Kathy Thibodeaux and after three years of training and dancing she began teaching in the ministries school of the arts. During her tenure, she helped to develop Ballet Magnificat's Trainee Program overseeing thirty college aged students while directing Ballet Magnificat II for six years. 


After ten years of service in that ministry, Joel and Tennille felt God calling them back to the Pacific Northwest where they were both born and raised.  With the Carver's having a deep passion for the Pacific Northwest, the arts, and most importantly for their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they began the process of forming Paradosi.  After two years of preparation, counsel, and recruiting, the plans fell into place and Paradosi came to life in August of 2007.  


During the first year of ministry, Paradosi received Christian ballet dancers from all over the country with the same passion as the Carver's to worship the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength as well as present the gospel of Jesus Christ through dance, drama, and personal witness.    As additional talent and resources came alongside of Paradosi, the ministry started a school of the arts and a Christian Ballet Trainee Program to mentor, disciple, and equip the next generation of Christian dancers to glorify the Lord through dance.  


After eight-years of faithful service as the Directors of Paradosi, the Lord placed it upon the Carver's to focus on their family and they stepped aside to let the next generation of leaders carry the ministry into the next decade.  The Carver's still serve as council to the Christian dance companies leaders and are excited to see how the Lord will continue to use Paradosi in the years to come.

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  • Paradosi Christian Ballet Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with different levels of Membership each having different levels of access, rights, obligations, and opportunities within the organization.


    • Donor:  A donor is any individual, group, business, or organization that provides a monetary gift or tangible gift to the organization at least once in a calendar year.  There are no membership fees to be a donor.  Donors do not receive anything in exchange for their contributions except for "Intangible religious benefits."  Donors have no voting rights with the organization.
    • Surrendered School of Dance - Student (SSD): Entry Level Membership with the organization.  SSD students pay an annual Membership Fee granting them access to dance classes, performance opportunities, and private coaching.  Students pay Monthly Dues for the classes that they are taking with the school. The Membership period follows the Tacoma School District - School Calendar for the current academic year, at the end of the school year the membership becomes inactive.   SSD students have no voting rights with the organization.
    • General Volunteer: Entry-Level Membership with the organization. Volunteer positions are on an as needed basis and may be ended at any time by either by the volunteer or the organization. Volunteers have no Membership Fees to join. Volunteers have no voting rights with the organization. 
    • Ballet Dancer - Apprentice - Student: Entry-Level Membership the organization. Apprentices pay an Annual Membership Fee that gives them access to the ballet and ministry training that they will receive, costuming, and ministry / performance opportunities between the months of August of the current year and July of the following year. Apprentices pay Monthly Tuition Dues for the ballet and ministry training that they will receive. Apprentices have no voting rights with the organization. 
    • Ballet Dancer - Senior Apprentice: Mid-Level Membership with the organization. Senior Apprentices pay an Annual Membership Fee that gives them access to the ballet and ministry training that they will receive, costuming, and ministry / performance opportunities. Senior Apprentice's commit to serve with the organization on an annual basis starting in August of the current year and ending in July of the following year.  Senior Apprentices have no voting rights with the organization.
    • Ballet Dancer - Company Artist: Upper-Level Membership with the organization. The Annual Membership Fee is waived for Company Artists. Company Artists commit to serve with the organization on an annual basis starting in August of the current year and ending in July of the following year.  Company Artists have access to ballet and ministry training, fitness facilities, and ministry / performance opportunities. Company Artists have no voting rights with the organization.
    • Staff Member: Staff Members level with the organization.  Staff members are employee positions within the organization.  Staff members include dance teachers, office staff, and other compensated positions needed for the operation of the organization. Staff members are employed on an as needed basis.  Staff members have no voting rights with the organization.
    • Artistic Director: Senior-Leadership Level of Membership with the organization.  The Annual Membership fee is waived for the Artistic Director. The Artistic Director reports to the Executive Director. The Artistic Director has no voting rights with the organization.
    • Executive Director: Senior-Leadership Level of Membership with the organization.  The Annual Membership fee is waived for the Senior Director. The Executive Director is the head staff member who is responsible for the strategic vision and operations of the organization who reports directly to the Board of Directors.  The Executive Director serves as the President of the Board of Directors and has voting rights with the organization.
    • Board Member: Top Level of Membership with the organization. The Annual Membership fee is waived for Board member's.  Board Members serve three-year renewable terms.  Board Members have full voting rights with the organization.