PowerPoint Presentation

WELCA Spring Conference Assembly 2014Pastor Becca EhrlichPraising God in the Dance

What does praise/liturgical dance have to do with the price of bananas?When is the last time you used your body to praise or worship God?

Why are Mainline Protestants (Lutherans included) so heady in their spirituality and worship? Where is the connection between head/heart/body?

Trip to Tanzania, Africa

Dancers are the athletes of God. Albert Einstein

What are we going to talk about?Ancient Religious DanceEarly Christian DanceDistrust of Dance and the Shakers saying nanananana!Dance in the BibleRisks & Benefits of using Liturgical/Praise DanceThings to Consider When Using Dance in Worship*Dance Breaks all throughout the talk!!*

Ancient Religious DanceUsing dance in worship of God is NOT NEW! Its been used in ancient communities, through to today.

Most religious dance is community-based- that is, done in community rather than alone.

Its important to look at different traditions to understand dance in the context of worship and spirituality.

We will briefly look at five examples of ancient religious dance.

Belly DancingNothing like the highly-sexualized version seen in restaurants and cabarets todayWas danced by women, only for womens eyesDanced around the woman when she was in labor & would undulate their bodies so the woman could imitate their motions and deliver the baby quickly and less painfullyDancing to please God(s) for a safe deliveryAfter the delivery, dancers would continue to dance to thank God(s) for successful birthStill done in North Africa and parts of the Middle East

Jewish DancingAncient Israelites danced in many instances (we will see some of this in the Old Testament later in the talk)Both males and females danced in praise and thanks to GodThe Hasidic Jews in Eastern Europe and America continue this tradition (think Fiddler on the Roof)The Jewish dance tradition continues to present day, such as the Hora (Who wants to try???)

Ancient Greek DancingNot much known about this, although many Greek plays and Greek art tell of dances done by males and females at festivals for the gods Dionysus and CorybantesTwo remnants of Ancient Greek dance still done today fire dancing and Melevi whirling dervishesFire dancing is done to celebrate St. Helena and the recovery of the True CrossWhirling dervishes still spinning in Anatolia in the religious life of the local people

Fire DancingWhirling Dervishes

African Dance Many African tribes and communities have a rich history of dancing in worship to godsThe Yoruba people especially have this tradition they dance to praise and thank their deities, always in a community context, usually to drumming patterns that inform the dancePeople of the community usually stand in a circle and dance, while some come into the center and dance as wellSometimes they participate in possession danceDance is a huge part of the religious life of the community

Bharata Natyam (Classical Indian Dance)Female Bharata Natyam dancers traditionally danced in Hindu temples, they are called devadasi, or servant of GodDancers were symbolically married to the temple deity, were born into the class of dancersThis marriage to the deity took precedence over dancers abilities Indian dancers continue the tradition of the dance today

Dance Break!Lets learn some Bharata Natyam mudras!

Mudra #1: Alapadma A fully bloomed LotusTo show fruits such as AppleCircular movementBosomA full MoonHair knotShow BeautySeparation from dear oneA MirrorA VillageCakravaka BirdHigh Altitudes

Mudra #2Anjali---Means offeringAlso used in real life as a greeting, with the word namaste ("I bow to the divinity within you from the divinity within me.)

Mudra #3Katakaamukha opening in a braceletPlucking or picking flowersHolding a necklace or a garlandPulling the bow stringTalking and SeeingTo show preparing a paste of sandal or muskOffering Beetle leaves

What can we learn about dance in a religious context from these ancient examples?Dance occurs in a community context, rather than just for oneselfPeople danced for their God(s) in thanks and praiseAll of these dances included women, sometimes at the exclusion of men (like belly dancing and Bharata Natyam)

Early Christian DancingEarly Christians still considered themselves Jews, and so they continued to use dance in praise and worshipIsraelites had a different view of the body than Western medieval Christians through to present dayChristians tend to favor intellect and soul over the body; worship tends to favor the soul and intellectAlthough body may be used for gestures, the Christian worship act includes standing/sitting still, thinking/listening, and contemplating concepts that speak to the soul while ignoring the bodyJewish thought, though, does not separate the body from mind & soulOld Testament view= whole being, no separation or hierarchy of mind/soul/bodyThis is why early Christians did not question the use of dance as a worship act

The Beginning of DistrustUnfortunately, dance during worship started to be seen as blasphemous, and fell into disuse.

The early Christian church used dance frequently in worship. Processionals, confession through movement, dances of thanksgiving, and re-enacting the scripture through dance were all common practices in liturgy. As time progressed, the dances became more and more elaborate and were seen by some as performances that were lacking a true spirit of worship in their focus and, thus, idolatrous. By the time of the Reformation and the centuries following, dance, as well as many other art forms, was almost totally removed from the Reformed liturgy due to a break from practices of the Roman Catholic Church, a turning away from iconography, and a movement toward more rationalistic, intellectual expression of theology in worship. (Edyth I. Potter, Dance: A Movement Back to the Visual. Reformed Liturgy and Music (Summer 1994))

Its because of this distrust that centuries later, still today, we hesitate to use dance in a worship setting.

Other Reasons the Church Began to Distrust DancingDance was associated with pagan rituals, many dealing with fertility (i.e. Maypole)Dance was also associated with dinner parties; Church had the Lords Supper and didnt want the connection to secular parties known for intoxication and stripteases (No, Im not joking)Later on, the Church wanted to separate itself from Judaism, so because dance was part of Jewish worship, they wanted nothing to do with itThe Enlightenment (start= late 17th century Europe) valued individuality and human reason to solve problems- doesnt jive with the physical and spiritual act of liturgical dance. Intellect is better.Victorian Era (1837-1901) valued bodily control and keeping emotions and spirituality in check. Intellectualism was honored above all and dancing was treated as frivolous- OK in social situations but not OK in religious or intellectual settings

Oh, and the PuritansGroup of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuriesBelieved dancing was foolish, spurred on deviant sexual behavior, and took time away from working and studying the BibleOliver Cromwell, strict Puritan ruler of England, in the 1650s outlawed the consumption of alcohol along with theatre and danceThe pilgrims who came to America were Puritans and continued the practice of not allowing danceIs it any wonder we have a distrust for dance in worship today????

The American Shakers Didnt CareGroup derived from English Christian QuakersEmbraced the use of dance in worship because it fostered cooperation and recognized the equality of the sexesDancing would include clapping and stomping while singing, in order to give thanks and praise GodThey horrified the Puritans!The Shakers recognized the Scriptural basis for dancing in thanks and praise, while other Christians did not

Dance Break!If You Know That Jesus Loves You

Dance in the BibleIts no secret that in the Bible, there are many, many instances where peopled danced when words failed them. They were moved to express their emotions in the physical action of dancing. This includes prayer, worship, praise, thanks, etc.More instances of dance for worship happen in the Old Testament than the New Testament, but this does not mean the use of dance diminished in New Testament times--Many scholars have pointed out that in Aramaic (the everyday language Jesus and his followers spoke), the words dance and rejoice were the same word!So, in Aramaic, the language undergirding the Greek in the New Testament, rejoicing and dancing were the same thing! So actually, there are MORE instances of dancing in the NT than the OT! Dancing and rejoicing were always connected!

Some Examples of Dance in the BiblePsalm 1501Hallelujah! Praise God in the holy temple;praise God in the mighty firmament.2Praise God for mighty acts;praise God for exceeding greatness.3Praise God with trumpet sound;praise God with lyre and harp.4Praise God with tambourine and dance;praise God with strings and pipe.5Praise God with resounding cymbals;praise God with loud clanging cymbals.6Let everything that has breathpraise the LORD. | Hallelujah!

Psalm 150Praising God with instruments and dancingThis psalm is one of the many Scriptures that liturgical dancers point to in order to show praise and worship through dance is very much Biblically based.Other psalm examples that mention dance:Psalm 87 (all sing in their festive dance) Psalm 149 (praise Gods name in festive dance)

Dance break!Dancing Psalm 150

2 Samuel 6:14-1614David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. 15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.16As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

2 Samuel 6:14-16This is a portion of a larger story, where the Israelites gain victory over the Philistines and rejoice in a procession while moving the ark to a new placeThe people danced in joy of their victory, including David, who danced before the Lord with all his mightHis wife, Michal, was upset. Some people read her reaction as if its due to Davids lack of clothing, but many scholars read it as her anger at Davids emotional uncovering because he danced in an uninhibited way. He danced and gave all mind, soul AND body-- to praise and worship God. She wasnt comfortable with his vulnerability in praise dancing.Dancing in worship, then, means that we are able to bare our souls to those gathered and to God in a wholistic way

Exodus 15:20-2120Then the prophet Miriam, Aarons sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. 21And Miriam sang to them: Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.

This is after the parting of the Red Sea and the Israelites successfully escape the Egyptian pursuers, due to Gods interventionMiriam lead the women in praise and thanks to God for helping the Israelites escapeIt is interesting that it is only the women who dance in this instanceA Biblical precedent to physically share in the joy of Gods action in our lives through dance and song and instruments

Ecclesiastes 3:4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

This is the section where each sentence starts A time to and a time to. The first thing is sad, the second thing is joyful or beneficial.Dance is established as something that is done in time of happiness and joy.There IS a time to dance!

Matthew 14:6-11 [and Mark 6:22-28]6But when Herods birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod 7so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter. 9The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; 10he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother.

She asked for WHAT???Although this seems like a horrible light to put dance in, it actually illustrated the POWER dance and dancers have.Herod offers the dancer (Salome?) ANYTHING she wants. She even had the power to ask for the death of another human being.Shows that dance is a powerful medium that has lasting impressions longer than the dance itself.

Just In Case You Thought Liturgical Dance Is Only For the Young.

Risks of Using Liturgical DanceDances sexual aspectsChristians tend to view anything having to do with the body with fear/distrust, many times because of possible sexual implicationsThis is especially true when females dance our society has taught us that women are responsible for exciting men with our bodiesIn addition, as talked about before, many groups in our history deemed dance as too sexual and banned it (i.e. Puritans)This baggage relating to bodies may be a hindrance to others seeing dance as a worship act

Risks (cont)Tendency towards individualismMany times, dancers can become so involved in their personal striving for a relationship with God through dance that they lose sight of the fact that their dancing should also aid others in their conversation with God. Even if only a few people are dancing and the rest of the congregation is watching, the dance should be a beneficial community act. The congregation should feel a part of the action, not just passive observers watching other dancers enjoy an experience they can not.

Risks (cont)Dances Inherent AwkwardnessSince dance is not currently a mainstay in worship, there is an awkwardness about itMost people are unfamiliar with dance as an art to begin with, and dancing in front of people with little or no familiarity with dance can be confusing and frustrate people who are used to their usual type of worshipAlso, some worship spaces do not have dance space far enough away from the congregation. The dancers may be physically too close to the people worshipping, and this can cause discomfort, both for the dancers and the congregation

Risks (cont)The Risk of SpectacleSome churches throw in things (props, videos, certain music, dance) in order to keep people interested, especially seekers and new ChristiansThese things arent wrong to use in themselves; but their use should be to help people worship God, not just to make the worship service interestingDance shouldnt be used just to jazz up worship service, it should be used to help people feel close to God in a new and physical way

Benefits of Using Liturgical DanceIntegration of the Spiritual and the PhysicalAs we said before, most worship services involved standing/sitting and listening/reading The majority of worship is a sit-still, be quiet eventThere is an implication that spirituality and worship is only perceived by the intellectBy using dance as a part of worship, people will have the opportunity to combine the intellectual aspect of worship with the physical/emotional aspects of worshipPeople can begin to realize that the body can be used to worship God just as much as the mind and soul can. Using the body can indeed be a spiritual experience

Benefits (cont)Exposing People to a New Way to WorshipAs we said before, most people have little or no experience with dance, especially dance in a worship settingOur worship services are, by and large, the same every weekThis can be a great thing, but there are also times its important to show people different ways of worshipping God not everyone connects to God in the same wayDance is also a way to show people that when words fail us when speaking to or about God, there are other ways to express ourselves

Benefits (cont)Integration of Sacred Music and Sacred DanceMusic is a big part of our worship services, and using dance with singing can add a whole new dimension to the music that wasnt there beforeMany times, the same songs/hymns are sung pretty regularly because the congregation knows them and is comfortable with themAdding dance to a familiar song may open up the congregations eyes to a new way of looking at the songs they can sing by rote.

Benefits (cont)Involvement of (Restless) Youth and AdultsMany youth and young adults do not come to church because it feels antiquated to themDance can bridge our traditions with the here and nowYouth are frequently open to trying dance and it can help them in their spiritual lives and in their sense of belonging in the Church

Benefits (cont)The Building of CommunityMany congregation members and attenders dont have anything to do with other congregation members/attenders the rest of the weekUsing dance in worship can help people feel like they are more part of the congregation rather than just individuals who attend worshipDance is and should be a community action that binds us together as fellow Christians thanking and praising GodThe use of dance, whether everyone is involved in the actual dancing or not, makes the worship more participatory rather than a select few reading and talking to the congregation

Dance Break!Dancing the Doxology

Aspects to Consider when Using Liturgical Dance

GoalsWhat are you trying to accomplish by using dance in worship?

Some goals that weve learned today:Fostering a sense of communityAn atmosphere of thanking and praising GodMaking sure both women and men feel like they can be included (and different age groups)Helping people connect to God through worship and prayerAny others for your particular setting?

Preparing the CongregationSince most people have no experience with dance at all, incorporating dance into worship without first preparing the congregation will only shock and confuse themThe congregation can be prepared by having the pastor or someone else explain why dance is being used and its benefitsAlso, dance can be gradually introduced in non-liturgical settings such as community nights, retreats and conferences before being utilized in worshipIf the congregation is prepared, they will be more open to the benefits of dance as a spiritual experience

Preparing the DancersSome things the liturgical dancers need to understand and prepare for before dancing in worship:By dancing at a worship service, they are worship leaders; they are leading a worship act that will be experienced by everyone presentBy dancing, they are externalizing their relationship with GodDancers should attend workshops in their spiritual art whenever possible; musicians and pastors attend trainings, and liturgical dancers should not be an exception

Trained Dancers vs. Congregational DancingBefore using dance in liturgy, it must be established if only the members of the congregation trained in dance will be doing the dancing (or people new to dance who have learned movements for this purpose), or if everyone present will be participating in the actual movementThe choreographer and dancers should understand the benefits and risks of both and choose what they think will be most appropriate for the liturgyIf congregational dancing is chosen, the movements should be simple and easy to pick up

The Use of Space and TimingThis is something most people dont think about, but its very important how will the worship space be used during the dancing?Many worship areas do not have ideal spaces in which dance can occurIts been suggested that architectural obstacles (baptismal fonts, alters, different floor levels, banners) should be worked with instead of against, since these are the very stuff of Christian symbolismIt should also be considered when to put the use of dance in the liturgy. Processionals, recessionals, the presentation of the Eucharist, readings, and other portions of liturgy can lend themselves the use of dance better than others.

Dance Break! What body movements make you think of/feel closer to God?

By participating in liturgical dance, we are connected to both our ancestors who danced in the past, and to our fellow Christians who dance in the present. We are connecting to God in an all-encompassing way!

Thats all, folks!Any questions or comments??