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

Please C.Y.A. ...Part II!

     I received so much response from this article that I was inspired to continue with a Part II of Please Cover Your Assets! There is so much to say about this topic that it's impossible to tell  it all, but if all of us who have voices will speak out, I believe that those who have ears to hear will listen, and act accordingly. There are many who want to please God, but don't have anyone to give them positive guidance, and still others who have already decided that they will do as they like, regardless of what is said or shown to them. We already know that there is a trend, not just in the dance ministry but in the world, to show as much of ourselves as we possibly can and that same trend comes to church services every week-- not only among dancers but in the Praise Team, the choir, and the congregation.

     God tells us that there should be a difference between the way we look, and the way that others look. Did you know that some countries in the Middle East call the United States "The Great Satan" because of the way women are dressed? I was saved in an Apostolic church that did not believe that women should wear pants, jewelry, make-up, seamed stockings, open-toed shoes or sleeveless dresses. Now that is an extreme, but there is truth in the doctrine that we are to be separate from the world. We can be beautiful and fashionable, and still dress appropriately.

   Many past and present arguments state:

•    Women should dress modestly so that men won't stumble
•    Women are their brother's keeper
•    Women have to dress in a certain way to show that they are "good" girls

    I don't agree with any of those statements, and this is why:

•    If a man has an issue, he will have one until he gives it to God,  although we should not be part of it
•    We should be concerned about others, but their problems are theirs until they release them
•    Just because a woman dresses in a certain way does not always mean that her heart is right

    The reason for wearing appropriate garments is that we are perceived in whatever way we present ourselves. If we appear naked, then that is the way people will see us. We dress in a certain way because of the One that we represent. A while back, I danced at a traditional Baptist church where there were some older "church mothers". I didn't have a lot of garments or money to buy an overlay, so I bought a piece of chiffon fabric and wrapped it around the bodice of the dress. One of them came to me after I danced and said: "I saw the worship in your dance. That was very classy". Thank God for that! So, for those of us who continue to make excuses for dancing without appropriate garments, what do you think these same elders are saying when you dance?

     So, before you go out to minister, or even go outside, here are some things to think about:

• What do I want people to see when they look at me?
• Do my garments enhance the message I am bringing, or do they take away from the essence of it?
• What does God think of what I am wearing?

     Lastly, on a teleconference, I heard a well-known dance garment maker say: "If you are not ready to buy appropriate garments, maybe you are not ready to minister in dance". That may sound harsh, but there is truth in what she is saying. Once again, if you don't know what to do, find out first, count the cost, pray for guidance, and...Please Cover Your Assets!

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: