Dance and the Bible.
I wrote this in October of 2014 while an undergrad at Texas State University. It was the start of a long process in getting Psalm 149 Dance Ministries started and connecting dance to Biblical principles as well as influential figures in the dance world to Christianity. I pray that if you are taking the time to read this that you would open your hearts to be receptive of what God is trying to tell you with this information. I pray that it would inspire you to use the talents God has blessed you with to praise, worship and bring glory to our Lord and Savior!!
All throughout history there has been direct connections between dance and the Bible. The Bible talks about dance, and there are countless dances related to the Bible. There have been several Biblical events and locations featured in Ballets and numerous Modern dancers have based their careers on dance as a spiritual pursuit. I personally began dancing as a spiritual pursuit, and believe that art is something that is God given and that it should be used to glorify him and spread the Gospel. God created dance as an act of worship by mankind, and that act of worship has remained true throughout history. I want to touch on the historical markers of religious dance, as well as the Biblical implications of dance and individual perspectives on its use.
In early medieval times, Biblical dances were found all throughout the world of dance in ballets and even theatre. “The rich dramatic Biblical situations supply some choreographers with ready-made scaffolds upon which to erect their dances. For others, the Psalms or the Book of Job are the means to convey philosophical thought in terms abstract, yet concrete enough to accommodate dance, the most physical of art forms, in which the sensual and spiritual meet” (Manor 23). Stories of King Saul in Ein Dor, the scene of Christ’s first miracle in the village of Cana in which Jesus turned water into wine, and even in Nazareth David uttering in despair at the loss of King Saul and Jonathan fallen in battle have all been featured in Ballets (Manor 12). One of the major sources of Biblical dance is the Compania de Jesus, or Jesuit schools that employed the theatrical stage geared towards education, of which dance quickly became an important component. They created works based on Biblical subjects like Nebuchadnezzar, Goliath, and Juditha (Manor 26).
When Modern dance began making its mark on dance history at the turn of the twentieth century, choreographers again were turning to the Bible for choreographic inspiration. “The list of Modern choreographers inspired by the Bible is a long one. To name but a few: Martha Graham, Josè Limon, Lester Horton, Harald Kreutzberg, Glen Tetley, Charles Weidman, Norman Walker, Anna Sokolow, and Serge Lifar” (Manor 20). Some of the major pioneers of Modern Dance either believed that their movement was originating from something that was greater than themselves, or, like Ruth St. Denis, truly believed that dance was a religious/spiritual pursuit. St. Denis was devoted to the belief that behind each corporeal gesture was a spiritual or emotional motivation (Shelton xv). She once made the statement: “…in some mystic hour I shall move to unheard rhythms of the cosmic orchestra of heaven and you will know the language of my wordless poems…” (Shelton). She began working with Christian scientists because they advocated spiritual healing and believed in the primacy of mind over matter. At one point in her life she went through a summer of spiritual discovery in which she meditated on the teachings of Christian Science, she committed to making her career not about competition but about spiritual enlightenment. (Shelton 10, 47-8) “The intensified spirituality of Ruth’s dances reflected the growth in her spiritual life. By instinct and inheritance, she was a mystic who sought the direct experience of, and union with, God” (Shelton 93). Ruth attributed her long life to dance, and said that in the moments when she was dancing she was beyond time and space; “when she danced all the ‘error’ that blighted her Christian faith, all her money problems, the confusions and personal problems dissolved, the sense of age, vanished, and she found her truest self” (Shelton 261).
Along with Ruth, Ted Shawn was also heavily influenced in his work by Christian Science. The two of them bonded on their mutual love of dance, their spirituality and the fact that to him, Ruth “represented the pinnacle of his personal and professional aspirations” (Shelton 121). When he first saw her perform he “dedicated himself to a spiritual dance” (Shelton 121). Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn also inspired some of the people that they worked with to pursue spiritual dance including writer Henrietta Buckmaster (Shelton 249). Ted Shawn continued his spiritual pursuit after his separation from Ruth St. Denis and founded his own dance foundation, Jacob’s Pillow, which is actually named by the original owners of the property for the allusion to the book of Genesis in which Jacob is laying his head on a rock and dreaming about a ladder to heaven ("Jacob's Pillow Dance"). Understanding that some of the most influential figures in dance history were inspired by these Biblical motifs is just the first step in understanding how connected dance and the Bible are. Aside from the dramatic happenings in the Bible that have inspired choreography, the Bible itself references dance.
One of the first times that art is mentioned in the Bible is in Exodus. The entire book of Exodus is based on God’s idea of the arts. Exodus 31:3 states “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills.” What is really interesting about this particular verse of the Bible is the fact that there is no separation between the words “Spirit of God” and “with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills.” So what the scripture is saying in this moment is not that there is a division between being filled with the Spirit of God and your talent, but rather that those skills and that knowledge is the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God lives within us, and this fact is not separate from art, but rather intertwined and correlated. An artist fulfilling this feeling of creativity is not going against God but rather fulfilling what he has given to his people to glorify him. Not only are these two ideas not separate, but God commands his people to use them to glorify him; “I have given the ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you” (Ex 31:6). Looking deeper into Exodus, the scripture goes on to explain to the people of God who have been blessed with these gifts that God says to give him anything that their hearts prompt them to, and he will show them how to make it into something wonderful and he will dwell within it (Ryan). Art is important to God because it reveals a glimpse of what is in Heaven, and allows people to access a part of himself that cannot be found elsewhere. In Hebrews 8:5 it is discussing the sanctuary that Moses was instructed to build using his God given talents and it says that “it is a copy and shadow of what it is in Heaven.” In Colossians 3:23 God tells his people “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” These are among many verses that give readers a glimpse of what God intended for art (Adams 225).
Dancing is one of those issues that have come into question when Christians analyze the Bible. The distinction between religious dance and secular dance was previously nonexistent. “Dance was bound up with life itself, and life was intimately bound up with religion” (Blogg 9). Many have made the argument that dance is something that is Biblically prohibited because a division between religious and secular dance has formed over time; however, there are several places in the scripture in which dance is mentioned, none of which contribute any validity to that statement. In fact, whenever dance is mentioned in the scripture, it is either in reference to joy or praise. In Exodus 15:20, Judges 11:34, and 1 Samuel 18:6-7, the people of God are dancing in celebration of seeing loved ones. Dance is presented as a form of merriment, happiness and admiration continually throughout scripture. In Psalms 30:11 the scripture speaks of the wondrous things God has done and says “you have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.” The majority of the Biblical references to God seem to happen because of an overwhelming feeling of joy, in 2 Samuel 6:14, David dances before the Lord with all of his might. God tells us to use dance to glorify him; in Psalms 149:3 it states, “let them praise his name with dancing.” God is our creator; therefore, God is the artist who created beauty. Anything that we create is to glorify God, our creator. Many dancers throughout history have either felt this, or based their choreography off of this sensation that dance is something that can take over, and it is not just about the artist. One of my favorite Bible verses is John 1:14, “the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Blogg 72). This is in reference to Jesus being the truth, the life, and the way. Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh, and I believe that the word of God can be expressed through the body in the same way that Jesus was the word of God.
The rudimentary instrument of expression in dance is the body. In scripture, the bodies are given a special place; the “body is the temple of the holy spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19). Our bodies are a manifestation of God’s art. If this is so, than how can dance be conceived as inappropriate or even Biblically prohibited in the eyes of some Christians? I believe where the idea of dance being something that is “Biblically prohibited” came about fairly recently in society due to the great divide between life and religion. Schism has come to play an enormous role in how society is ran, and with that comes a separation of religion and dance, giving dance a new image. However, the Bible does tell us that there is a time to dance, in Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 scripture clearly states, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: … a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4). The difference here between religious dance and secular dance is simply that dance is a form of joy in contrast to mourning (Feeney). Dance also becomes an issue in the eyes of Christians because many believe that if misused, it can lead to idolatry. They believe that some of the times that religious dance is utilized, the focus leans towards the performers and performance rather than what the dance is attempting to convey (Blogg 141).
Another reason for this negative image is simply the negative image of the body. “Because of the deeply ingrained conditioned negative attitudes toward the body… we tend to find it difficult accommodating the body with a ‘clean’ and proper healthy perception” (Blogg 117). Dance receives a bad image mainly because it is an expression of the body, and due to the fact that only the choreographer can truly understand the intention behind their movement choices the movement can easily be misinterpreted and perceived as being something inappropriate. Choreography cannot be taken for a face value; a movement is more than just a body position, it has meaning and intention. John 7:24 teaches us not to judge by appearances, and I believe that this should be applied with dance as well. In order to avoid dance becoming about something secular and undermining faith, “dance as a form of religious expression must be rooted in scripture” (Blogg 71). It is when the dance is rooted in something other than scripture that the bad image some Christians assign dance becomes justified. “However right dance is in itself, and right for us as Christian dancers, if it is a stumbling block for others, if it undermines the faith, then in that sense of truth the dance becomes wrong” (Blogg 49). I argue that those opposed to the use of dance as a form of religious expression because of these reasons are missing out on something incredible. Just because some people have abused their power and preached things that are not accurate according to scripture, does not mean that the gospel should not be expressed with words. “The misuse of a good thing is not a reason for its non-use” (Blogg 124). In the same breath, just because dance has been deliberately abused and used inappropriately, does not mean it should be removed as a form of Biblical expression.
Martin Blogg discovered a process to create dance that does not undermine Biblical principles, and highlights the scripture rather than the choreography or the dancer. He based his findings on New Testament conceptions of what true worship is. The fact of the matter is, that true worship involves the whole body surrounded by the Holy Spirit. The dancer’s mind, body and heart have to be involved in the worship, and there cannot be any neglect towards any of these dimensions. The body and the heart are expressions of the mind; therefore, the mind must be set on scripture and spiritual enlightenment in order to convey that in the heart and the body. With the body, worship must also be accompanied by a rightful mind and heart so that the mind and heart can be accompanied by rightful actions (Blogg 92). As for the heart, “If our hearts are hard then we worship in vain” (Matt. 15:9). Without the heart, you can hear but not comprehend and see, but never perceive what is in front of you (Matt. 13:14). Lastly, the three-fold involvement of body, mind, and heart must be embodied by the Holy Spirit. Our worship comes from ourselves; “as Christians we do not have a body: we are our body. When we are exhorted to worship with our whole selves this must necessarily be the body not as a part of something, but ourselves” (Blogg 93).
“All that exists is God’s gift to man, and it all exists to make God known to man” (Constance 24). It is important to not let the negative depictions of religious dance prevent the dances from continuing. Understanding how to prevent the negative images from being applicable and accepting that intentions can be easily misinterpreted is how to continue with religious dance. People learn and comprehend information in different ways; Christians are called to be disciples and dance is an important method in spreading the Gospel. “Dancing has been used in Christian worship to reveal God” (Adams 43) and just as God uses music and speech to save his people, he can also use dance. God is able to take the most misguided attempts of discipleship and use them for his glory. “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. If you belong to Jesus, you are called, and He will give you the qualification you need to serve” ("God Can Use Any one or thing for His Glory"). Everyone has their own God given talents and is called to use them to bring Glory to God and be disciples of his word (Constance 24-5).
For me personally, researching this topic has been an enlightening experience because my pursuit in dance has a direct correlation with my pursuit for a relationship with Christ. I originally set out to explore what has been done and is being done in this area and found a vast history and archive of religious dance that I was completely unaware of. There has been so much work in this area that is not readily available information so this really required me to dig deep for resources; however, once discovered, God blessed me with far more information than I could have imagined. I would have liked to dig deeper into the other historical figures who have done work in this area, and also into what is currently being done. I discovered that there has been a slight decline in the amount of religious dance and would love to not only discover why that is, but to also return it to its’ former prevalent state and even take it farther with Psalm 149 Dance and implement it as an important part of the dance world.
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