A friend shared this poem with me a while ago because it caused her to think of me when she read it.
When I was a girl, my life was music that was always getting louder.
Everything moved me. A dog following a stranger. That made me feel so much.
A calender that showed the wrong month. I could have cried over it. I did.
Where the smoke from the chimney ended.
How an overturned bottle rested at the edge of a table.
I spent my life learning to feel less.
Every day I felt less.
Is that growing old? Or is it something worse?
You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.
—Jonathan Safran Foer
I took dance lessons for nine years in grade school. I took class in jazz and hip hop because I was told at the age of eight I was too old to pursue ballet thus quashing my dream of becoming a ballerina. None the less, the classes I was able to take were the highlight of each week. My closet overflowed with brightly coloured spandex and I had a make-up box the size of a tool kit. When I was awake I was dancing and when I was sleeping, I was dreaming about being on stage.
Why does dancing in church almost always suck? How do we create places for people to dance and explore dance in a positive way?
When I was a girl, my life was music that was always getting louder.
Everything moved me. A dog following a stranger. That made me feel so much.
A calender that showed the wrong month. I could have cried over it. I did.
Where the smoke from the chimney ended.
How an overturned bottle rested at the edge of a table.
I spent my life learning to feel less.
Every day I felt less.
Is that growing old? Or is it something worse?
You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.
—Jonathan Safran Foer
I took dance lessons for nine years in grade school. I took class in jazz and hip hop because I was told at the age of eight I was too old to pursue ballet thus quashing my dream of becoming a ballerina. None the less, the classes I was able to take were the highlight of each week. My closet overflowed with brightly coloured spandex and I had a make-up box the size of a tool kit. When I was awake I was dancing and when I was sleeping, I was dreaming about being on stage.
When I got to the age of school dances, I started to notice other people noticing me. For one school dance, I decided to wear my favourite spandex outfit and dance until the music stopped. At this dance, my only Christian friend told me that I was getting all this attention because I was dancing too provocatively. I thought about her comment and decided that that it might be more acceptable to dance like a goof-ball. This is when the flat-hand-air-jab move emerged. I tried my best to keep my hips and torso in line, to glue my feet to the floor and concentrate on moving off-beat. As I had hoped, I began to attract less attention because I appeared completely uncoordinated. Now the flat-hand-air-jab is my signature move.
I feel most alive when I am dancing. When I dance, I feel unhindered to move with the music and with other people. I feel satisfied by the the energy exertion and fulfilled in creativity. I thrive on the performance aspect and feel as though people are listening or taking in what I am giving. I do not feel ashamed when I dance. Collaborating with other dancers and musicians significantly enhances the joy that I receive while dancing.
Why does dancing in church almost always suck? How do we create places for people to dance and explore dance in a positive way?
This video was taken on a visit to The Reach art gallery in Abbotsford. When a young woman started to play the piano, I felt that it was appropriate to collaborate, and Duncan with all his film training was able to collaborate as well and captured the moment. This is now one of my most favourite art gallery memories.
Hey Danielle,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I think the conversation can be broader to talk about how the church in general - and maybe Christians in particular? - can have a better appreciation for arts and their ability to communicate/express unspoken thoughts, ideas and passions.
I don't have much to add to your questions, because I'm also wrestling with the role of Arts in the church and the wisest way for them to interact with each other in a way that glorifies God and edifies the church (church both gathered and scattered)
Thanks for the post - please keep dancing.
When is there ever dancing in Christian churches? Is there a church or denomination or group that uses dance on a regular basis as a form or worship or as a group activity for learning?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think one of the main barriers that some faith groups have, in terms of incorporating dance or any other form of body movement, is the concept of im/morality. I think people in general are sexual being. That is, the human body is sexual because it has the capacity to reproduce, be fertile, receive and produce energy, and the capicity to participate in the circle of life and love. But the discomfort that some people feel with this aspect of the human body I think, is part of the barrier people feel when including it with a spiritual practice or worship. Some faiths intend on specifically seperating parts of people's lives according to what should fit where, and what is moral/immoral/good/bad, etc. But I'm sure there are lots of other possible reasons!
Thanks Greg. I will definitely keep dancing.
ReplyDeleteDanica, there are some Christian denominations such as Full Gospel and Pentecostal that do welcome dance as part of worship. Often the movement includes flag or ribbon waving and is not coreographed but improvised. I have seen some choreographed group dance preformed in church but it is often only done by 7-10 year old girls to soft, gentle christian music.
In a multicultural Mennonite Brethren church that I used to attend, congregants were encourage to dance to dynamic music while walking to the front of the room to present their offering. But not many people actually took this opportunity to dance passionately. Most would engage in half hearted two-step and clap quietly.