Need resources about liturgical dance

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Hi everyone, I was in need for official resources that prohibit liturgical dance in the Latin Rite. If you can post the name of the document it will be greatly appreaciated.
 
rivera01 said:
Hi everyone, I was in need for official resources that prohibit liturgical dance in the Latin Rite. If you can post the name of the document it will be greatly appreaciated.
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I’m not a document expert, but I think the rules for Mass are along the lines of, “If you weren’t told you could do it, it’s not allowed.”
 
I’m not aware of an official document forbidding it, but I know Cardinal Arinze said that it was not allowed on multiple occasions when he was the head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

I’m reading his book Celebrating the Holy Eucharist right now, and he mentions liturgical dance (and the fact that people shouldn’t do it) in Chapter 5. The book isn’t an official document like the GIRM, but it might give you a good starting point. It’s also a really good read 👍
 
I remember reading something at the Vatican website about liturgical dance, but I havent founded yet.
 
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Need resources about liturgical dance

Ok here goes:

…

Well…

You put your right foot in

you put right foot out

you put your left foot in

…and you shake it all about.…

:dancing:

Could not resist
 
rivera01 said:
Hi everyone, I was in need for official resources that prohibit liturgical dance in the Latin Rite. If you can post the name of the document it will be greatly appreaciated.
Click to expand...
Good luck with this! Because if you do actually find something prohibiting “liturgical dance” those allowing it at a local level will simply rename it something like “liturgical movement.” That’s precisely what my former bishop did and it really upset a lot of people. I remember him celebrating a Mass at my parish when well rehearsed “liturgical movement” broke-out. At least a third of the people left. It was hideous and I think the response sort of scared him. Really bad from a dance standpoint even if the practice were allowed. When the new bishop book over I have never seen it since, nor did he mentioned anything about banning it.
 
Our music director said at the school he went to they did teach about it…he defined it to me as basically how things are done. there is a whole dance from the way the priest enters with the cross lifted high, altar servers with candles, bowing, the music the liturgy of the word, the liturgy of the eucharist…in other words the flow of everything…theinsense and sprinkling rites…it is a pretty much choreographed and should occur smoothly.

I thought his explanation made it even more beautiful.

So I am unsure as to the official Catholic version versus the nondenominational one with ladies in flowing dresses and banners and frilly flowing things. and interpretive dance…

I did see a video once that had the dancing and I didn’t find it crazy strange as I had seen it like that before in other denominations, my friends were very uncomfortable and found it silly and weird. They laughed. I did not because, I had seen it and wondered…well if it were not allowed then it wouldn’t be done, but maybe in special cases it is allowed, but i don’t see our church ever just allowing something, the liturgy and rules have to be defined and taught.

our music director went to a place in Washington DC and Notre Dame…but I don’t know where he was exposed to the liturgical dancing. (we don’t do it at our church, but he was familiar with it)
 
I am unaware of any document outright banning liturgical dance in the Latin Church. In fact, I believe it is specifically allowed in narrowly-defined circumstances of inculturation, such as native African and Native American liturgy. The key is the claim that western European society (including Americans) use dance exclusively as a mating ritual and that it is inappropriate for worship in our culture. However, ancient cultures such as the ones I mentioned have used dance as story telling and divine worship since antiquity, and as part of their culture, it can be permitted in Roman Catholic liturgy.

That is my understanding of the situation. I’m sorry that I don’t have any sources to back it up.
 
solayan said:
I’m not aware of an official document forbidding it, but I know Cardinal Arinze said that it was not allowed on multiple occasions when he was the head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

I’m reading his book Celebrating the Holy Eucharist right now, and he mentions liturgical dance (and the fact that people shouldn’t do it) in Chapter 5. The book isn’t an official document like the GIRM, but it might give you a good starting point. It’s also a really good read 👍
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He has a video on this as well.

youtube.com/watch?v=9rJFdmmqj_s
 
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