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major conflict of issues - DPWT - 06-04-2006

HI! everyone,

My Name is Tina Richardson and I've danced off and on since High School. Late 30ish now. Right now I belong to a Semi-Professional Dance Troupe and is having a major conflict of issues. Every one in the group are Christians and were often invited to dance at different events. My problem is the why they approch the Worship Dance. I like to study the song, find the mode of prayer, anoint the receiver of the word in dance and so on and they just go and dance. I feel it time for me to go back into the church and dance but, here in Hinesville, GA dance is more expected than when I first started a group that I still use the name Divine Praise Lyrical Dance Troupe, a troupe of 1. I would dance freely or rehearsed every week. As far as garments. When I danced in the church in the early 90's dress was a major issue. The pastors wanted us in White from head to toe. Pants under the dress and everthing. I wasn't aware of the Jewish Feast Dress and the Pagentry as a whole like now. I wanted color. Warfare colors, Holy colors, Feast colors it would have been great but White all the time. OK! I'm a rebel I wore a black circle skirt over the white with a Royal Blue sash ( We're not under the LAW was the song) and needless to say the group that I started went out and dance without me knowing and I was so hurt I stopped dancing for 10 plus years. -_-

Thank You! for being apart of what GOD is doing in my LIFE for HIM. Tina



major conflict of issues - HelenaZF - 06-06-2006

Hi Tina, and welcome! I gave your post it's own topic because I think you raise some issues that others will have comments on, and I didn't want your post to get lost in the other thread .

major conflict of issues - Margolit - 06-12-2006

DPWT,Jun 4 2006, 07:33 PM Wrote:HI! everyone,

My Name is Tina Richardson and I've danced off and on since High School. Late 30ish now. Right now I belong to a Semi-Professional Dance Troupe and is having a major conflict of issues. Every one in the group are Christians and were often invited to dance at different events. My problem is the why they approch the Worship Dance. I like to study the song, find the mode of prayer, anoint the receiver of the word in dance and so on and they just go and dance.  I feel it time for me to go back into the church and dance but, here in Hinesville, GA dance is more expected than when I first started a group that I still use the name Divine Praise Lyrical Dance Troupe, a troupe of 1. I would dance freely or rehearsed every week. As far as garments. When I danced in the church in the early 90's dress was a major issue. The pastors wanted us in White from head to toe. Pants under the dress and everthing. I wasn't aware of the Jewish Feast Dress and the Pagentry as a whole like now. I wanted color. Warfare colors, Holy colors, Feast colors it would have been great but White all the time. OK! I'm a rebel I wore a black circle skirt over the white with a Royal Blue sash ( We're not under the LAW was the song) and needless to say the group that I started went out and dance without me knowing and I was so hurt I stopped dancing for 10 plus years.  -_-

Thank You! for being apart of what GOD is doing in my LIFE for HIM. Tina
Hi, Tina, and welcome. My name's Margolit. As I read your post, I saw more than one issue:



- the way the dance/performance is approached within the group

- the question of dress as it relates to the pastors (plural?) expectations

- the group dancing without you





But there are also other things not mentioned that caught my attention. Two of the primary are:



- what is the mission statement (purpose) of the troup? Why do you dance? Is it a ministry and outreach tool? Is it to enhance and strengthen the worship experience? Is it to work closely with the worship team and other performers? Are you there to assist and work with the churches and other organizations? I believe this is crucial to any group or organization, including yours.



Above all, to me, the reason for such a dance troup should first and always be to glorify G-d. It is He who has given each of you the gift, and love, of dance. Everything else should come after. It is not, nor should it ever be, about the dancers, choreographer(s), or any of the individuals involved. I can say from my own experience as a dance-ministry co-leader, that the minute this gets lost, problems arise, and more importantly, it gives the enemy a foothold. But this I'm sure you already know.



Do you have anything in writing that defines who and what you are, and what you, as a group, see as your mission and/or aim for? If not, perhaps you should draft such a document to clarify things for yourselves, as well as to help you when you go out to churches, etc.



- the troup's decision-making process itself: the who, what, where, when, why and how of the performances, that is, the decision-making as regards the troup's performances as a whole. Is there a hierarchy, a person or people with the overall resposibility and authority for what goes on?



How are resposibilities delegated? You are its founder, but no one can, nor should have, total control. Delegation is important. Just as Moshe's father-in-law Jethro pointed out in Exodus (Ex. 18:14-26), and Yeshua with the disciples, and any good leader knows, it's for the well-being and smooth and effective operation as a whole. Sometimes leaders have to bow to the realization that others may also have valid ideas, that compromises can and sometimes need to be made for the sake of the greater good.



I believe prayer should always begin meetings and precede performances. Maybe studying the song, deciding the mode of prayer, etc., can be done by the leaders before the group meets as a whole to perform. Then, the group can pray as led, and find peace, before going out to perform, with God's blessing and annointing.....something we all want.



As regards the question of dress, I believe Helena has written something, some guidelines, in that direction. Perhaps she can help you better than I can in that area.



Any one of these things can, and do, sometimes make or break a group. And I would hate to see yours fall to the enemy. I will keep you in prayer.



I hope I have been helpful, that there is some small thing which speaks to you.



Your Sister Dancin' For and With Yeshua,



Margolit











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major conflict of issues - flaglady - 06-17-2006

I've obviously not been browsing this forum enough as I quite missed this thread. I think, Tina, that you've raised some very important questions, some of which Margolit has very eloquently addressed already.



I would only add that I would never rehearse my flagging but then, I always do it as a singleton. I have been asked by the worship leader why I don't come early and join in with the band at the pre-meeting warm-up but my answer was that I always work in the Spirit and so, for me, rehearsal would quench that.



But I always take all of my flags in my hands and lift them up before the Lord as the meeting is started. Very often our pastor opens the meeting with some spontaneous prayer and this is the perfect setting to do this. I like to make this obesience to focus my mind on what I am doing and who I am doing it for.



As for the interpretation, the words and the music are everything! The manoeuvres I use are directly related to them and express the mood of the song as closely as humanly possible. I have had people say they have been reduced to tears when I'm flagging to something like "Lost In Wonder" or "Sing (Your Love)"



As for dress, I agree with you - I always choose nice colours and tops with some glitter or applique or both! I think God likes something bright and cheerful but then I haven't heard of Jewish feast dress either!



I don't know if any of this is any help - just my two penny-worth!!

major conflict of issues - HelenaZF - 06-18-2006

Quote:I like to study the song, find the mode of prayer, anoint the receiver of the word in dance and so on and they just go and dance.




I understand your desire to be properly prepared. In my ideal scenario, I would have the song list ahead of time, and also be there for the pre-service run-throughs. I find it helps me get in touch with the intended flow of the service, and often a germ of an interpretive idea will sprout and grow into something more "formed" in the time between the run-through and the actual doing of the song in the service. Also, knowing the"direction" of the song-list gives me the opportunity to see the whole shape of the praise set, and I can sometimes use that knowledge to "build" the pageantry/dance picture I can present. But I'm equally comfortable, and have more practice at this than I would like!--at just flowing with the song service without knowing what is coming. I believe God can anoint you powerfully in either circumstance.



There is nothing especially spiritual about never preparing, and there is nothing particularly virtuous about insisting on diligent preparation. Each method has it's place. Sometimes you must allow your training and experience to be your preparation, but always listening for the voice of the Spirit as you minister, lest you come to depend on your skill more than the guidance of the Spirit.



I'm all for colorful garments, too! There's much more that can be said with our dance garments than can be expressed with white peasant dresses and floral head circlets!









major conflict of issues - DPWT - 06-21-2006

HI! Tina here:

The group was started when I saw a large number of teenage girl in my neighborhood getting pregnant, had no self-esteem and they just look lost. I was young in the LORD myself at the time and had know idea what a Mission Statement was. The group I'm in now is the one I'm having trouble with. It is a Dance Studio with a semi-professional group.

They approach Worship Dance so lack luster that it almost scary to me.