Would you want Liturgical Dancers?

  • Thread starter Thread starter RBushlow
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
40.png
rosarydancer:
The U.S. Bishops could have refused to review the topic, stating that the 1975 “qualified and authoritative sketch” published by the Holy See in the journal Notitiae was definitive. Instead, they cited the need for further scholarly studies of a “historical, anthropological, exegetical and theological” (Varietates legitimae, no. 30) nature which might explore forms of movement which might be found to serve as an appropriate part of processions . . . " The topic, they realized, needs further exploration.

Much has changed since 1975. It’s difficult to distinguish the “West” from the rest of the world as more and more non-western peoples immigrate to the U.S. and other western countries.
Click to expand...
I see, in other words nothing in that document supports the idea of dancing during the mass. They didn’t say anything supporting dance in the West, they didn’t say that it was a good idea and didn’t look at it at all… since 1975. But somehow the idea that much has changed since then validates dancing in mass?

-D
 
40.png
francisca:
Why not ?

Didn’t King David danced around the Ark ?
Click to expand...
So …should the priest wear only linen aprons to mass as well? And we will slaughter bulls and have burnt offerings too?

The Mass is much different the the celebration of a battle victory. If we were having another church event where we were celebrating the goodness of God then dance might have a place.

-D
 
I do not believe that the Mass is the place for dancing of any kind. I would not mind some sort of pretty ballet dancing in a non-liturgical event but it needs to be kept out of the Mass absolutely! We do not go to Mass to be entertained. We go to offer sacrifice, praise and offer our petitions before the Lord. At least that’s what I always thought we were there for!!! 😉 - Mfaustina

Darcee- your last post got a good laugh out of me just trying to picture such a scene :rotfl:
 
I have pictured such a scene many times. I think it would be awesome and dreadful and passionate and wonderful and really stunning. I would love to have been able to have been at the ancient temple especially at some celebration.

I have been at Christian Concerts with a few hundred people singing and dancing together and being completely overawed by it.

But Mass… that is a different kind of thing all together. It is not a spectacle in the sense that the above two are dance – won’t work within a Western Catholic Mass… even when it is culturally acceptable it is ONLY as a non-obtrusive part of the procession and CAN NOT be considered an exhibit or in any way and interpretative display.

-D
 
40.png
darcee:
So …should the priest wear only linen aprons to mass as well? And we will slaughter bulls and have burnt offerings too?

The Mass is much different the the celebration of a battle victory. If we were having another church event where we were celebrating the goodness of God then dance might have a place.

-D
Click to expand...
You mean Mass does not celebrate Jesus’s victory? I thing He has won a bigger war than David.
 
I think liturgical dancing could get out of hand if the same ladies who are proclaiming the gospel and giving the homily and serving at the altar also try to dance at the solemn parts of the Mass, we might get confused about what their real purpose us up there, and goodness knows we don’t need any more Mass confusion.
 
Yes, I want all men and women in ballet costume and the Mass should generally resemble the Nutcracker Suite
 
40.png
asquared:
I think liturgical dancing could get out of hand if the same ladies who are proclaiming the gospel and giving the homily and serving at the altar also try to dance at the solemn parts of the Mass, we might get confused about what their real purpose us up there, and goodness knows we don’t need any more Mass confusion.
Click to expand...
I do not know what you mean by this.
 
40.png
BayCityRickL:
Yes, I want all men and women in ballet costume and the Mass should generally resemble the Nutcracker Suite
Click to expand...
Why not make The Mass more alive?

It’s not the costume but what you believe in your heart.

Hebrews 6:1
Therefore, let us leave behind the basic teaching about Christ and advance to maturity, without laying the foundation all over again: repentance from DEAD WORKS and faith in God,
 
Never, never, never, never, never. The idea of people dancing around the altar during Mass is so rediculous I can’t believe we’re even discussing it. For those of you who have had to endure such an absurd site, I hope you were able to stop it in your parish.
 
dancers belong in the disco or in a club or a ballet concert no in a church.:blessyou:
 
40.png
Chris-WA:
Never, never, never, never, never. The idea of people dancing around the altar during Mass is so rediculous I can’t believe we’re even discussing it. For those of you who have had to endure such an absurd site, I hope you were able to stop it in your parish.
Click to expand...
Don’t you think you sounds like Mikhal (Saul’s daughter) when she rebuked David about dancing around the Ark of God in His Presence?

Tell me one GOOD reason. Not the kinds of reasons that based on your own view nor “because it used to be different in the Church”, but an understanding that consists of God’s truth. Make me understand about this “catholic truth” you all have in mind.

Why can’t we dance when David danced in the presence of God and shouted and leapt and sang happy worship songs (the scriptures wrote “Sing a NEW song to the Lord!”), and God was pleased with David. Now, why can’t we do the same as David did?

Psalms 149:1-5
1 Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a NEW SONG, a hymn in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be GLAD in their maker, the people of Zion rejoice in their king. 3 2 Let them praise his name in FESTIVE DANCE, make MUSIC with TAMBOURINE and LYRE. 4 For the LORD takes delight in his people, honors the poor with VICTORY. 5 3 Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, cry out for JOY at their BANQUET,

Psalms 33:3
Sing to Him a NEW SONG;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

Psalms 40:3
He put a NEW SONG in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.

Psalms 96:1
Sing to the LORD a NEW SONG;
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Psalms 98:1
O sing to the LORD a NEW SONG,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.

1 Samuel 29:5
“Is this not David, of whom they sing in the DANCES, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

Jeremiah 31:4
"Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
Again you will take up your TAMBOURINES,
And go forth to the DANCES of the merrymakers.
 
I finally went to a mass with dancers. It wasn’t too bad until the streamers came out. Then it turned in to a SHOW and not a praise.
 
francisca said:
Don’t you think you sounds like Mikhal (Saul’s daughter) when she rebuked David about dancing around the Ark of God in His Presence?

Tell me one GOOD reason. Not the kinds of reasons that based on your own view nor “because it used to be different in the Church”, but an understanding that consists of God’s truth. Make me understand about this “catholic truth” you all have in mind.

Why can’t we dance when David danced in the presence of God and shouted and leapt and sang happy worship songs (the scriptures wrote “Sing a NEW song to the Lord!”), and God was pleased with David. Now, why can’t we do the same as David did?
Click to expand...
Based on your statement “…about this ‘catholic truth’ you all have in mind,” I’m assuming that you’re not Catholic and that you come from a church where there is routinely dancing during a worship service.

I agree that dance can be an expression of one’s faith if one so chooses to use dance in that manner. Your scripture quotes from the Old Testament show this quite well. But David wasn’t celebrating the Mass. He couldn’t have, because the New Covenant wouldn’t be established for hundreds of years until Christ established it at the Last Supper. As a Catholic, I would argue that Christ’s example and that of His apostles is the one we should follow for our communal worship. In the Mass, we are celebrating the New Covenant that perfects and surpasses the covenants of the Old Testament. As a community, we witness the changing of bread and wine into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. Our attention is firmly fixed upon the priest acting in the person of Christ as the words of consecration are spoken. Our posture, words, and singing should help us be in the right frame of mind and heart to fully appreciate the Eucharist.

I think Liturgical dancing can only distract us from this. It would take our eyes and attention away from the priest and his actions and instead focus us on dancers giving a performance. The Mass isn’t a performance. The music shouldn’t be a choir giving a performance, but should aid us in worship. I can’t see how liturgical dance can be anything but a performance that takes our attention away from where it should be.

In short, of course you can dance in the presence of God on your own time. But just because David danced around the ark doesn’t mean someone can force this on a whole congregation. You said that you don’t want to hear about “…because it used to be different in the church.” It sounds like you’re looking for bible quotes that prove we can or can’t dance at Mass. I will just say that the bible doesn’t give a step by step prescription for the liturgy. We go on the example of Christ, His apostles, and the church they gave us. To me, those are God’s truth.
Click to expand...
 
40.png
Chris-WA:
Based on your statement “…about this ‘catholic truth’ you all have in mind,” I’m assuming that you’re not Catholic and that you come from a church where there is routinely dancing during a worship service.
Click to expand...
I am baptized catholic, and I don’t attend church where there is “routinely” dancing during worship.

I am asian, and yes, in my home country there are liturgical dances occasionally (in certain parishes). We even have drama plays in times such as christmas etc (in Mass, and it ain’t liturgical abuse!). And yes, I am roman catholic. And these things happen as allowed by authority.

So there. May we open our mind to welcome multitudes to come into the Church, turning away from denominational timidity to unity, because God is God of ALL people.

And remember always that the law, rules, guidelines, regulations has to serve God’s Mercy, not the other way round. Man with compasion and mercy must control the law. Otherwise we become “worshippers of the law” instead of God who is Merciful, slow to anger and full of compasion!
But David wasn’t celebrating the Mass.
Click to expand...
David was celebrating Lord’s presence among His victorious people !
Click to expand...
 
There are plenty of other oppotunities to dance within the Catholic Church… such as in the parish hall downstairs.

Most parishes here have a stage and everything in their hall for dancing, growing up my parish hall had a disco ball for socials.
So no.

Wierd how some non-Catholic Christians interpet dance. Some have dance as a part of the Sunday Services, and others forbid any type of dancing at all in or out of Church. Since they don’t celebrate Mass, I guess it is ok for them to do whatever they want on Sunday.
 
I have heard that dancing can be appropriate but have yet to see anything that wasn’t just down right embarressing and distracting. In fact I have a friend who is a wiccian and after months of discussions I finally convinced her to just come check out Mass once with me. Well she came and then the middle aged sisters in their tights came and then they pulled out their ribbons and danced very badly. She laughed, she laughed until she was crying and couldn’t breathe, she laughed until she was almost lying in the pew. She laughed all the way out of the church and never came back. Suggest going to Mass to her now and all she does is laugh and, if room permits, dance her own dance.

So no, I’m not a big fan of liturgical dancing.
 
There is a right time for everything, but the time for dancing shouldn’t be during Mass.

Remember, everything has a time to do things at the appropriate time like
A time to be born; A time to die; A time to plant; A time to harvest;
A time to kill; A time to heal; A time to destroy; A time to rebuild;
A time to cry; A time to laugh; A time to grieve; A time to dance;
A time for scattering stones; A time for gathering stones; A time to hug; A time not to hug;
A time to find; A time to lose; A time for keeping; A time for throwing away;
A time to tear; A time to repair; A time to be quiet; A time to speak up;
A time for loving; A time for hating; A time for war; A time for peace.
 
40.png
CatholicNerd:
Maybe if I belonged to a culture where dance is used as a means of expression… and since I’m not part of a culture like that, forget it. An SSPX friend of mine recently said that the presence of liturgical dancers just confirms his suspicions that Satan’s trying to turn the Mass into a giant nightclub, complete with a spiritual bartender, band, and dance floor. I’m almost inclined to agree.
Click to expand...
THANK YOU!!! You put it very well!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top