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DANCENET
Question:
My Dear Sister in Christ, I came across your name as I searched
the Internet for some assistance with our dance ministry. I was hoping
you could suggest a format for praise dance rehearsals. Everyone in
our dance ministry loves the Lord and desires to dance for Him however,
none in our dance ministry is a trained dancer. With that, rehearsal
time tends to be a little chaotic. How does rehearsal begin? How long
do they last? What does a warm-up consist of? How do you choreograph
a dance? Is it strictly by feeling the Holy Spirit moving within? I
would really like to see some structure in our dance ministry so that
the participants remain motivated to continue. If you could provide
a few suggestions, I would greatly appreciate your input. May God continually
bless your ministry!
Y Jones, Colorado
Response:
Dear
Y:
God bless you. I suggest that you meet at least once a week for at least
2 hours. You begin with a time of real prayer and seeking God. Follow
that with a time of worship and then a time in the word. All of that
may take anywhere from 20-30 minutes or more. Once you have prepared
yourselves, you can move into the technique and choreography. Always
put God first and He will help you with the rest of what you need to
accomplish. I have a technique warm up video that might help. Otherwise,
is there anyone you can bring in to help train you all technically or
at least teach you some warm up techniques? It is important to prepare
your vessel as well as your spirit. Choreography comes from the heart
of God. It also comes from building a movement vocabulary. We have to
learn to be good communicators of God’s word. Dance is a language
that must be spoken clearly. My other video can help with that. Know
your strengths and build on your weaknesses. We are not just dancers,
we are ministers and we must approach choreography with that in mind.
Sorry I don’t know of anyone in your area. I would be happy to
come there if you want me to. Perhaps you could get with other dancers
and work together to put together a citywide workshop. In them mean
time if you can order the videos and the book it would help. Do you
have a budget at your church for ordering materials to help with the
ministry? Feel free to email me with any questions you may have. I will
be glad to help in any way I can.
Dr Pamela
Pamela! I want you to know that this teaching has been very helpful to my church,
however. We are having our first-ever practice combining the dance and
worship teams tonight and your discussion questions will be great food
for thought as we seek further direction for our development as a team.
I really appreciate any feedback/suggestions you can give since our
team is only a year old and has only done "specials" up to
this point. I am not the dance leader, but I have input and I also sing
on the worship team, so I can be a liaison of sorts between the two
groups. Here is what I have come up with in response to your questions
so far:
1. It was stated at the beginning of lesson three that Preparation is
a key to effective worship leading. As dancers, preparation also plays
an important role. Please discuss ways we as dance leaders can prepare
spiritually as well as practically. Would you prepare the same way for
each
service?
Her answers:
Practical Preparation:
* Prayerfully plan for service/especially how you will flow with certain
theme and song list.
* Stay in Word and have daily time of worship and prayer throughout
the week.
* Meet regularly with worship team members/separately also with dancers
every week to study Bible, pray, bond, practice skills, and worship.
* As leader, pray specifically with and for each of your dancers.
* Before services, warm-up physically and spiritually before going to
church, get to church early and pray with team before the service, have
worship tools ready and team member assignments (such as locations for
each dancer) ready. Be sure you and your dancers are all dressed modestly
and appropriately and that any personal needs are dealt with in prayer
before ministering.
**SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK! YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO INCLUDE
BIBLE STUDY WITH YOUR DANCERS EACH WEEK TO PREPARE FOR WHAT IS GOING
ON IN YOUR CHURCH (ESPECIALLY IF YOUR LEADERS ARE FOCUSING ON A SPECIFIC
TOPIC FOR A PERIOD OF TIME) AS WELL AS GENERAL SCRIPTURES ON DANCE AND
WORSHIP. YOU MAY EVEN WANT TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT UPCOMING SERMON TOPICS
MAY BE OR THE DIRECTION THAT THE WORSHIP TEAM IS CONSIDERING.
2. There
are some guidelines for worship repertoire development that will help
every local church reflect its own unique culture while remaining inviting
to newcomers and visitors from other churches. This is true with the
dance ministry as well, since we are also "worship Leaders."
How can dancers encourage the congregation to "participate" in the worship dance experience, not just spectate?
Her answers.
* Make sure there is ample space for more participants.
* Place dancers strategically around congregation to surround & bathe them in prayer and worship.
* Encourage participation in word and deed.
* Remember you are worshiping, not performing, and that the congregation
may think otherwise if you do not sing (or at least mouth the words)
as you dance.
* Teach congregation about worship & worship forms.
* It could also be helpful to have a guest speaker come to our church
who could give some instruction in dance to the whole congregation.
* Have informational pamphlets available at all times that explain worship
and forms we use.
* Work closely with church leadership to establish their comfort level
regarding freedom in dance-
* Establish silent signals known only to worship team members indicating
when it is okay to step out, when to pull back. These will be given
only by the pastor, intercessory prayer leaders, worship leader or dance
leader.
* Worship team members must submit to those in authority in order for
everything to be done "decently and in order" and to flow
in unity with what God's overall plan is for each service and for the
church in general.
**EXCELLENT ANSWER. WELL THOUGHT OUT. HAVE YOU PUT THESE PRACTICES INTO
PLACE WITH YOUR DANCERS?
3. Worship repertoire development is an ongoing process for dancers.
We should be continually expanding our knowledge of dance styles and
techniques by using a variety of sources. How can we add to our dance
vocabulary? What are keys to developing a fresh repertoire of dances
each week? Should it be left to the dance leader or can everyone participate
and contribute as a group?
Her answers.
* In our group, we are all worshipers with a variety of particular gifts/skills
that we could put to use in rotation fashion to help all of us grow
in being able to give our best and highest offering (excellence) unto
the Lord. It could also be helpful to have a guest come to our church
who could give some instruction in dance.
* One idea is to have our dance leader pray for direction as to what
area we need to focus on for a given time and who in the group would
best teach the others in this area. Then the person teaching could put
together incremental (precept on precept) teaching to help us all grow
in that area. Here are some ideas for how we could portion out our group
efforts:
1. bodywork/conditioning
2. dance training (i.e., ballet)
3. dance tools (banners, flags, streamers)-
4. prophetic dance-
5. Biblical studies-
6. mime/choreography-
We could have a time of working on that given area, followed by a time
of dancers working on the particular dance. Then, when the musicians
come for their portion of the practice, we could work on how we are
going to flow in the spirit in the upcoming service. Everyone who choreographs
or teaches a skill can create across-the-floor exercises & phrases
to teach and refine. Other areas the leader can have us work on at practices
on an ongoing basis include:
* Synchronization, countenance, breathing techniques, mirroring, taking
spiritual truths from the Bible (such as the fruits of the Spirit) and
having dancers put them into physical action when possible, we can take
advantage of training available at dance conferences or even on videos
from such conferences. If not all members of the team can go to a given
conference, the ones who do go can share what they have learned when
they return.
**EXCELLENT. I WAS GOING TO MENTION THE MIRRORING AND WORKING ON
CHOREOGRAPHIC PRINCIPLES USING GOD'S WORD - I SEE YOU HAVE INCLUDED
THOSE. ALL OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE EXCELLENT WHEN INCORPORATED ON A
WEEKLY BASIS. IT REALLY HELPS TO BUILD UNITY AND ALLOWS YOU MOVE TOGETHER
AS ONE. REMEMBER TO INCLUDE WORKING ON LEVELS, I.E., PROSTRATE ON THE
FLOOR, KNEELING, BOWING, STANDING, OFF THE FLOOR MOVES, ETC.
4. Let's say you have prepared a particular dance for the service but
the Holy Spirit goes in another direction. What would you do?
Her answers.
* This is a situation that calls for all of us on the team to be seeking
the leading of the Holy Spirit on a regular basis. It also requires
us to cultivate an ability to flow together as a team as the Spirit
leads. It calls for submission not only to God but also to the team
leader, who should ultimately decide what direction the Lord is leading
so that we can maintain unity.
* We had this happen once, when our leader had choreographed and begun
to teach us a dance and then when we prayed together, we were all led
to just dance with the Lord individually as He led us at the moment.
We each gave input, but ultimately it was our leader (very important)!
Who made the decision to throw out the choreography and dance spontaneously
in the Spirit. It was a stretch for many of us, but ultimately, we seek
to please the Lord above all and will continue to do so.
**CORRECT! THE MORE YOU "PRACTICE" SPONTANEOUS RESPONSE TO
THE HOLY SPIRIT DURING TIME OF WORSHIP WHEN YOU MEET WEEKLY, THE EASIER
IT WILL BE TO BE PREPARED TO RESPOND WHEN THE LORD MOVES INT HE SERVICES.
Question:
Hi Pam,We
have been going through quite a debate in our local church about dance
and I would like to get your position on some of these issues. I should
say up front that I am referring to interpretive dance used as a dramatic
element rather than dance used to enhance or express worship. I know
there is a sound biblical basis for dance in worship. But what about
dance used as a dramatic element to lead into teaching? It is our position
that dance is as appropriate a form of dramatic expression as acting
is. Furthermore, it is often preferred in certain situations as a more
emotional or engaging form of expression than acting. Do you have any
thoughts or opinions on using dance in this manner? Any feedback would
be appreciated as we try to sort through how to proceed with this segment
of our worship arts ministry. Thank You, GE
Answer: GE-Personally, I am a big believer and a big fan of interpretive
dance being used as a dramatic element. People often remember what they
see more than what they hear and as you said, it can be a more dramatic
form of expression lead into teaching. I am sure you have studied the
prophets and how God used their actions to demonstrate His message to
His people. Whatever will "preach" the Word and bring people
into Kingdom, I believe God will anoint for His purposes!
Pamela
Question: Hi Pam, I need your Godly wisdom in regard to the call of God on my
life. Pam, I have been frustrated because I am discerning that I am
really not meant to be a dance ministry leader in church or church leadership
per se. I have no problem submitting to the vision of the house whatsoever.
I love the house of God & the man & woman of God that the Lord has placed
over me. But I also know who I am & what I am not. Part of the vision
God has placed in my heart is to have a Professional Christian Performing
Arts Co. w/dance emphasis, but very interdisciplinary. I am also believing
God & preparing to enroll to get my MFA. Anyway, I feel as if being
leader of the dance ministry at my church is more of a hinderance than
part of the destiny. Now I would definitely still be a part of the dance
ministry there. In fact, I have been asked to work w/ children's church
praise & worship on Sundays. So I am not talking about divisiveness.
Actually, I have spoken to the pastor briefly re: this earlier this
year. I also want to build up the ministry & assist in raising up dance
leaders by instruction/workshops. I am just frustrated with being limited,
as I want to flow in the unlimited nature & will of God. Thanks for
"listening"...Hope to hear from you soon. HB
Answer:
It is good to be true to who God made you to be. I had to learn the
hard way not to let others put me where they think I should be. Is your
vision written down? Write it down and make sure it is clear to you.
Present your heart to your leadership, train someone else to take your
place so there will be as little as disruption as possible when the
transition takes place and let them you will be there to support the
new leader and to help in any way you can. Let them know you are not
deserting them, just moving to the next place for what God has for you.
Pray before you go that God will give them to see the vision God has
put in you so you can see eye to eye. Let me know what happens- Love
you- Pam
Question:
Sister Pam, I was reading over the question of my dear sister who knows
she is called to minister in dance and travel to teach but she does
not feel led to be a part of the ministry at her church. The advice
you gave her was awesome, however, I'm in a situation where my pastor
does not believe in the ministry of dance. I been at this church for
10 yrs with my husband, called to dance 6-7 years ago. My pastor at
that time (deceased) did not approve of dance, neither does our new
pastor. So how can I get the approval or covering of my pastor and church
leaders if they do not believe in this ministry? I sometimes dance with
another church dance ministry could this be my covering? Cheryl
Answer:
Cheryl- your covering is your Pastor. If they do not believe in the
dance, have you tried showing them the scriptures? they can't argue
with the Word of God. It is up to us to know God's word and to study
to show ourselves approved. Your dilemma is also why it is in my heart
to reach out to our Pastors and leaders because we can only go as far
as they can see in the area of allowing our ministries to function within
the local body. We know that dance is of God and He is doing might things.
However, dance may not be for your church. Perhaps the visions of the
church does not have room for it. Every Pastor should then be able to
release any member of His flock to be able to flow in other ministries
so you can obey God's call on your life. That does not mean you should
leave the church. I have members in my dance ministry at my church because
they don't have it at their church so they come and dance with us. If
that is what you are doing, that is OK as long as what you are doing
with the other ministry does not interfere with your duties at your
own church. Study, pray and then take the Word to them. Let me know
what happens- Pamela
Question:
I believe God has called me to minister in dance and travel to teach
but I do not feel led to be a part of the ministry at my church. Is
that OK? V.
Answer: God does indeed have different callings for each of us
but we must first be under authority in order to have authority. If
you feel led to go outside of your local house, You must get the approval
and covering of your Pastors and church leaders. I travel extensively
but my Leadership knows exactly where I am. I give them a copy of my
itinerary and ask their blessing and prayers. I have intercessors at
the church that I know have my schedule and pray for me. If you so not
do it that way, you will be out of order and God cannot bless that.
It is OK to be called to itinerant ministry, but not without the knowledge
and blessing of your leadership. Pamela
Question: My dancers just don't seem to "get it." How can I help them to really
enter in when they minister? M. P.
Answer: First of all, our call is to Him, not to ministry. When
you come together to rehearse, you must spend time in worship, not just
working on choreography. Teach them to be worshippers. God is not seeking
dancers, but those who will worship in Spirit and in truth. Encourage
them to have a daily time with God and to develop a real love relationship
with the Savior. Then they can minister from the overflow of having
been with Him. When we fall in love with Jesus, we will carry His fragrance
with us wherever we go and it will be released as we minister. We must
have a private ministry before we can have a public one. Change the
focus of your ministry to worship, not dance. Pamela
Question:
Sister Pam, I believe God is calling me to plan a dance conference.
Where do I begin? D.
Answer: Well Sister D, The first thing you need to do is to pray and make sure
you have God's vision for the event, not your own. It is easy to want
to do something for the Lord without waiting on Him to show you how
to do it! Fast and pray and gather others who can stand with you and
help you -- others who can embrace the vision with you. You can't do
it by yourself. Cover your event in prayer. Get a clear vision as to
the purpose of the conference or seminar. What are your goals? What
do you want to accomplish? Once you have heard from God clearly and
written down the vision (write the vision and make it plain) go to your
leadership and present the vision to them as well. It is best to have
to support of your leadership. When will the conference be? Are there
other events taking place during that time that may conflict with your
event? Where will it be held? If you are not having it at your church
or another church and you are having it at a hotel, be sure to go over
ALL the details before you sign a contract with them. Ask them for all
possible charges and taxes so there will be no surprises. Integrity,
promptness and clear communication is so important when dealing with
people during a conference. COUNT THE COST BEFORE YOU BUILD! If it is
not in the budget of your church, have as much money as you can, if
not all, saved ahead of time. DO NOT count on registrations to come
in if you are a first time conference host. Once you build and begin
to establish a foundation, people will know that you are someone who
does things with excellence they can trust you and plan to attend your
future events. Do not be afraid to charge a registration fee. That goes
toward all your expenses, including paying your teachers. You need someone
to handle Publicity and someone very organized and personable to handle
Registration. Communicate with your teachers often and clearly as to
what they will be teaching. I like to know early. Don't wait until the
last minute to give them their assignment. Pay for travel, food and
lodging for your teachers. Secure non smoking rooms in a very nice hotel.
It helps to be able to focus on the assignment if the surroundings re
comfortable. Get a clear understanding of how much honorarium is to
be given to your teachers. DO NOT SEND THEM AWAY WITHOUT paying them.
DO NOT SAY "I will send it to you later." That is totally
unacceptable. When you work, they pay you on time when they say they
will. Correct? Let's have the same integrity in the body of Christ.
The workman is truly worthy of his hire. Well, I hope this helps you
get started. Let me know what specific questions you may have! Grace
to you- Pamela
Question:
Sister Pam, I know God has called me to dance ministry full time. What
do I do?
Answer: You would probably be surprised how often I hear that
question! First of all, know that our first call is to Jesus Himself.
If we offer our bodies to him as living sacrifices each day and are
daily seeking to be cleansed by Him, drawing closer to Him and desiring
to be conformed into His image, He will make sure to go before us to
prepare the way for whatever He has called us to do. The word says our
gift will make room for us. We cannot and must not try to make room
for ourselves. He found David while tending sheep. He will find you
and release you when your time comes. Until then, be as Mary, Luke 10:39.
Sit at His feet and desire only to know Him and to love Him with all
your heart. Desire to have the heart of a servant. Check your heart
for motives. Ask yourself-why am I desiring this? Is it truly God? Am
I in this for selfish reason? God will give us the faith we need for
the work He calls us into and He alone can open doors that no man can
close. He will do it! Acknowledge Him in all you ways and He will direct
your path Proverbs 3:6. Be anxious for nothing. Let Him do His work
in you and then He can do His work through you. Pamela
Question:
How do I as a leader keep the dancers in our ministry motivated?
Katrina
Answer: Dance leaders must be prayer leaders as well. This will
allow you to hear from God concerning each member of your group. We
must get to know those who labor among us. We must get to know them
by the spirit and encourage the giftings God has put within each one.
Encourage development of each dancer's personal time with God. This
will help them to make their calling and election sure. If they are
truly called to the ministry of dance, the call
itself will motivate them if they have their focus on Christ. Destiny
and purpose will motivate them. Unity in the group is of utmost importance.
Pray together, let them be open to share any struggles they may be having
and build trust and relationships within the dance ministry. Be sure
to study Scriptures that pertain to dance and worship and include times
of spontaneous worship. Don't just gather to rehearse, gather to meet
with God. Each dance meeting should be met with expectation that God
will meet you there. Pamela
Question:
We never have enough time at our rehearsals! What do I do? Sabrina
Answer: That is a good question. Dance ministries meet that challenge
in different ways. You just have to find out which one is right for
your group. Some groups meet more than one time a week. That is a challenge
in this busy
world. Determine what God wants you to accomplish as a ministry then
figure out hat it takes to obey that call. It may require meeting more
than once a week. This may mean sacrificing other things. Some ministries
require their
members to take outside dance classes so the technique is covered and
they can focus on other things during their time together. Others take
a specific period of time to focus on different things, i.e., if you
meet for 3 hours, spend 30 minutes for prayer, 30 minutes for scriptures.
That still leaves 2 hours for choreography or other things you need
to focus on. This may be the best way to go if you only have one night.
Pray. I am sure God will lead you as to what is best for you. Pamela
Question:
Why should I become a member of Christian Dance Fellowship? Dawn
Answer: I am so glad you asked! We need each other! Nobody has
all the answers. We must all work together to exalt the name of Jesus
through the ministry of dance. In order to do this we must know each
other. Let's go beyond our own comfort zone. God wants us to come together
to bring down denominational walls: racial walls. We are in this together.
The person across the street from you may have the answers you need
to help you grow in your ministry. How will you know unless you meet
them? CDF is a network for bringing people together, for educating,
training, edifying and encouraging each other. I encourage you - Join
today!! Become a member of an international network and plan to come
to Dallas in July 2003 to meet dancers from all over the world! You
will be greatly blessed! Pamela
Question: For a long time, the dance teams I have worked with wore "costumes" for dance specials, and normal clothes for praise & worship
dancing. The normal clothes we wore had to be very modest, and had several
guidelines, but we often found it difficult to find clothes in regular
stores that fit those guidelines. So several years ago, we decided to
have praise & worship dance garments made for our team. Ones that we
not as ornate our dance "costumes," but pretty nonetheless.
However,
we have really struggled finding patterns, or ideas that we all like.
And the biggest problem we run into, is variety. Wanting to have at
least 3-4 Praise and Worship garments to wear so we don't have to wear
the same one every Sunday. And then the next problem we run into is
cost. And lastly, finding garments that flatter all our varied shapes.
Do you have any suggestions? Dawn
Answer:
Dawn-thanks for your question. According to Exodus 28: 2, the priests
were to have garments for glory and for beauty. They were to be special
garments used only for ministry in the temple -- not garments for everyday
use. I believe that we need to step up to our priestly call and responsibility.
God did not ask them if they had enough money to do what He asked them
to do. He just told them and they obeyed. That is how me must be in
all things, including garments. He is the King and He is worth the sacrifice.
We seem to find money for everything else but when it comes to garments
for dance ministry, suddenly we are out of money.
Garments
are very necessary and can do a disservice to your ministry instead
of bring glory to God. First, pray and ask God how He wants to be represented
in your dance ministry. We don't have to all dress alike. We should
not follow the pattern of the secular dancer in wearing tight, Lycra,
leotard type dresses with no covering underneath. Leggings are not enough.
They still fit tight to the leg. We must wear loose fitting pants or
culottes to cover ourselves so we will not be a distraction to anyone.
Some ministries prefer to stay with dresses, some with large tops and
pants. There are many varieties of ways we can dress. I still like the
garments by Valerie Henry. The Feast dress with the culottes underneath
seem to work for dancers of various sizes. Also, try sewing the culottes
into the dress to make just one piece. This is a wonderful effect. Silk
Essence is a wonderful, light weight fabric that comes in beautiful
colors. It is easily laundered and travels well. Valerie also has a
men's shirt pattern that can be put with some pants for a wonderful
priestly look for the men. Hope this help! Pray and pay the cost to
be a priest unto God. Pamela
Question:
I
have a personal question in relation to Dancing for the Lord as a Dance
minister.
All
my life that I can remember, I have been singing, dancing, doing drama,
even before I truly came to God. I also studied in a theater company
and qualified as an Arts Administrator. I love to sing, and I always
believed that God is going to use this gift for His Glory.
I
learned dance on the street. In order for us to stay out of trouble
in those days we danced, and it eventually became a lifestyle in the
years that followed. This has been going on from 1982, and it has really
been challenging to dance in the world, but truly not as wonderful as
dancing for the Lord. I have taught what I have learnt over the years
to many teenagers and smaller children for about 2 years of my life,
I even started my own dance school in 1994. I am just starting in the
dance ministry and dance is not the only gift that I am using for God
at this stage. I am also in the music department of our church, singing
in the choir, because this is where I love to be. However, I have placed
the same amount of energy, at most times, to dance as well as singing.
There are times when I focus more on the one than the other. It is difficult
for me, because I feel I have to choose one of the two gifts, in order
to become a minister in either one. My goal, is to one day, in God's
wisdom, become a Pastor in the Arts Ministry. All I want to do, is Praise
and Worship the Lord in whatever form HE chooses, for me, after all,
my Life is in His hands.
What
I want to know is, how would I really know that it's dance that God
wants me to focus on, if I have more than one gift that he has given
us? Warren, South Africa
Answer:
Warren, It sounds like you are just where God wants you to be and you
can see where you are going. As we focus on Christ, He directs us to
the call He has on our lives. You have already opened a dance studio
and you are teaching others -- raising up the next generation. You are
working in the area most dear to you. I encourage you to write a mission
statement for your life. Be sure your vision, dreams and goals are clear
so you can stay focused. That way, you will not spend you energies in
any area not related to your call.
It
is imperative that we know where God has called us to be. Seek Him,
fast and pray so God can speak clearly to your heart. Pray for the eyes
of your understanding to be enlightened Ephesians 1:18. Ask God-what
do you want me to focus on, what do you want me to achieve, what needs
can I meet?
Two
closing thoughts: 1. What you love is a clue to the gift God has given
you. Find out what you love most, what you really care about and direct
your energies there. 2. Allow no distractions, study to show your self
approved and refuse any responsibility unrelated to your assignment.
Get focused, stay focused. Dream BIG! We serve a God who knows no limits!
Pamela
Question:
When you want clarity on what school or course to enroll in, is
it always good to pray about it; then, ask God to confirm it by giving
you a sign or signal? (For example, if the Worship Arts Conservatory
is an excellent school to begin in, allow me the tuition that is needed.)
Could we as ministers get a listing of different schools that offer
courses in theology, dance, etc., other than what is already listed?
Cynthia
Answer:
It is always good to pray about making career or ministry choices so
we can stay safe by remaining in God's perfect will. I think God gives
us signs such as providing tuition, providing time we need to accomplish
goals and objectives, etc. However, we cannot live by signs -- we live
by faith. God says in John 10 my sheep hear my voice and they know and
follow me. The voice of a stranger they will not hear. God wants us
to learn to hear His voice and be sensitive and discerning to know His
will. Even when doors are opened before us, that does not necessarily
mean God wants us to walk through them. He wants us to learn to listen
and obey. The only schools I know of here in the U. S. that offer degrees
in dance is Worship Arts Conservatory (see my website for web address)
and FICU in Merced, CA. That is where I received my Doctor of Ministry
in Dance. Pamela
Question:
I would like to mention my recent observation (not just mine) that if
a person is not very technically trained in the dance that they are
not allowed to join into any of the worship presentations. This seems
to be fairly recent (last year or so). Please note that I have also
noticed that there are more recently, also, a lot of pastors who are
interested in the dance in worship, but they want to "look good" ...
like a class operation. This also is limiting to someone who feels led
to the dance and then finds the door closed to them because they are
not technically trained. Perhaps you could address this issue. I remember
that in the earlier years that anyone with a heart for worship could
partake and then grow in their strength and knowledge of such high praise.
Focus needs to be returned to "Worship To God" and not to look good
before men. Chris
Answer:
Chris, thanks for your sincere concern. Psalm 149:3 and Psalm 150:4
instructs us to praise God in the dance. The word praise in those verses
is the word Halal which means to Shine, to boast, to act clamorously
foolish before God. It means to Celebrate Jesus in the round dance (see
Strong's concordance). Notice it does not say, Praise God in the dance
if you have lots of technical training.
We
are all called to dance before the Lord but we are not all called to
dance before the Lord's people. When you begin to talk about dance as
a ministry of praise and worship, not entertainment, it brings a whole
different light to the subject of dancing before the Lord. There is
no place in the Word of God that says let us sit and watch someone else
dance. Dance is always congregational. So, if we are going to call ourselves
ministers of dance, we has better be about leading the people to the
presence of God or ministering God's word to His people through our
movements.
In
response to your question, each dance ministry needs to ask God how
He wants dance to serve the particular body of Christ that they are
a part of. Some churches allow dance during praise and worship, some
do not. What is the vision and goal of the leadership of the church?
This is an important aspect to consider.
Technique
does not increase one's anointing. It only gives them a larger vocabulary
to express the moves of God. It''s a good thing David did not stop and
say, Wait Lord! Let me go to ballet class first and then I'll dance
before you! When David danced before the Lord, the focus was on the
ark which represented the presence of God in the midst of His people.
The focus was NOT the dance or the dancer. The presence of God is always
what we want. Dance training does not mean that we will have God's presence.
At the same time, we are told that God called those who were skilled.
We can all build on our weaknesses without making it the means to the
end. In many ways, dance is a like a language and we must learn to communicate
clearly by developing a movement vocabulary.
We
must also ask God when, where, how does He want us to dance. Perhaps
our call is not in front of the congregation. Perhaps it to be done
for His eyes only, in our quite time with Him. Perhaps someone is called
to teach the children, to go the streets or even to the nursing homes.
Let
us search our hearts and ask ourselves - Why am I dancing? What are
my motives? Is it OK if God is the only one who ever sees my dances
of worship?
I
believe God has dances from His heart and dances from His throne that
He wants to pour out through us -- dances that will touch the hearts
and lives of His people -- dances that will bring healing and deliverance
-- dances that will inspire others to worship and to seek Him. Let us
remove our own ideas and make room for Him to move and to express Himself
through us -- trained and untrained. Pamela
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