Dance Blogs to Watch in 2010
At the suggestion of Darren (aka Problogger), I am creating this Dance Blogs Watch list. Look for great things from these blogs in 2010! Check out their sites and subscribe to get updates. Happy surfing!
Company Keepers Dance Ministry Talk by Rekesha Pittman is my absolute favorite dance minister’s blog. She has a unique way with words that make reading her articles entertaining as well as educational. Everything is written from a Biblical perspective and solidified with scripture. Be on the lookout for more great articles from Rekesha throughout 2010.
The Praise Dance Life w/Jocelyn Richard is another one of my favorites. Jocelyn is a natural teacher & networker. She uses her blog as a launching pad for other projects such as tele-seminars, tele-classes and interviews. Jocelyn has also released a couple books for dance ministers, and I don’t think she plans on slowing down in 2010.
His Hem Ministry is a blog I stumbled upon in the latter half of 2009. Not only does the author post devotions, but she does a good job of sharing current news and events in the dance ministry world. Most recently, she shared what is on her prayer agenda for 2010 and encouraged others to do the same.
Dance Advantage by Nichelle continues to share awesome articles and tips for all things related to dance! Most of her articles can be categorized as for students, teachers or parents. She has said she had plans for 2010…I believe it!
What about you?
What dance blogs did I miss? Any that should be included? Let me know in the comments below!
2009 Year in Review
In April 2009 this website was transformed into the blog you are reading today. It is still a work in progress, but the new format has allowed me to share more content with you all. In the past 9 months we have posted 112 articles and logged over 200 of your comments!
In case you missed some of the content, here is Paneh’s website year in review! There is a lot here, so I suggest you bookmark it and refer back to it from time to time.
Top Posts of All Time
1. The Starting a Dance Ministry Series continues to be the most popular page on this site. There are 3 parts: Part 1: The Spiritual, Part 2: The Practical, and Part 3: The Administrative. I am also working on my first E-book, Starting a Dance Ministry: Prepare Now or Repair Later. This guide will go into even more detail and include a high level flow chart to assist in the decisions that must be made from the very beginning. If you would like to receive more information about the E-book when it becomes available…you can sign up here:
2. What to “Wear”: Praise Garment Resource List quickly rose to the top of the list. I compiled this list later in the year and the number of views skyrocketed!
3. 3 Tips & Resources for New Dance & Mime Ministries was also very popular among those seeking information
4. I was surprised at the interest in A Spiritual Leader’s View of Dance Ministry. But this observatory report that started as an academic project by my pastor’s wife, Lady Joyce A. Wells has helped leaders and dancers see things from the other’s point of view.
Most Community Involvement
As much as I enjoy writing articles, I enjoy interacting with you all even more. These posts had the most community involvement
1. The Dance Ministry Ethics Series was something we did at the end of October. Each day a topic was launched for discussion, some were considered breach of protocol, while others were unanimously unethical. Read over each discussion and the comments. By the way, even though the “week” is over, comments are still open and you are welcome to leave yours!
Day 1: Invited Guests Leaving After Ministering
Day 2: Contracts Required for Ministry
Day 3: Self Promotion or Creative Marketing
Day 4: Praise Dance Competitions
Day 5: Inspiration or Imitation?
2. The 31 Dance Minister’s Choreography Tip Challenge is something I did for fun on Twitter & Facebook. I asked my friends to submit choreography tip in 120 CHARACTERS OR LESS. These were posted on Facebook & Twitter (1 per day) for the entire month of November. At the end of the month, they were all compiled into one post. This could not have been done without you all!
3. The 2009 Equipping the Saints Conference Recap was one of my personal favorites to write as it gave me an opportunity to reflect on such an awesome event! It’s not awesome because of anything I did…but because the Lord himself manifested HIS presence. Writing the recap is a way for me to reflect on the event, thank you for sharing your miraculous testimonies. To God be ALL the Glory!
My Personal Favorites
These are the ones I enjoyed writing the most. I hope you enjoy reading them as well!
The Dance Minister’s Choreography Devotion Series. This was done in two parts. Each part ran Monday – Friday with a new dance choreography technique was explained how to execute properly as well as how we, as ministers, can reflect on the awesome God we serve while moving for His glory! Part 1 cover the five ballet positions, while part two will beginner / intermediate ballet techniques:
g. Releve'
h. Piroutte
i. Jete
j. Chasse'
2. As I mentioned earlier, I love event hosting and planning so writing How to Plan Events and The Truth About Hotel Room Blocks was a pleasure. If you’re planning an event at a hotel in 2010 and you’re unfamiliar with hotel contracts, rules and the lingo, you should read those articles.
3. My other passion is personal finance. I am working on a project on that very topic that I hope to release at the end of 2010. In the interim, check out D.A.N.C.E. Out of Debt and read about the DUMBEST (Financial) Move I’ve Ever Made.
Worth a Second Look
These articles were either written early on or during a down time. For some reason or another they didn’t get many views. So in case you missed them, here they are again:
1. Miriam: Praise Dancer, Prophetess, Leader and More
3. The Spiritual Side to Technique series: Balance & Alignment
4. Tips for Ministry Excellence Series: Appearance & Communication
5. Tips for Traveling Dance Ministers
6. What Exactly is Liturgical Dance?
This is less than ONE THIRD of the content currently on the site and the goal is to constantly add more! If you never want to miss an article, I suggest you sign up for e-mail or RSS subscription. This is different from the monthly newsletter. You’ll receive an email as soon as a new article is published.
Props to the Top Referrers of 2009
Aside from search engines, Facebook, and Twitter traffic. Many readers arrive here from someone else’s website. This is to show some love to Paneh’s top referrer’s. Check out their sites as well:
2. Done Unto the Lord Ministries
I am looking forward to all that lies in store for you and me in 2010. I intend to write more articles and continue to encourage interaction. I'm also plan to continue to blog carnivals and weekly round-ups through out 2010. I also hope to publish more guest posts…so if you have an article or would like to write on a relevant topic…please contact me!
Blessings, Love and a Happy New Year!
My Interview on “The Praise Dance Life” hosted by Jocelyn Richard
I had privilege of being interviewed by Minister Jocelyn Richard, host of The Praise Dance Life. I have nothing but love and respect for this awesome woman of God. She is an anointed dancer, teacher, evangelist that shares gifts with others. This session of The Praise Dance Life was on “blogging & ministry”. I was humbled & honored to speak on the subject.|
Click on the PLAY button below |
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[3:40] – Why did I start blogging?
[5:20] – Why should someone else start a blog?1
[8:33] – How to get started?2
[18:00] – Shared additional tips & encouragement for ministry bloggers
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I mentioned RSS reader, I summarize RSS in this article.4. Here are some of the sites I mentioned in the closing minutes:
Equipping the Saints 2010: Maranatha! (Sept 9-12)
What about you? How are you using social media? Do you have a blog?
7 Must Reads for Praise Dance & Mime Ministry in 2010
When helping dance & mime ministries get started, I recommend books that they read as a group to sharpen their knowledge and remain effective in ministry. Here are a few books that should prove helpful to movement ministers:
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Dance Into the Anointing by Dr. Aimee Kovacs – This was the first dance ministry book I read and is the first I recommend the others. | ||
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The Purpose of the Dance by Dr. Ann Higgins is an excellent resource for new ministries. I did a full review on the book which you can read here. | ||
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Mime Ministry by Susan Toomey contains spiritual and practical advice for mime ministries. It covers starting a mime ministry, choreography techniques, group exercise and more. | ||
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The 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell – OK, so this isn’t a dance book, but it has effective leadership principals that you can apply to any ministry. | ||
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Fasting for a Spiritual Breakthrough by Elmer Towns – Effective ministries pray and fast together. | ||
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Phenomenal Choreography for Worship is an Ebook by Minister Jocelyn Richard that I had a chance to review. It contains group choreography exercises. Side note: Minister Jocelyn is encouraging movement ministries to start the year off with a Biblical Study of Dance teleseminar series. |
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Coming Soon….
Sign up below if you would like to receive information on this project. You’ll receive more information, excerpts, select screening opportunities, early release & pre-launch discounts. This list will close after January 15th or the first 100 subscribers |
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Starting a Dance Ministry: Prepare Now or Repair Later (E-book) by Lakita HumberDisclosure: There are affiliate links in this article. That means that I will be paid a commission on purchases made directly from the links. That being said…these are genuine recommendations. I will only recommend or endorse products that I believe will be valuable to the readers of this site.
Could You Use a Free New Laptop?
The other day I was discussing the giveaway, benefits and promos that I come across being on Twitter and have encouraged people to check out Twitter for its wealth of real time information. While browsing through my tweets earlier, I came across a giveaway, with similar entry procedures to the professional mime make-up kit giveaway sponsored here.
However, this giveaway is being sponsored by HP.com and is for a brand new HP Envy 13 Notebook, currently valued at $1,899
The HP Envy 13
Friends will often contact me when purchasing a new computer to ask if a particular system is a good deal. I have not used Windows 7 so I can't vouch for the usability of the operating system, but every review I've read considers it a major step up from Windows Vista. I would not mind owning one, and if you'd like a chance to win this machine you should enter too!
31 Dance Ministry Choreography Tips
I challenged my friends on Twitter & Facebook to come up with dance ministry choreography tips in 120 CHARACTERS or Less. These tips were then published everyday during the month of November on Twitter & Facebook using Tweet Later to schedule my posts in advance and the Twitter Facebook Application that pulled my tweets to Facebook. The responses have been very positive, and there have been many requests to have all the tips in one place. Here you go! All 30 (plus 1) dance ministry choreography tips!
If there is a name following the tip, then that is the person that authored that tip. (FB) means the tip was submitted via Facebook. If there is no name, it is a tip that I contributed. A special shout out to the top 2 contributors: Poetry Daughter & Dawn Churchill! Thank you to everybody who contributed!
| Tip 1: Be conscious of your spacing |
| Tip 2: PoetryDaughter (FB) – All movements should be clear and clean! |
| Tip 3: SarondaJackson (FB) – Be conscious of the skill level as a group and individually |
| Tip 4: Cearthur Clavon Moore (FB) – seek your performance/song that ministers to you first |
| Tip 5: Antionette Thompson Turner (FB) – seek ye first the Kingdom of God |
| Tip 6: Antionette Thompson Turner (FB) – Know who you are ministering to |
| Tip 7: Telleha Howard (FB) – Don't rely too heavily on the technical |
| Tip 8: @PraiseDancer -Use simple steps for beginner dancers so they are not required to master more than they can handle. |
| Tip 9: Poetry Daughter (FB) – Better to do simple movements well than complex ones poorly. |
| Tip 10: Poetry Daughter (FB) – make sure that everyone knows the movement and is doing it the same way. |
| Tip 11: Desiree Griffin-Berry (FB) – With every movement, give HIM reverence. |
| Tip 12: Poetry Daughter (FB) – Encourage those who are not confident, don't put them down! |
| Tip 13: Dawn Churchill (FB) -ALWAYS find scripture(s) that correlates to your chosen song" |
| Tip 14: Amanda S. (FB) -Utilize the nuances in the music / don't focus on movement for every word being sung. |
| Tip 15: @DancingMinister -Choreography is not about teaching technique. Include flags, banners and other tools. |
| Tip 16: Poetry Daughter (FB) -avoid straight line across..use windows, diagonals, circles, triangles, and levels! |
| Tip 17: @PraiseDancer – Break the choreography into sections. Begining, chorus, ending etc. |
| Tip 18: @PraiseDancer Choreograph a strong ending, so your dance is memorable leaving a lasting mental impression of worship. |
| Tip 19: @Vioree: Spoting is very important… |
| Tip 20: Poetry Daughter (FB) Generally, anytime your foot leaves the floor, it is either pointed, or flexed |
| Tip 21: Sukky (FB) Factor the garment in. Overly long and superfluous garments can trip you. |
| Tip 22: Sukky (FB) Make sure space is large enough to accommodate dancers, and tall enough to accommodate flags. |
| Tip 23: Sukky (FB) Don't choreograph around one person in group presentation. |
| Tip 24: Don’t worship the dance…worship HIM that created the dance |
| Tip 25: Remember, you do not need a move for every word |
| Tip 26: Use all 8 directions (front, back, left, right and angles) |
| Tip 27: Don’t look at the floor when you dance unless that is part of the choreography |
| Tip 28: Dawn C (FB) Make certain to research the WORD for scriptures that correlate to your chosen song. |
| Tip 29: Dawn C (FB) ALWAYS choreograph instrumental parts of music. |
| Tip 30: Dawn C (FB) ALWAYS choreograph your entrance and exit. ALWAYS dance as soon as the music begins |
| Tip 31: Krishondra G (FB) You don't need words to dance. Dance to The Word that's in your heart. |
This was challenging to do in 120 words or less!
I'd love to hear from you! Do you have a dance ministry choreography tip that was not mentioned? Do you have a comment or suggestion on a tip mentioned above? Let us know in the comments!
I'm thinking about a part 2 of this "project" for January 2010….stay tuned…
Equipping the Saints 2010 Pre-Registration Challenge
November 18, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Articles, News and Updates
Greetings Kingdom Ambassadors!
It's official! Equipping the Saints 2010 registration is now open! We will be returning to the Doubletree St. Louis Hotel at Westport on September 9-12, 2010. Our theme for 2010 is Maranatha, which means, Come Lord Jesus!
The early apostles comforted each other with "Maranatha" as a greeting and a prayer. They passionately cried out for the Lord's return. What has happened to our generation? Many have become idle and lulled to sleep by the comforts of this world. Many have failed to heed the warning to remain sober and vigilant.
I recently polled a group and many admitted they are not ready for Christ to return. This is troubling because He is not waiting on us. The hour of His return has already been set and when it is time He is coming…our responsibility is to be ready! There should be nothing that would keep us from the fellowship with our Creator that awaits us. Our real treasure is in heavenly places!
Are you ready for His return? Are you excited about it? Will you cry out "Maranatha!"?
The 2010 conference will start on the eve of Rosh Hoshanah. It is interesting to note that many Messianic Jews believe that the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a symbol of the rapture of the followers of the Messiah.
I'll continue to share more about EQS 2010 as the time draws near. Please note the EQS Pre-registration challenge and other pertinent information below.
We will have dozens of breakout sessions on a variety of topics including but not limited to: ballet / modern, African dance, mime, Davidic dance, youth classes, evangelism, administration, finances, business, prophetic, prayer & intercession, starting a dance ministry, spiritual warfare and much more.
Should the Lord delay His coming, I hope you'll meet me in St. Louis!
Until then, MARANATHA!
Lakita
"Pre-Registration" challenge
Early registration helps with the operational planning and financial expenses that are needed before the conference. Registering early also benefits you as it costs significantly less. To encourage early registration, we are issuing the pre-registration challenge.
The task is simple, 100 pre-registrants by December 31, 2009. If this mission is accomplished, all pre-registrants will be awarded with an EQS 2010 T-shirt at the conference.
So register today, and tell your friends to register early as well! I believe we can do it!
Travel & Location
Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport
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Only 6 miles from the Airport -
Free shuttle service
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Free parking
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Rooms (single – quad): $99/night
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Book your rooms with NO MONEY DOWN.
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Call 1-314-434-0100 (Conference code: EQS)
St. Louis Lambert International (STL)
Click here for schedule outline, registration,
and additional information >>>
Carnival of Praise Dance #4: Recipes Edition
It is my honor & privilege to present Carnival of Praise Dance #4: The "Recipes" Edition! While a "carnival of praise dance" may be new to some of you, the concept of blog carnivals has been around for a while. Like a real carnival, a blog carnival puts a lot of interesting "stuff" in one place. Eventually, this carnival will travel to other sites as it gains momentum. Read this article for more information on blog carnivals and how to participate or host future carnivals of praise dance.
If you’re a new visitor to Paneh Praise Dance & Mime Ministry, I’d like to welcome you! You can stay connected by subscribing to our RSS feed (What is RSS?), Twitter, and/or Facebook
Below you’ll find the submissions to this month’s carnival. I was surprised by the positive encouragement I received from my Facebook & Twitter friends when I mentioned that I had not ate out in 8 days. The encouragement and accountability pushed me to go an entire 2 weeks!
Those that really know me know that is a huge feat! Since I was not eating out, I had to plan my meals that I would eat at home. My favorite recipes have the following criteria: simple, frugal, tasty and healthy. Good luck trying to get all four in one meal!
Enjoy this month’s submissions and recipes!
"Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food." – Genesis 1:29
Jocelyn Richard, author of The Praise Dance Life submits Christian Liturgical Praise Dance Wear, which lists the meaning of several colors that are popular in the holiday season as well as resourceful methods to purchase garments.
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Broiled Tilipia over Seafood Pasta 1. Season Tilapia and broil
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Rekesha Pittman, author of Dance Ministry Talk writes Patty Cake. This article reminds us to watch what we eat! Food not only impacts our waistline, but complexion and stamina as well.
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Popeye's Red Beans & Rice Ingredients: ***Rice*** Directions: Prepare the rice, using the butter and garlic salt specified instead of the butter and salt amounts specified on the box. To serve, pour 1/2 cup of beans into individual bowls and scoop the same amount of rice on top of the beans. This recipe from CDKitchen for Popeye's Red Beans And Rice serves/makes 4
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Roxi Author encourages us not to just Sit Around, but do something! There is an entire world that can benefit from the skills and talents God gave you to share. Why Sit Here Until We Die? Get Up!
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
Sukky F. shares Dancing in the Valley as a reminder to stay focused on the Lord in the difficult times.
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Broccoli & Rice Casserole Saute the onion in the margarine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased casserole. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. |
His Hem Ministry shares Mustard Seed Faith & Mountain Moving Prayer, a testimony of the power of faith & prayer.
Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”
So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 15:32-38
Since the carnival is posted here, there really isn’t a need for me to include a submission. But I don’t want to miss out on all the fun! I’m submitting Dance Ministry Ethics Series, we had an active discussion on a variety of topics in ministry. Check out any or all of them that interest you. The week may be over, but you are still welcome to leave your comments.
We’d love to hear from you! Got a recipe to share, questions, comments or suggestions? Leave your input below in the comments section!
Also, be sure to visit the other sites that submitted an article!
Would you like to participate in the next carnival of praise dance? Check for the latest schedule information here or on BlogCarnival.com
Past Praise Dance Blog Carnivals:
#1: September 2009 – Animal Kingdom Edition
#2: October 2009 – Equipping the Saints Edition
#3: November 2009 – Personal Finance Edition
Dance Ministry Ethics #5: Inspiration or Imitation
October 26 – 30, 2009 is Dance Ministry Ethics Week here on Paneh’s site. Each day a new topic will be featured for discussion. The scenarios presented are based on real events however no actual names will be used.
This is the last day in the series. I want to thank everyone who has participated up to this point. You’ve all brought out some great points and I’ve enjoyed reading the different thoughts on all topics covered. The topic for day 5 is Inspiration or Imitation.
There seems to be a trend of movement artists being inspired by choreography they see presented by other ministries, or on video channels such as YouTube. Some or all of this choreography is then injected into their ministry piece. The amount of changes that have been made vary as well as rather permission was granted or credit given. All three of those will probably factor into rather or not this behavior is deemed ethically acceptable.
When dance ministry is witnessed, it leaves a lasting impression with those who were able to receive it. There is a direct link between our senses and our memory. With dance ministry we see and hear so our brain subconsciously stores that information. If you’ve ever seen a praise dance to a particular song, then everytime you hear that song in the future you may remember the dance witnessed because your brain has created a correlation between what was heard and what was seen.
Consequently, when creating choreography based off of a song seen ministered before, often times it is difficult to separate what was previously witnessed from the new.
Sometimes dancers are so moved by the power of God through a particular ministry that they desire to recreate the atmosphere so others may experience the type of breakthrough they may have experienced. They were inspired (or influenced) by what they experienced and desire for others to experience the same.
I’ve discussed this before on Facebook and the responses usually fit into the categories below
- Using someone else’s choreography is NOT OK
- Using someone else’s choreography is OK with permission
- Using someone else’s choreography is OK as long as I give credit
- Using someone else’s choreography is OK as long as it’s modified
- Using someone else’s choreography is OK…God is the originator and creator of all things. We are mandated to share the gospel
This does not just apply to choreography, but other forms of intellectual property as well. A few years ago, the entire mission & vision statement for Paneh Praise Dance & Mime Ministry was copied word for word to another dance ministry site. I contacted the individual and it turns out is was a teenager excited about launching his own ministry. I was able to assist him to create his own vision with the help of his parents and ministry leader. This also happens among those that would be categorized as seasoned ministers.
Should this be a concern? All ideas and inspiration are ultimately from God
Is choreography "intellectual property"?
God is the originator…so do we "own" choreography? In other words, do we have a right to say if someone else can present it or not?
I’ll share more of my personal thoughts on the topic in the comments. But for now…
It’s your turn!
Do you believe it is OK to use someone else’s choreography?
Would you be concerned if choreography the Lord allowed you to create was presented by someone else?
Vote in the poll below! NOTE: With this poll, you can choose more than one answer
Share your own stories / testimonies, insights and questions below!
Loading ...Dance Ministry Ethics #4: Competitions
October 26 – 30, 2009 is Dance Ministry Ethics Week here on Paneh’s site. Each day a new topic will be featured for discussion. The scenarios presented are based on real events however no actual names will be used.
The topic for day 4 is Dance Ministry Competitions
I must admit that this is a topic I have been wanting to discuss and avoid discussing at the same time. I purposely put it near the end of the week because I "ranked" it as a more difficult discussion. The topics for the first three days had a general consensus, even if we all did not agree on the finer details. Typically, praise dance competitions generate a variety of responses that can be narrowed down to two categories:
Praise Dance Competitions are OK
Praise Dance Competitions are NOT OK
Before listing the arguments for each category, let’s define "Praise Dance Competition"
Praise (in the Biblical context) - Expression of approval, extolling or exaltation of our Lord
Dance – To move rhythmically usually to music, using prescribed or improvised steps and gestures.
Praise Dance - A way to praise the Lord through movement
Competition – a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage. A rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser
Then by definition, a praise dance competition is a contest where the factor determining victory is how well you express approval of our Lord (praise) through dance.
Arguments supporting praise dance competitions
- It keeps the dance ministry motivated with something to strive for
- They are great fund raisers for the competition host (charging entry fee) and cash prize for winning team
- Competition is everywhere! There is nothing wrong with friendly competition
- The level of exposure for entering and winning can be high
- It is a way to fellowship with other dance ministies
- An opportunity to gain constructive criticism regarding choreography
On the other hand…
- How can "praise" be measured in a contest? The entire nature of a competition is to determine who is better by ranking and labeling a victor.
It is in our human nature to want to know who is "the greatest" , here is what Jesus said:
Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.” – Luke 9:46-48
Competitions, by design, have winners and losers. How do the "losers" feel? Inadequate? Insecure?
Can you focus on pleasing God (with your praise) and pleasing man (the judges)?
What does the Bible Say?
Competition can be found in 1 Kings 18:20-40. This is a great story of how Elijah defeats the false prophets. Not only did he shamelessly annihilate them, he boasted in it! The difference in this competition is that it was about bringing glory to God. Elijah realized where his power and authority came from. I do not see a biblical precedence for vessels of God competing against each other using the very same gift that is used to glorify God.
It’s your turn!
Do you believe there is a place for praise dance competitions? Why or why not?
Vote in the poll below!
Share your own stories / testimonies, insights and questions below!
