Call to the Nations! Special Discounts on Registration, and More
August 21, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Articles, Dance in the Word, Guest Posts, News and Updates
Many people have expressed a desire to attend but could not miss school or work….for the first time, we are offering a Saturday only registration!
The Saturday only registration is available for the flat rate of $50. This will allow the attendee access to any of the 20 breakout sessions offered on Saturday. Of course, the evening sessions are always open to the public!
There is also an Intensive Only Registration available for the flat rate of $25. This is for Friday’s 4-hour ( 12:30 – 4:30) dance or mime intensive class only. Choose from:
- Dance Technique (all levels)
- Mime (All levels)
Register for Saturday only for $50
Register for the Dance / Mime Intensive for $25
If you have not booked your room, do so TODAY
The conference rate expired Aug 18th
We have been extended a limited grace period
however, I do not know when it will expire!
Click on the link below or call 1-314-434-0100
Conference Code: EQS
Rooms: $99/night (FAVOR)
Max. Occupancy: 4
Click here to reserve your room with NO MONEY DOWN
A special welcome goes out to our international attendees from Antigua, Barbados, Bermuda and Bahamas! It is our prayer that the Lord exceeds your expectations and that HE will impart into you abundantly. It is my prayer that you receive more than what you are expecting because of the enormous sacrifice and press. Come represent as spiritual ambassadors for your nation.
We’re calling the Nations…
abunDANCE
July 19, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Dance in the Word, Encouragement
From the Latin word “abundantia” which means “fullness” or “to overflow”. The definition is extremely plentiful or over sufficient quantity or supply. Overflowing fullness. The word ‘abundance’ in Hebrew literally means dripping with fertility!
John 10:10 says The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
AbunDANCE means to have more than enough!
Dance ministers – it is time to start claiming the resources that are rightfully ours. Stop operating in lack! Reach up and get what is yours!! No longer allow “lack” (or perceived lack) to hinder you from fulfilling the vision that God has given you! I want to share a portion of Bishop Neil Ellis’ personal prayer that I received at the Dancing Preachers Int’l Conference:
I declare and decree that the wealth is no longer stored up for me but that it is being released right now. I command satan to loose it, spit it out, cough it up and do whatever he has to do to release it.
Now, once it is released….are you ready to receive it? This takes faith and obedience! I love the story of Elijah and the widow found in 1 Kings 17.
The Lord speaks to Elijah: “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."
Elijah does not ask questions, he moves on faith. It doesn’t make sense how a poor widow is going to supply for him. When his natural eyes allow him to evaluate the circumstances he doesn’t waiver, instead he boldly makes his request for food and water. Not only was this widow poor – she was on her last meal and was preparing for death by starvation. Elijah instructed the woman to make a small cake for him and afterward use the rest to prepare a meal for herself and her son. This is what the Lord says:
The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.
That’s abunDANCE! It was manifested because of obedience on the part of Elijah and the widow. Dance ministers, the Lord want us to operate in abundance. Be prepared to move when He says move, and give when He says give. Remember, if the Lord gives you a vision….he will give you the provision! It may not make sense to you – in fact, it probably wont — this is where faith takes over!
DANCE in abunDANCE!
Dance & the Word | Ceramics 101
May 22, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Dance in the Word
This was originally posted in Paneh’s newsletter.
Let me start off by saying this article has nothing to do with scriptures that reference dance! However this is a subject that has been on my heart for a while.
When I was in high school I took a ceramics class. I figured it was an easy class to counter the college prep course load I was taking. One of our first projects was to make a bowl. We walked into the storage room and we were handed this lump of clay. It was soft, had no distinct form and didn’t seem to have much of a purpose. I was given a picture of the finished project, instructions and set to work.
In the Bible, clay is paralleled to mankind. Gen 2:7 says “Then the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground” (or clay). Jeremiah 18:6 says “Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand.” Unlike us – God does not make mistakes (and I’ve made some UGLY vases). I needed a picture to see my finished product, but God is the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end. He molded us just the way we are to be!
Dance minister, you may not be as tall as the next person or be dissatisfied with some other characteristic that makes you — YOU. We can not get caught up in why we were created the way were are. Romans 9:20 says “Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why has thou made me thus?” — while we are like clay in many respects, once MAJOR difference is LIFE. The ability to get jump right off the potter’s wheel. A while ago my Pastor preached a sermon called “Stay on the Wheel”; the main thrust was to continue to let God mold and shape you — do not get caught up in doing your own thing.
In class the first thing we learned was how to prepare our clay for the kiln. We couldn’t just shape it into the form of the bowl and put it in the kiln. First we had to knead the clay until it was soft enough to be sculpted into the image I wanted. The Lord continues to work on his children…sometimes He has to pull and tug at us until we are ready to be molded.
My ceramics class was only 45 minutes so I was not able to finish sculpting in one day. We were instructed to wrap up our clay molds in plastic to preserve the moisture. Otherwise the clay would become hard and virtually useless. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t want to be identified by my potter as HARD and VIRTUALLY USELESS. Some would say stubborn! Some students did not properly wrap their molds and had a very stiff lump of clay. In order the soften the lump that had the add WATER. In the Bible, water is represented as the HOLY SPIRIT!
Isaiah 44:3 says “for I will pour water upon him that is thirsty…I will pour my spirit upon thy seed”
John 7:38 says “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Stubborn folks that are not willing to yield to the Lord will only be cured by the Holy Spirit! I kneaded my clay and it was now ‘moldable’. I can start sculpting now right? WRONG! (I just wanted to hurry and put my project in the kiln before the class was over). I was then told I had to mold my clay into a cube, cut it down the center and inspect for air holes. By this time I am thinking my easy elective is turning into more work than I bargained for! My instructor explained that when clay with major air holes is put in the kiln it will crack and be destroyed so it is important to take the time to inspect the clay and make sure there are no air holes.
These air holes are imperfections in our life. However they are hidden until we are cut. How do you respond when someone offends you…do you get on the phone and tear them down? That’s an air hole. Not ready for the kiln – lets do some more molding and shaping (we call it character building). Rom 5:3 says “we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience; and experience hope.
photo credit: whitney waller
How to Plan Events
May 3, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Dance in the Word, Practical Advice
I host Christian worship arts events, however, many of these tips can be applied to other events. Many of the items deserve their own post so I can go into more detail. Subscribe to my RSS feed if you would like to be notified when information is posted
What is the budget?
Who are your invited guest speakers?
Set a date? Are your dates flexible? Are there other major events that would attract the same niche on that day?
Count the cost! Determine registration amount. Tiered registration?
Before sending a formal letter, it is a good idea to call to see if the speaker is available and get an idea of the budget to determine if your event budget will allow you to accomodate the speaker.
While it is not a requirement to have an online registration portal, setting up this type of presence automates the registration process, provides more exposure, and allows people to register instantly. There are plenty of Registration services out there, some of them, like Eventbrite (which I use and am most familiar with) allow you to set up a customizable webpage for your event, allow you to set registration prices, track attendees and promote your event. Most charge a transaction fee (similar to Paypal).
The Praise Dance of David
April 12, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Dance in the Word
This was originally an article published in Paneh’s Newsletter (December 2005). I’ll be slowly migrating these articles to the website. Your comments / input is welcomed and appreciated!
Miriam and David
Worship dancers and much more (part 2 of 2)
In the first article of this series, Miriam: Prophetess and Praise Dance Leader, we explored the life of prophetess Miriam; praise dance leader and sister of Moses. This time we are going to launch forward in history and examine David. Most dance ministers are familiar with 2 Sam 6:14: And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod
This was definitely a high point in David’s life! He is king of Israel and the Ark is being returned to Jerusalem. David danced before the Lord as an expression of praise. Operating in total humility he took the place of the slave at the head of the procession representing his true worship and submission to the Lord.
What can we learn from David?
- The lessons we can learn from David go beyond the scope of this article, however here are a few points of interest.
1. Know God’s timing!
Samuel was sent to anoint David as Saul’s successor as king. What did David do after he received his anointing? He continued to operate in his current office (shepherd) and served as Saul’s amour bearer.
1 Samuel 16
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
…
21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour bearer.
We must be careful to operate in God’s timing. Just because we are anointed to do a work it doesn’t mean that it is our time. David did not become ‘big-headed’ when he knew he would be king. He continued to serve where he was presently called.
As time passed, David had to flee from Saul. At times David was put in the predicament of fighting Saul’s enemies and running from Saul at the same time. David was even presented the opportunity to kill Saul, yet he refused to be ruled by anger or injustice. Not only did he not harm Saul under what seemed like optimal conditions, he didn’t allow his men to harm Saul either (see 1 Sam 24-26). David cut a corner of King Saul’s robe and was convicted to have done that!
He knew God’s promise was that he would inherit the throne of Israel. He also knew that Saul was in the way of that promise. But he also knew the blessings of being obedient and it was not his place to touch God’s anointed. This brings me to my second point:
2. The power of submission
David confronted Saul after he departed from the cave. David just spared Saul’s life after being on the run from Saul trying to take his life. David also knows that he has an anointing on his life to be the next king of Israel. Despite these conditions David did not confront Saul as if he was better than him or owed him any debt of gratitude, he did not even confront him as an equal. David bowed down before Saul and recognized him as ruler / king. Here he puts himself in a vulnerable position, Saul could have easily struck him, after all, he has been chasing him all this time. But David knew the power of submission and trusted in God to be his protection.
3. David knew how to kill giants!
We all know the story of David and Goliath. It’s a popular Sunday school story of how the young boy took out the giant with his sling. The odds were stacked against David: Goliath was a giant (9 ft tall) and a trained warrior, on the other hand, David was a shepherd that has never been in battle.
What giants are you facing? Impossible situations, people, haunting memories of the past etc. Whatever the giant let this popular story inspire you and give you confidence in the battles you face. Remember, the greater the battle, the more glorious the victory! To God be all the glory!
4. There will always be those that despise (hate) your praise
When the ark was finally returned to Israel we read that David danced before the lord with all his might. We go on to read that as his wife Michal looked on she saw him dancing and despised him in her heart. I won’t elaborate anymore on Michal at this time. The point is that we all will have “Michal’s” in our life, but we must not sit down on our praise!
Miriam ~ The Prophetess & Dance Leader
April 7, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Dance in the Word
This was originally an article published in Paneh’s Newsletter (November 2005). I’ll be slowly migrating these articles to the website. Your comments / input is welcomed and appreciated!
Miriam and David
Worship dancers and much more (part 1 of 2)
As we search the scriptures it becomes evident that dance was a part of praise and worship in the Old and New Testaments. Two prominent biblical figures are Miriam and David. Both are Israelites, one from the tribe of Levite and the other from the tribe of Judah; both in different places in Old Testament history, however, both carry lessons that are applicable today.
Miriam is commonly remembered as the as the older sister of Moses. However, she places an important role in biblical history. The fact that Miriam was a prophetess is a little known fact because everyone concentrates on Moses.
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. (Exodus 15:20 KJV)
Miriam was called to be a prophet. She was not called to minister on a large scale like Moses was, nevertheless her role was important and acknowledged in scriptures. Being a prophet means you are God’s mouthpiece. In additional to being a prophetess, she was a worship leader. After the exodus she led the women in a celebratory victory dance.
What can we learn from Miriam?
1. There are no “small positions” when you are fulfilling the will of God. Support roles are vital to the body of Christ.
Even though Miriam had what may be portrayed as a ‘small role’, we must remember that Miriam watched baby Moses travel down the river. It was Miriam that suggested to Pharaoh’s daughter that a Hebrew woman raise the baby. Miriam ran straight home and because she was where God needed her to be Moses was raised by his own mother…and PAID for it!
Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? 8And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. 9And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it. (Exodus 2:7-9 KJV)
2. Dance minister, we must be careful not to put God in a box. God has called you to dance – seek God and see that you are doing all that He has for you to do!
Miriam was a dance minister, but she was also a prophet. We are now living in the dispensation of grace. In this dispensation every believer receives at least one spiritual gift:
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. (1 Cor 12:7 KJV)
Spiritual gifts are defined throughout the New Testament. Some of these include but are not limited to: prophecy, evangelism, missions, teaching, encouragement, wisdom, helps, tongues, interpretation, giving, and faith. If you do not know what your spiritual gift(s) is, seek the Lord for the answer so he can fully use you! During part 2 we will explore the life of David, a radical dancer and more.
