#That Garment Conversation...Again

. . . Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.]

~ Romans 14:16 (AMP)

     There can never be too many blogs, books, online classes or conference workshops about appropriate attire for dance ministries. While there are many dancers who have invested time, effort and money to dress themselves in garments that are both beautiful and modest, there are still too many who wear clothing that is either too tight, revealing or doesn't fit well because it is too large or does not cover enough of the body. A few of the common reasons for this are:

     "It doesn't matter what you wear, God is looking at your heart"   It's true that God does look at our heart, but taking 1 Samuel 6:7 out of context to justify not wearing the proper attire when we dance isn't going to change what people see. We never want to be a stumbling block for anyone.

     "Dance garments are expensive" Wrong...some dance garments are expensive, but some are very inexpensive and well-made. In addition, there are ways to make beautiful coverings with 2 yards of fabric that don't even require sewing skills. The other problem with this argument is that some of us who complain that dance garments are expensive will spend the same amount of money or more on worldly concert tickets, hair weaves, shoes, and handbags. What is our real priority?

     "I don't need to wear pants under my skirt or dress if I have on tights"  For modesty purposes, ladies should always wear the wide legged palazzo pants under a skirt or dress. That way, we can be free to move without anyone seeing something of ours that should only be seen by our mates at home. Men (and some women) in a church service should not have to struggle to focus on God because they are seeing crotches on the platform! 

     "I can't help it if I have a lot up top, that's the way God made me" You can't control your genetics, but you can control how it is seen. Ladies, please wear proper undergarments that don't allow your bust to bounce up and down when you move. Make sure you wear pasties if you need them, or put folded tissue in the front of your bra. Some type of overdress or overlay should be worn over a leotard. The worship dresses that are made by the dancewear companies look may beautiful on children, but not so nice on women because they call attention to our bust. The body is not shameful, but once again, we don't want to call attention to our form, because the focus in worship is always on God. Anything that takes away from that is a distraction.

     "Those praise dance garments look plain and old-fashioned"  A long time ago, when dancewear manufacturers discovered there was a market for worship dance attire, they created garments based on their perception of dance, and of the church. The result was often drab, non-interesting, cheesy looking, almost comical items. Their stock consisted of ruffles, bib-tops, and dresses that looked like choir robes or togas, instead of the beautiful selection of garments now available. As people who were gifted to sew began to create dancewear that was colorful and modest, the amount of garments available increased tremendously. Today we can look anywhere online and find very nice attire for all budgets. It's not necessary to buy the most expensive garments, but it is important to purchase the nicest ones that you can afford. Even if you don't have a lot of money, you can create a worship dance top using 2 yards of 45" or 60" fabric, secured with safety pins on the inside and tied at the shoulder over a leotard. The same length of fabric can also be wrapped without any pins at all. 

(We can show you how to do this in detail in a future blog).

      A great reference is Garments of Glory, a downloadable e-book by Jocelyn Richard of Visual Praise Ministries in Augusta, GA (www.thepraisedancelife). Jocelyn has a wealth of information about garments and other aspects of the dance ministry from her many years of experience as a worship dance leader. Her e-book includes full-color pictures, historical references and a list of reputable and affordable dance garment makers. You can purchase and download it here: http://store.payloadz.com/details/843062-ebooks-religion-and-spirituality-garments-of-glory.html

     It can never be stressed enough that one of the main reasons that praise and worship dance is still not accepted in some churches is because of the way dancers are dressed. I was in a fabric store one day and an older woman began to lecture me on why she didn't like praise dance, and how disgraceful women looked in what they wore. She was so offended by their immodesty that she didn't even believe that anyone could do anything different than what she had seen. What a shame! Someone did not receive the message of the dance (if there was one) because of a preventable situation.

     As a member of the National Liturgical Dance Network, I want to share this best practice information with as many in the dance ministry community as possible, because once we learn something, we need to pass it on to others. Please feel free to share the this blog and slideshow I created with anyone you feel could benefit from seeing it. You can go to the video and share it directly from You Tube. The garments pictured are but a few of many examples of attire that is beautiful and appropriate in any church setting. The purpose of the slideshow is not to endorse any garment maker. You can go online and type in "Worship Dance Garments" or "Praise Dance Garments", and several options will show in your browser. If you would like any additional information about garments, you can e-mail me at: urbanartz212@gmail.com, and I will be happy to direct you to more resources. You can also contact the National Liturgical Dance Network, Foot of the Cross Ministries, Dancing for Him Ministries or any of the ministries and garment makers in the info section of the blog. We would love to help you dress for glory and beauty!

     I hope that I've posted something that can help the dance ministry to grow, and to be perceived in the way that God intends. 

Be blessed, and as always, Keep Dancing for Christ!

Please C.Y.A. (Cover Your Assets)!

     There is a growing trend in the dance ministry to dance without coverings underneath skirts and dresses. Even with the large number of conferences and workshops where classes are taught about proper dance ministry attire, it is still going on and bringing a lot of undue attention where it is not needed. The body is not dirty or shameful, because everything that God has created is good (Gen.1:31) however, because we live in a fallen world, we have to be careful of what we are showing when we dance in a worship community. What is appropriate for the dance studio or the stage is not for the sanctuary, which is sacred space where all of the focus is to be on the glory and beauty of God, and not on us. Many people have written about this topic in blogs and articles throughout the internet, but it can never be stressed enough...Cover Your Assets!

     In the book of Exodus, God gave instructions to Moses that Aaron and his sons were to wear certain types of priestly garments in the tabernacle for glory and beauty (Ex.28:2). In verses 42-43, He told him to make garments to cover their nakedness:

Make linen underwear to cover their nakedness from waist to thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear it whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to minister in the Holy Place so that they won't incur guilt and die. This is a permanent rule for Aaron and all his priest-descendants.

(The Message)

   

     There are other elements of the garments that God required, and although we are no longer under the law of Moses there are still certain standards that we have to maintain to keep the reverence and respect of worship in the sanctuary. This is not being legalistic or to put anyone in bondage. Once again, the focus of worship dance is always on God and not on the person, although they are the channel God uses to bring the message in movement. Imagine someone doing an anointed dance, and when they jump, all you see is...you get it. There are so many beautiful inexpensive palazzo (wide legged) pants being made to go under skirts and dresses in all colors and patterns,  there is no excuse for anyone to be going without them. A lot of pastors do not allow dance in their churches because of dancers wearing garments that reveal too much, are too tight, or specifically, the dancers are not covered properly underneath. So many men (and women) come into the church struggling with all kinds of visual addictions, and the last thing they need to see is someone's crotch in the sanctuary...just keeping it real! 

     We must always remember who and what we represent when we dance. Contrary to what anyone says or what you see anyone else doing, it does matter what we do in the sanctuary. Don't be a hindrance to anyone; if you are not sure about what is appropriate, do some research, ask questions, invest in workshops, learn about dance garments, and look around to see what is correct. Listen if someone makes a suggestion about how to be well covered, and don't get an attitude!

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.

2 Cor 6:3 (NIV)

      Someone is always watching what we do. With the advent of YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and other social networking venues, our work can go around the world in less than 2 minutes. Just because someone says they are in awe of us publicly does not mean that in private, other things are not being said. We can't control people's thoughts or conversations, but we can control what they see. Let's be sure to keep our assets properly covered!

    Please enjoy this video and watch how freely dancers can move for Christ with the proper attire: