Looks Matter!

Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful...

Ex. 28:2 (NLT)

    

     "It doesn't matter what you wear, as long as you are giving God the glory"..."David danced out of his clothes."  How many times have you heard someone say this, or even seen these comments written under video footage posted on the Internet? Somewhere along the way, people have gotten the idea that dancers can present themselves to the Lord and the congregation in the sanctuary wearing just anything, even taking scriptures out of context to justify their tackiness.

     We have already talked about appropriate dress in earlier articles (Cover Your Assets, Pt. 1 & 2 ; In-Vest!, and The Hem of My Garment), as well as many others who have written about garments in their blogs. But it can never be said enough that looks are everything! The way dancers are dressed can determine whether the dance ministry is even allowed in a church, or can cause it to be shut down by the leadership. For the amount of information available today, there is still way too much cleavage showing, too many visible bra straps, panty lines and silhouettes in the sanctuary. Other unacceptable attire for dance ministry includes:

• large earrings
• long, curved nails
• dirty or wrinkled garments
• ballet slippers with strings tied in a bow (they are to be tucked in, the strings are not a decoration)
• loose, flying hair
• loud color nail polish (on hands and feet)
• jewelry (other than wedding rings)
• wearing tube socks or houseshoes that look like ballet shoes instead of appropriate dance shoes ( please go and invest in a real pair of dance shoes)
• gloves that don't fit
• wearing gloves while dancing barefoot (doesn't make sense)
• garments that are too tight
• wearing a leotard without an overlay, overdress, vest, or drape
• wearing a dress or skirt with no tights and palazzos or culottes underneath
• not wearing proper supporting undergarments so body parts are jiggling
• dirty dance shoes

     I'm sure there are a lot of items that could be added to this list...but you get the message. Have you ever seen a professional dancer wearing any of the above? In an article by Rebecca Breau, Prize-Winning Looks: Why Costumes Count*, the author quotes judges from professional dance competitions who say:

• "Too much skin happens a lot. There is a way to show the body in dance and not be too revealing" ~ Jackie Del Preete, (Dance Olympus/DANCEAMERICA)
• "If the costume doesn't match the piece's mood, it ends up being distracting" ~ Holly Humphreys,(Hollywood Vibe)
•   "...Look at the dancers that you've got in your ensemble and make choices that work for everyone" ~ (Randy Allaire, L.A. Danceforce) 

     If the world sets standards that are acceptable for dancers, how much more should the sacred dance community observe what they are wearing in the sanctuary?  Again...one of the main reasons the dance ministry is not accepted and respected is because of the way that the dancers are dressed. When you are dressed inappropriately, not only do you bring shame to the Lord's Name, you make it more difficult for those who take their ministry seriously! Most of these garment issues can be taken care of inexpensively: For less than $5.00, a small amount of  fabric can be draped over one  shoulder and pinned under the opposite arm to make a nice drape over a leotard... it's not fancy, but it really works until you can get something made.  A pair of ballet or jazz shoes can be found for less than $25.00 online... If you insist on getting that airbrush pedicure on Saturday, please wear your shoes on Sunday... Study the origins of modern dance and see why dancing barefoot with gloves is incongruent. The list goes on, and bears repeating: Looks Matter!

Please enjoy God's Providence Dance Assembly, and look at their simple, beautiful attire:

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End notes: Photo: Kathleen Brown, Foot of the Cross Ministries
*Articles: Why Costumes Count by Rebecca Breau, Dance Magazine-Competitions, Winning Ways
 The Hem of My Garment - blog 3/10
 Cover Your Assets - blog 8/10
 In-Vest! - blog 10/10