Workshops

workshop

video

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River of Life community flag dying day

billow multi colored

watch you tube video of "praise Adonai"

Davidic Flag Dance

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Worship God in Dance

To worship God with dance is biblical. Celebrate Him in the dance! Psalm 149:3

In the Hebrew tradition, dance was a medium of prayer and expression of joy and was used as a mediator between God and humanity.

The understanding of dance permeated the early Christian church.

In the first five centuries of the Christian church 'dance was still acceptable because it was planted deep in the soil of the Judeo-Christian tradition".(Gagne 1943:43)

Christians were accustomed to celebrating, in dance, at worship and festivals because of the Hebrew tradition of dance.

Christianity was also subjected to the prevailing social and political influences of the Roman Empire. Changing circumstances in the 4th Century thus led to changes in the importance and meaning of dance as well as in the dance material used in Christian liturgy. (Fallon and Wolers 1982:9 )

The Renaissance (1400-1700)

The Renaissance heralded the beginning of substantial changes for Christian dance. Historically, it was a period of great upheaval. In 1455 books began being printed and this encouraged an emphasis on intellect, so that the mind was perceived of greater importance than the body in religious growth. The protestant Reformation (1517-1529) and the Roman Catholic Counter Reformation evidenced by the Council of Trent wrought enormous changes to the perceived use and value of dance in the Christian context. Adams 1990:23)

Ultimately, however, it was the Reformation, which tended, in its extreme forms to do away with Christian dance. All dances and processions, except funeral processions were abolished. Adams 1990:25)

The Reformation (1517-1529)

The leaders of the Protestant Reformation were highly critical of traditional church customs. They sought to suppress the use of icons, the worship of saints, and pilgrimages and processions. They preached the renunciation of the world and intensified the struggle between soul and body by placing greater emphasis on the mind. The connection between the body, dance and eroticism was openly acknowledged, and Christians were taught not to glorify the body.(Fallon and Wolbers 1982:15)

Yet the early leaders of the Protestant Reformation were not anti-dance. Martin Luther (c.1525) wrote a carol for children entitled From Heaven High in which two stanzas support the role of song and dance in worship.Gagne 1984:59)

CONCLUSION

Dance within the Christian context, having sprung from the Jewish tradition, was embraced by the early church as an integral part of celebrations and of worship. During the Middle Ages various influences affected the development of Christian dance and despite increasing proscription's concerning its value and use, it survived as a sacred dance form. However, with the commencement of the reformation, the dance was forced out of its placed in the liturgical celebrations of the Christian church, and with few exceptions flourished instead in the secular realm.

Gradually, with the renewal of the Church in the twentieth century, including liturgical renewal, dance has begun to find increasing acceptance in the worship life of the church once again. It has a rich and biblical tradition. dance offers an enormous range of forms and expressions in worship from the carefully choreographed dramatic presentation to the spontaneous worship and celebration of individuals and congregations of all ages. Lucinda Coleman

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