Good and fun are not the same thing.
They are not opposites, either. Things are not bad because they are fun, or
boring because they are good—but just the same, it is particularly refreshing
to find activities that are not only good and glorifying to God, but
ridiculously fun as well. Such is the case with dancing. The art of social
dancing expresses the proper place of man before God, and so is a good and
worthwhile pursuit.
Fundamentally, dance is an artful
ordering of movement. Now, in order for a person to move, he must first be
aware of his being present in one place and absent in another. He knows, then,
that he is not omnipresent. Second, he changes his position. Change requires
passage of time, so he also knows that he is within time, that he is not
eternal. He knows, then, that he is limited by space and time—in short, that he
is a creature. So, to make an art of movement is to celebrate the place of man
as a creature before God.
More specifically, dance is an
artful ordering of movement in response to something. When David danced before
the Lord in 2 Samuel 6, he was responding with joy to the work of God in
bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel. For Christians in the Western
world today, dancing is most commonly a response to God’s gift of music. A
dance is beautiful when it is a fitting response to the music. [1]
Music conveys emotion and meter, and a good dancer will incorporate both these
factors into his movements with his own unique style.
When a gentleman and lady dance
together, a social element is added to the art. The dance exists as an
opportunity to show courtesy; it is for this reason that a dance begins with
the gentleman’s asking the lady. If he is feeling particularly chivalrous, [2] he may even ask for “the honor of the next dance.” And the lady, if she is
polite, does not decline. Among friends this is not a matter of cold etiquette.
Dancing is, after all, an entirely unnecessary pastime; a person dances—or at
least, should dance—merely because he wishes to do so, so that any courtesy is
shown because a person sincerely wishes to show it.
Partner dancing is a social activity, so everyday principles of social
life apply. Communication—although primarily nonverbal—is vital as the lead and
the follow feed off each other’s energy, build on each other’s style, and feel
each other’s frame and movements to determine their own next move. Each partner
works to bring out the other’s best in skill and gracefulness, and they spur
each other on to better and better dancing. Dancing with different partners
provides opportunity for improvement not only in dancing, but also in teamwork,
communication, and leadership. [3]
While the gentleman and lady both perform the tasks mentioned above, in
other regards their responsibilities are very different; in fact, the roles of
lead and follow reflect in certain ways the roles of Christ and the Church. The
gentleman is the one primarily responsible for initiating the dance and forming
the couple, as well as finding the couple’s place on the floor, representing
the couple to the other people in the room, and, of course, leading the dance
itself. The lady’s responsibility, on the other hand, relates primarily to the
lead, in supporting and following him. The lead understands the music, enters
into the mood of it, and responds with movement—while communicating all of this
to his follow. She, in turn, is sensitive to both the music and the lead’s
movements. The lead interprets the music in a certain style; and the follow,
sensing that, uses her own skill to advance the style her lead has set forth. [4]
The lead-follow dynamic is in some
ways similar to the relationship of husband and wife—and this similarity may
cause some to doubt the propriety of dancing outside of that relationship. The
similarity arises, however, not from a dance mimicking a marriage, but from
dancing and marriage both reflecting the same greater reality. The images in
dancing and marriage are parallel, not identical. A husband’s role is not the
only one that imitates Christ.
Another objection to social dance is
the supposedly inescapable tendency toward sensuality. But while abuses of
dance do exist, they do not nullify the proper enjoyment of the pursuit. If
anything, they show a need for Christians to promote an understanding of dance
that honors God—because such an understanding is indeed tenable. That is not to
say that individuals who struggle with sin in this area should not refrain from
dancing, in the same way that individuals who struggle with alcoholism may
refrain from drinking altogether, in accordance with Romans 14. But rather,
dancing—when done properly—can and should be considered a thing of beauty, not
of vice.
When dancing
is beautiful, it gives pleasure to both dancers and observers; and beauty is
pleasurable because God made it to be so. To enjoy God’s gifts of movement and
music is a blessing. To actively enjoy them with mind, emotions, and body is a
privilege. To do so in a social setting is edifying. Dancing is not just fun.
It is good.
Excellent work- I did not know that you had written this piece. I found it just today by Googling my own name.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I just realized I never asked your permission to put your name in it--I hope that was all right!
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