Dance is viewed in many different lights in the church today. The world today has taken dance and corrupted it by using it to be something to draw bad attention to ones self. Additionally dance studio environments are unhealthy, hard on students bodies, and highly competitive. Dance was actually created by God to be a work of art for His glory, and it was a way to worship Him. In the Bible, we see David dancing for joy and worship to God in 2 Samuel 6:14 which says, “And David danced before the Lord with all his might.” That is just one example. Sarah Schatz, a dancer, a wife, a mom, an entrepreneur, and a disciple of King Jesus, over 10 years ago, sought to redeem dance for God’s Kingdom. She started by holding dance workshops in which girls ages 9-18 could come and learn about Jesus, learn their worth in Christ, learn contemporary, ballet, jazz, and lyrical dances to Christian songs, and be taught how to pray through dance for people and as a connecting point for the dancer to their Maker. This non-profit dance organization was call Guidance. Sarah explained the word to her students as “God, You and I DANCE.” The students would be taught dance technique in a safe, encouraging, and uplifting environment. The dancers would perform in nursing homes, small events, women’s shelters, park amphitheaters, and churches to bring God’s love, joy, and truth of the gospel through the form of dance.
Sarah’s vision, by God’s grace continued to grow, and she opened a full dance company which is called to this day Christian Dance Alliance. Smaller companies under this are called Emerge, Arise, Shine, and Guidance Dance Companies. Each of these is separated by age and skill level. Christian Dance Alliance is “dedicated to sharing the joy of the Lord through the art of dance.”
As a former dancer of Guidance and Christian Dance Alliance, I can attest that God’s mission and vision for making disciples and spreading God’s word, Gospel, joy, and redemption is playing out in this organization. Also, dance itself is being redeemed through it. I have had the privilege to be spiritually mentored through the teachers I had, and through the opportunities to dance in church services, in nursing homes, on times square, in the city of Detroit, for women’s conferences, in women’s shelters, and in other places, and I was able to proclaim the truth of the Gospel through dance and personally minister to the people I danced for. I learned how to use dance as a form of worship and as a form of prayer. The mission of Christian Dance Alliance is beautiful, redemptive, and Gospel minded.
http://www.christiandancealliance.com/index.html
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I have heard of dance being a form of musical worship, but this is the first time I have heard it as a form of prayer. What a beautiful opportunity to not only impact those you perform for but also for the spiritual growth of those involved in the company. This unique combination of cultural dance and Christian worship is a great example of how we can contextualize the gospel to people in our community. I hope to see other dance organizations follow this example set by Sarah with a passion for the Lord, students, and the community.