Communicating a Clear Message

 

This is a guest post from Wynne Henry, she is a dance/drama minister and a member of the dance ministry at Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier.  She has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Cal State Dominguez Hills and teaches Drama, Dance to youth in her community, and also loves to write poetry. She is working on her poetry collection entitled "Images Emerging".

During the 31 Days of Choreography Tips for Dance Minister’s challenge, one of her tips was to communicate a clear message through dance.  She explains this below:

We have all experienced the power of a message that was clearly communicated through movement. However, at times, it seems that just the opposite happens when the dancer’s message is unclear. Often, dancers zealously wave their hands and arms, move without an exact motivation, or leave blank spaces in the dance where they are just standing, waiting for the next verse of the song. All of these types of movements may have great personal meaning for the dancer, but the audience is left out of the message, leaving them to respond only to the music or the emotions expressed by the dancer.

     Dance ministry is a visual representation of God’s Word and the message being communicated should have an exact beginning, middle, and ending. Movement does not have to be set to every word of a song; it is possible to interpret one sentence of a song in 5 inspired movements. The use of sign language and gestures can also be added to express the message. Understanding stage directions such as upstage, downstage, stage right, stage left, and center stage help in making the most of available space.

     As movement ministers, if we remember that our messages should be so clear that they can be received even if the music is turned off, we will always have a clear visual expression that will leave a lasting impression on the audience. 

©2009 Wynne Henry

Poetry of Motion!

.

Share on Facebook