Worship God in dance

Dance was an integral part of the celebrations of the ancient Israelites. It was used both in worship and on occasions of triumphant victory and festivity.

The sacred dance mediated between God and humanity, thus bringing the Israelites into a closer relationship with their God, Jehovah.

In the Old Testament, there are many instances where people are exhorted to praise God with ‘dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre’ (Psalm 149:3), and to ‘praise him with timbrel and dance’ (Psalm 150:4).

The types of dance used in Israelite society included the circular or ring dance, as well as the processional dance. These were often used to celebrate specific events as when David and the people of Israel danced before the Ark of the Lord, which represented the presence of God (2 Samuel 6:14).

In the first five centuries of the Christian church dance celebrated in dance, at worship and festivals because of the Hebrew tradition of dance.

Seeking unity

Similarly, in the Catholic Church during the meetings of the Council of Trent, the intention was less on the abolition of sacred dance, than on seeking unity in liturgical and theological matters. The Council’s decrees, however, stifled creativity and growth within the church drama scene. In 1566, statues of the synod of Lyons for example, threatened priests and other persons with excommunication if they led dances in churches or cemeteries.

This led to the eradication of liturgical dance, processions, and most visual arts, leaving only the arts of painting, preaching and music unscathed.

In the post Reformation period both the Protestant and Catholic Church firmly attempted to close the door on creative expression of dance in the liturgy.

Gradually, with the renewal of the church in the 20th Century, including liturgical renewal, dance has begun to find increasing acceptance in the worship life of the church once again.

— Evelyne Ogutu