Liturgical Dancers

[misericordie]

Shoshana:

http://www.traditio.com/comment/com0403v.jpg

Maybe these were from the same clown mass??? What do you think???



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This was performed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Does anyone come form that area…what was it supposed to be, blessing a jeep??? How do we say a mass on a jeep???

:crying:

Blessings,
Shoshana

Everytime I see these pictures here, I almost begin to cry out of sadness that this has gone on in some Masses.

 

[moira7]

I personally have never witnessed a clown mass (check it out) or liturgical dance, and I hope I never do!
I’ve never seen a clown mass but we’ve had puppet shows and a polka mass.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon13.gif

 

[deogratias]

You can learn a lot about a parish by looking at their web site.

standrew-cfc.org/

Notice they list among their “lay ministries” both

Liturgical Dance
and
Eucharistic Ministers (Not EMHC)

See you in Church

 

[Minerva]

wow, how sad these pictures are. I can’t believe people get away with this kind of thing in Catholic churches. The gay pride flag is the worst of them all - and a shame because the church looks very pretty and traditional otherwise.

 

[Thomas2]

Hey Minerva -

Sadder still are the hearts who want their parish to be better and have to wait for all that bad news to hit the road. Just keep praying for us. And the ‘shame’ part of it, well…that lies on those who hung the flag and depending upon who in their hearts they are desiring to flaunt their perversity at, well…let’s not go there. Suffice it to say, may they not glory in their shame for too much longer. I’m pretty sure God is mighty tired of this. In the meantime, I’m praying that those of us who heard the Holy Father’s call to straighten up the mess in our parishes in Redemptoris Sacramentum are gaining in moral courage and temperance, etc…

Peace and all good,

Thomas2

 

[larryo]

Behold the horror of liturgical dance!

stalphonsusrock.org/downloads/640x480.jpg

stalphonsusrock.org/downloads/640x480_2.jpg

stalphonsusrock.org/downloads/640_photo005.jpg

stalphonsusrock.org/downloads/640_photo004.jpg

stalphonsusrock.org :crying:

Thanks, KTM, for the photos. I had never seen liturgical dance before. Is this standard practice among the Redemptorists? Or only in St. Louis? Is this some misguided attempt to incorporate liturgical and cultural customs from Africa?

 

[rosarydancer]

I am a liturgical dancer and I agree that many of the examples pointed to in this discussion appear to be inappropriate. Some of the photos, however, may be taken out of context. Liturgical dance is not appropriate for every liturgy for every congregation.

Every time I minister in movement at a church, I feel like liturgical dance is on trial. It may be the first time many people there experience liturgical movement, so it is extremely important to do it well. We have all heard plenty of bad homilies and bad cantors but we’ve also heard plenty of good ones so we know the problem isn’t with the homily or the song but the execution. Many people don’t have enough experience with dance or movement to have that range of experience.

Doing movement well means doing movement that deepens the message of the liturgy. Often, at a church unfamiliar with liturgical dance or movement, I begin by simply serving as thurifer (incense bearer) or banner bearer, gracefully fulfilling a role that already exists in the Mass.

Our relationship with our God is our most intimate relationship. And so our communal worship is an intimate experience. We come with expectations. If the worship falls too far outside our comfort parameters, it jars us out of prayer. The challenge of liturgical movement is to touch us without jarring us.

I have appreciated the comments on this thread and shared some with other Catholic dancers. I am interested to hear what doesn’t work for people. What distracts you from prayer and what leads you to prayer. I want my ministry to lead people to prayer so please share so that we might improve.

 

[darcee]

I do not think dancing in Mass works.

It is in and of itself too distracting. There is no way to make it work within the mass.

Now I love dance, I studied dance, dance is wonderful and can be very uplifting, but not as part of a dignified occasion like the mass.

If dance was incorporated in some other arena then great… but not mass.

Additionally MOST parishes do NOT have well trained dancers in their congregation so doing it well is rather a mute point… it will usually not be executed with dignity and grace because those who are performing will not be required to undergo the years of training needed to obtain graceful control in dance. And any one who complains about the quality of the execution will be told how it is not fair to point out the lack of talent and training because the performers are doing their best with the best intentions… all in all one of those things just best avoided from the get-go IMHO.

-D

 

[Lance]

We used to have them at Easter. Thank God they have gone away. I thought it was sick. Now if we can just get rid of the Passion Play we have for the Easter gospel. I don’t know why but Father has all the actors barefooted and in white turtle necks with black slacks or dresses. I don’t care for it.

 

[Irish_Melkite]

This was performed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Does anyone come form that area…what was it supposed to be, blessing a jeep??? How do we say a mass on a jeep???

Does anyone know whether this is in fact a military chaplain, saying Mass for a unit? That’s frequently done on the hood of a jeep when in the field. It looks to me to be the case at hand.

Many years,

Neil

 

[Marines]

Don’t have them; don’t like them.

• Joe

 

[francisca]

I like them, even if they looks silly.

God receives children, not pharisees.

 

[deogratias]

Does anyone care what the Church teaches or is this just a matter of I like it or don’t like it regardless?

Just click on the link below to find out what Zenit has to say about it.

Liturgical Dancing 2004-10-05 ]
With a Key 1975 Article

 

[AnnieD]

Good Grief!! I thought having a Huge Movie Screen in our church (it is no longer there) was distracting and disrespectful in God’s house, but those pictures are disgraceful!! Very Sad.

I wonder why the parishioners don’t just walk out enmasse, or quit giving money to the churches that are practicing those disgusting abuses.

We don’t have liturgical dancers…yet, and if we do get them, hopefully they will be removed as fast as the Movie Screen was at our Church.


Annie

 

[Crusader]

francisca:

I like them, even if they looks silly.

God receives children, not pharisees.

One of the most nasty and inaccurate slurs is to label those who want to follow the Church as “pharisees.”

 

[francisca]

Crusader:

One of the most nasty and inaccurate slurs is to label those who want to follow the Church as “pharisees.”

Isn’t it funny if you take a look at the vote result ?

Most of them doesn’t even know what they are talking about.

Pharisees. Yes we have pharisees in the church. They are people who forget about “Jesus’s Good News”.

 

[Crusader]

francisca:

Isn’t it funny if you take a look at the vote result ?

Most of them doesn’t even know what they are talking about.

Pharisees. Yes we have pharisees in the church. They are people who forget about “Jesus’s Good News”.

What absolutely fascinates me is that those who are quick to launch the “Pharisee slur” have no clue that as Christians we descend directly from the pharisees.

The Pharisees were the only Judaic sect that belived in eternal life. Perhaps the next time I hear that slur, I’ll simply just smile and consider it a compliment knowing full well that the insulting person has no clue about what they are talking about…

 

[PAX777]

Originally Posted by rosarydancer

I am a liturgical dancer and I agree that many of the examples pointed to in this discussion appear to be inappropriate. Some of the photos, however, may be taken out of context. Liturgical dance is not appropriate for every liturgy for every congregation.

Every time I minister in movement at a church, I feel like liturgical dance is on trial. It may be the first time many people there experience liturgical movement, so it is extremely important to do it well. We have all heard plenty of bad homilies and bad cantors but we’ve also heard plenty of good ones so we know the problem isn’t with the homily or the song but the execution. Many people don’t have enough experience with dance or movement to have that range of experience.

Doing movement well means doing movement that deepens the message of the liturgy. Often, at a church unfamiliar with liturgical dance or movement, I begin by simply serving as thurifer (incense bearer) or banner bearer, gracefully fulfilling a role that already exists in the Mass.

Our relationship with our God is our most intimate relationship. And so our communal worship is an intimate experience. We come with expectations. If the worship falls too far outside our comfort parameters, it jars us out of prayer. The challenge of liturgical movement is to touch us without jarring us.

Great comments, May the Spirt of Christ be reflected in your ministry.

I have seen many Masses & at World Youth Day in Denver… that have used Liturgical Dance it was allway done in taste and added to the Mass. I have seen them done durring a readings or at the Homily. I see this as visual form of expression the Word of the Lord through Dance or Theater. The same is done by a Painting, Statue, or Stained glass which reflectes the Artists inspiration.

Please be open to those who ar just tring to express their Faith with the talents God had given them.

 

[Crusader]

rosarydancer:

I am a liturgical dancer and I agree that many of the examples pointed to in this discussion appear to be inappropriate. Some of the photos, however, may be taken out of context. Liturgical dance is not appropriate for every liturgy for every congregation.

Every time I minister in movement at a church, I feel like liturgical dance is on trial. It may be the first time many people there experience liturgical movement, so it is extremely important to do it well. We have all heard plenty of bad homilies and bad cantors but we’ve also heard plenty of good ones so we know the problem isn’t with the homily or the song but the execution. Many people don’t have enough experience with dance or movement to have that range of experience.

Doing movement well means doing movement that deepens the message of the liturgy. Often, at a church unfamiliar with liturgical dance or movement, I begin by simply serving as thurifer (incense bearer) or banner bearer, gracefully fulfilling a role that already exists in the Mass.

Our relationship with our God is our most intimate relationship. And so our communal worship is an intimate experience. We come with expectations. If the worship falls too far outside our comfort parameters, it jars us out of prayer. The challenge of liturgical movement is to touch us without jarring us.

I have appreciated the comments on this thread and shared some with other Catholic dancers. I am interested to hear what doesn’t work for people. What distracts you from prayer and what leads you to prayer. I want my ministry to lead people to prayer so please share so that we might improve.

Dancing (or “movement ministering”) have no place during the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – at least in the USA.

 

[coyote]

PAX777:

Great comments, May the Spirt of Christ be reflected in your ministry.

I have seen many Masses & at World Youth Day in Denver… that have used Liturgical Dance it was allway done in taste and added to the Mass. I have seen them done durring a readings or at the Homily. I see this as visual form of expression the Word of the Lord through Dance or Theater. The same is done by a Painting, Statue, or Stained glass which reflectes the Artists inspiration.

Please be open to those who ar just tring to express their Faith with the talents God had given them.

I have been given the gift of visual art, perhaps it would be as valid for me to schlep my canvass and paint to mass and let the experience move me to paint my faith and joy?

Or, I have also been given the gift of having great love and reverence for Creation, so might I bring my reptiles, spiders, dogs, birds and cat to mass to share them with the community so they can experience the beauty and appreciation of God’s Creatures?

Or, having a gift for public speaking, perhaps I could write my own homily or story and read it out loud during Mass.

Or, having been given a gift for textile arts, I could bring my embroidery, my knitting, my tatting to Mass and let the experience guide my hands while I create textile art?

Or, I could bring my own tibetan singing bowls to mass and set them to singing during the good parts.

Or I could bring a sweetgrass braid and smudge just before eucharist.

After all, my works would be reflections of the glory of God that I find in the Mass. How could that be inappropriate?