Today, praise dance is seen as a form of religious expression, but what exactly is a praise dance meant to do? There’s a common misconception that dance has spiritual authority. However, it’s through the obedience of truth that you’re energized; only then is your dance alive with spiritual substance. Two forms of dance, praise dance and dance ministry, celebrate spiritual authority. A praise dance is created with the intention of glorifying God by communicating the divine message of the good news of Jesus Christ. Praise dance can refer to any Christian liturgical dance, but it often implies worship dance that has evolved out of African-American churches. Dance ministry is the process of using your gift of dance to share the gospel or the good news of Jesus Christ. For a praise dance, each movement is meant to share your love of Christ to the lost, encourage comfort, and edify the saints in the faith. In many religions, praise dance is valued as an integral part of worship, but during the Reformation, praise dance was forced out of the Christian Church. It wasn’t until the 20th century that praise dance in the church reemerged. Praise dance can be performed using several different types of dance genres, including modern dance, ballet, jazz, and hip-hop. Each individual gesture in praise dance encourages the movement of energy and conveys a personal message. Separating itself from praise dance, dance ministry is teaching, encouraging, and inspiring others to worship God through the use of the movement arts. It’s successfully demonstrated with explanations to help the dancers learn and grasp the material better. Not every dance or dramatic facial expression needs music for the audience to catch the message. When creating a praise dance or dance ministry don’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to music selection. Praise dance and ministry dance have the power to heal broken, sad, discouraged and hopeless hearts. Praise dancers share the power of God working through them as they dance, and this power can heal people both physically and mentally.

Posted: 11/9/2018