Dancers with Ballet Magnificat aren’t working with orphans in the Philippines or passing out Bibles in remote villages, but they too are working in the mission field.

The professional ballet company based in Jackson, has spent the last 13 years promoting Christianity through dance. And the group will bring its message to Natchez on Friday, Aug. 21.

Ballet Magnificat’s Omega group will perform the ballet “Hiding Place” at 7 p.m. in the Natchez City Auditorium. The doors will open at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling Parkway Baptist Church at 601-442-7434.

“Hiding Place” is based on the true story of sisters, Corrie and Betsie ten Boom during World War II. The Christian sisters house many of their Jewish neighbors and friends in a small room behind a wall in their home.

The secret room is discovered and the sisters, despite being Christian, are taken captive and transported to the Ravensbrük concentration camp.

Erin Beaver, tour manager for the Ballet Magnificat, said the struggles the sisters encounter during their lives is a lesson that the audience can learn from.

“A woman was doing the right thing in offering protection to her friends,” Beaver said. “Sometimes, even when we are doing the right thing, we get a curve ball and it is really about how to you choose to deal with the difficulty and adversity.”

Beaver said that even though the story isn’t a Bible story, the Christian message is still the focus.

Corrie ten Boom, after the war has ended, comes face-to-face with an officer responsible for her imprisonment, but, despite the suffering she did while in the concentration camp, she finds a way to forgive the officer.

“It is a beautiful story of forgiveness and hope, Beaver said. “Ultimately this points to the forgiveness that is available to us through Jesus Christ. I know I have been forgiven a whole lot, and for Corrie to be able to whole heartily forgive, is just a demonstration of Jesus Christ.”

Ballet Magnificat has performed across the United States and abroad, and to have them in Natchez is a special treat, event organizer Carolyn Ridley said.

Ridley has traveled to Jackson and Lafayette, La., to see Ballet Magnificat ballets, and always wanted to bring the group to Natchez.

She had inquired once about a year ago about bringing the dance company to the area, but she was never able to do that — until now.

Ballet Magnificat called Ridley a few months back to find out is she was still interesting in bringing the dancers to town. And this time, everything worked out.

“About a year ago my Sunday school outreach class started working with the Guardian Shelter, and we were looking for a fundraiser when (Ballet Magnificat) called,” Ridley said. “The timing was just perfect for them to come back. It was just God’s timing this time.”

The proceeds from the performance will be donated to the Guardian Shelter. Organizers are raising money to offset booking expenses through donations and advertisement sales in hopes of giving the largest donation possible to the Guardian Shelter.

Ridley said beyond the Christian message, she was struck by the quality of performance the dancers put on.

“There is just a richness and height to their dance,” Ridley said. “They have an exciting message and it is all done through the beauty of ballet.

“They take the normal stereotype of a ballet and do it on a whole different level.”

Robert and Dorothy Sylvester, Beatrice Owens and Dr. Akinremi Akinwale are also members of the class organizing the performance.

The event has also received tremendous support from Russell and Angela Wagoner and Dr. David and Julie Timm.

Ridley expects the event to be a success since Ballet Magnificat is well regarded in the Natchez area.

“People who are familiar with Ballet Magnificat know what a treat this is,” Ridley said. “When people find out they are coming to Natchez, they say ‘This is unbelievable.’”