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Christian Dance
Dance can indeed be a form of worship and sacred celebration. The
Bible cites many passages where God's people are encouraged to
"praise His name with dancing". Dance is a very natural human
expression of joy and deeply felt emotions. When the act of dancing
is in response to our receiving from God or as an offering of
thanksgiving, praise, or intimate gesture of worship, we can rightly
term "dancing before the Lord", (whether spontaneous or
choreographed) in aiding to identify our expression. This is
actually the term used in scripture when spoken of how King David
danced before the Lord with all his might as he responded to the
presence and joy of the Lord that he so yearned for.
The term "Christian dance" however does and should have several
means of identification in its concept. One thought would be dance
offered in a liturgical, religious or ministry sense. This may be
where the dancer desires to express their personal devotion to Jesus
Christ through dance, whereas the dance functions as an enactment of
personal worship that can be expressed both privately and publicly.
The Christian dancer may also see their dancing as a form of
creative evangelism or expressive witness in offering a visual
expression of Christian faith or a Gospel theme presentation in
hopes of drawing others into a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Another approach or expression of Christian dance is the idea of the
Christian person who pursues a vocational and professional calling
within the art of dance. This dancer has perhaps discovered a
natural and undualistic fusion between their faith and art form.
They are Christian people living out their faith in Christ in their
vocations as dance artists. These dancers are pursuing dance as an
art form that should bring glory to God simply by being an
expression of one of His good and perfect gifts to humanity. These
dancers, though Christians, may not be led in the same path of
calling as those Christian dancers who have embraced dance for the
purpose of personal and corporate worship or as a means for creative
evangelism. |
Beyond the Barriers of Labels
For these dancers, dance is their professional work and belief in
Christ is their confession of faith. They are involved in the
mainstream culture of dance and are called to live out their faith
with Christian liberty while being the salt and light to the
community in which they are called. These dancers, teachers,
choreographers recognize the wholeness of the Lordship of Jesus
Christ and feel a great affection to display the marvelous beauty
and truth of our Creator and Lord in creative offerings that serve
our world in various ways, not just devotional expressions or
creative evangelism.
Jesus took a towel to wash the disciples feet. It was not a
"Christian" towel. The towel was not sacred or holy or religious by
any means. The towel was an ordinary towel in the hands of an
extraordinary Savior. The towel was there as an instrument of
service to other people. The towel could be offered to help in
"washing the feet of others". The towel was an extension and
expression of the grace, the beauty, the truth, the cleansing and
healing offered by the Master who humbled himself to be a servant to
those he loved. The Master did this an an example to those who would
follow Him, that they too would take their towels of servitude and
"go into the world" and wash the feet of of soiled and broken
humanity.
Christian dancers, Christians that are dancers, dancers that are
Christians - Is the term and label so important? What is of true
importance is that we are taking up the dancing towels of our lives
and washing the feet of humanity as we walk in the path of service
we have been given by grace. Whether you dance in the church, on the
mission field or on the Broadway stage, may all be done to the glory
of God with passion and conviction and a clear understanding of our
roles as servants in this world given precious gifts whereby we
honor God and bless our world.
-iTapLive!
followers of Christ, professional dance artists, worshippers
of God and creative servants to mankind and not confused about it
all! |
