Is Dancing a Sin?

[SybilMolly]

Hi,
I’ve always been Catholic and always been a dancer. I study ballet with the hope of becoming a professional ballet dancer one day. It never really crossed my mind until now, but is dancing a sin? Is it immodest? What if you are in a professional setting and have no say in what steps you dance or what you have to wear?

Thanks to all who reply.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Dancing is not a sin, thanks be to God. David danced before the Lord “with all his might.”

I love watching all kinds of dance, especially ballet. I’ve seen different ballets and I’ve seen a couple I could call immodest. I don’t have an issue with costumes. I love the classic ballets but I love the more modern style too. Dans Netherlands style is lovely but it has also left me with my jaw on the floor. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what the choreographer was trying to say with a certain “move”. Someone might call it pornographic and I say no, that is just weird.

You might want to find a company that features the kind of ballet you want to do or audition only for the ballets that you want to do. And set boundaries. If you said to the above choreographer, “I love this style but I won’t dance nude,” etc. I hope he would respect that.

 

[SybilMolly]

Thanks for the helpful message.

I’m pretty sure nude/topless dancing won’t be a problem, more like midriff-bearing tops, etc. my ideal company has Classical Ballet (Traditional tutus) and contemporary (where dance moves and costumes really had no set pattern).

I’d love to tell a director “I love this style but I won’t dance in a crop top” but then he would probably say, “Then you can leave because there are 5mil other girls who will”

But of course, God comes first, and I’d prefer Salvation to the stage any day,

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Thanks for the helpful message.

I’m pretty sure nude/topless dancing won’t be a problem, more like midriff-bearing tops, etc. my ideal company has Classical Ballet (Traditional tutus) and contemporary (where dance moves and costumes really had no set pattern).

I’d love to tell a director “I love this style but I won’t dance in a crop top” but then he would probably say, “Then you can leave because there are 5mil other girls who will”

But of course, God comes first, and I’d prefer Salvation to the stage any day,

Crop top like this? Morte de Nikiya

So sorry…this version is better.

 

[Carmentalis]

I love to dance. Latin and average stuff- so- BALLET! How cool is that!!! Good on you!
My friend just said dance is an art— ballet most definately IS just that!
i’d add though I do all sorts from hip hop to belly dance as well, it depends on what you’re doing it for lol
if i were dancing to display myself to men rather than strengthen by back and ab muscles and improve posture and health and express that I appreciate and love the life God has given and that I am blessed to be able to move- things from the heart like that? Intention? (not to make an idol of any of it- no way, but to GIVE THANKS TO GOD and to be grateful)
like that-
yep but that’s from the heart
gave up all dance for ages because life got to me got depressed and distressed
but God makes me so happy so now I can dance again
and that changes all of it

God makes His home in the heart -so dance from your heart!

i’d love to improve in latin but you need a dance partner to learn it well-
oh and line dancing lol looks fun simply have to learn that one day

GOD BLESS YOU ALL

 

[Linusthe2nd]

Hi,
I’ve always been Catholic and always been a dancer. I study ballet with the hope of becoming a professional ballet dancer one day. It never really crossed my mind until now, but is dancing a sin? Is it immodest? What if you are in a professional setting and have no say in what steps you dance or what you have to wear?

Thanks to all who reply.

St. Paul said we cover our uncomely parts. But not just cover them, but cover them so that others do not even know they are there.

When David danced before the lord, we can be sure he was fully clothed and not skimply clothed either.

The Cure’ of Ars waged a long battle against dancing in his parish when he first became pastor. And the dancing of that period was not the wild stuff that has appeared since the beginning of the 20th century.

My feeling is that whenever we appear in public, we should be fully covered, and modestly so. And there are some forms of couple dancing which are immodest by its very nature.

Has there ever been a saint known for his or her dancing?

Modesty in dress, under all circumstances, is a genuine moral issue which too few attend to. It is better to be safe than sorry. Always error on the side of virtue.

Linus2nd

 

[A_G]

Dancing is not a sin.

*Let them praise his name in dance,

make music with tambourine and lyre*

**Psalm 149:3 **

 

[livingwordunity]

I think it would depend on the context and intent of the dance.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

St. Paul said we cover our uncomely parts. But not just cover them, but cover them so that others do not even know they are there.

When David danced before the lord, we can be sure he was fully clothed and not skimply clothed either.

2 Samuel 6:20

*20 David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!” *

So Michal was upset about something that wasn’t necessarily offensive. He didn’t like it so he made it sound like Saul did something he didn’t do.

The Cure’ of Ars waged a long battle against dancing in his parish when he first became pastor. And the dancing of that period was not the wild stuff that has appeared since the beginning of the 20th century.

I do have a hard time imagining what he must have been dealing with in his parish. But what he wrote or was written about him doesn’t mean the problem was as bad as it’s made to sound. He’s a saint but his writings are not divine revelation. He may have even overacted.

My feeling is that whenever we appear in public, we should be fully covered, and modestly so. And there are some forms of couple dancing which are immodest by its very nature.

Like what? I know what I’ve seen but it sounds like you are close to condemning all dance.

Has there ever been a saint known for his or her dancing?

I don’t know of one. Is this another thing Catholics and other Christians are going to leave to non-Christians so the only art that is created is made by non-believers.

Modesty in dress, under all circumstances, is a genuine moral issue which too few attend to. It is better to be safe than sorry. Always error on the side of virtue.

Linus2nd

I think it’s the “better safe than sorry” is why these modestly conversations go on and on. Someone has a very specific definition of what is modest and then people act like someone has actually done something wrong when people deviate from that definition.