Dance "In" The Harvest
We dancers tend to be sometimes short-sighted and closed minded in our approach
to ministry. Many reserve the dance for the church and her congregation. However, it is necessary to look beyond the Church
if we are to bring in the harvest. The harvest is on the fields and not in the Church. We must begin to take the dance beyond
our Churches and use our talents as tools of evangelism. Luke 4:18 says "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind., to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of
the Lord"
Can
Dance Exist Without Music?
This has been a perplexing question, and one that most people
have failed to answer simply because they possess little or no insight into the concept of dance and the rhythm of life.For
many generations dance has been married to music much so that a divorce of such seems ludicrous and totally outrageous. Who
has ever heard of such a crazy concept of dancing without music? Dance has never been portrayed anywhere without some kind
of music or sound. Have
you as a dancer considered what you would do if the music suddenly stops? What if you suddenly became deaf? The true praise
dancer is one who knows how to praise God with or without music. When the music suddenly ceases, the worship dancer continues,
because his worship is not in the music but in the knowledge of whom he worships. The dance continues because it is not an
act that is based on circumstances but a sacrifice that is fueled by contrition, adoration and passion. So without music the
dancer moves to the rhythm of the music within his soul, and to the rhythm of the music of the breath of life.Just as the trees sway and bow their heads to the force of
the wind, and just as the birds flap their wings and render a melodious tune unto God, so does the dancer make melody
in her heart unto the Lord, and like the trees she moves not to music but through the force of the wind of the Spirit, and
in freedom, she raises her hands in humble surrender, she claps her hands, leaps for joy, runs, jumps, stomps, bows,
kneel or lay prostrate before the lord.Dance
is simply the sacrifice of the living. It is a language; it is an expression, and acknowledgement of thanks by the body for
the breath of life, and the gratitude of the spirit for freedom. It is worship. Basically, dance is what the worshipper
does when music is not enough. Music engages the mouth and probably the hands as we play instruments like the piano or the
guitar, but dance engages the whole being, it never ceases, it will outlast the song and the music and it will exist as long
as life exists in the dancer.Dace is the movement
of the dancer’s limbs at dawn. It is the thanksgiving of the dancer’s heart for a brand new day and yet for life.
It is the offering of the dancer upon waking long before the beating of the drums or the playing of a musical note, or the
rendering of a song. Yes dance is the response to the music of the dancer’s heartbeat.Whether there is external music or not, dance exists in the heart of the living.
The question is, unto whom shall my dance be rendered?
Sukky Macaulay Fagbohun
..
Where
Do You Get Inspiration For Choreography?
Choreography happens
only by inspiration. Those who have found the source of constant inspiration are those who have learnt to tune in to the frequency
of the Holy Spirit. Kingdom Choreographers who in the world’s standards would have been labeled as rejects for lack
of experience or educational background in music and choreography have been able to impact lives in dramatic and incredible
ways through awesome choreographic pieces that were made possible simply due to trust, inspiration and training by the Holy
Spirit. The secret to receiving great inspiration is to come as a novice. You must come hungry in order to be fed. The choreographer
needs to learn to depend first on the Holy Spirit for Inspiration. With the
direction of the Holy Spirit, I have found sources like nature, Alphabets, and Pictures to be additional sources for
inspiration. The weather comes handy as a natural source of inspiration. When there is a need to incorporate props for songs
that talk about rain you can think of an umbrella or a prop that would simulate rain. There is an overflowing
river of inspiration for the kingdom choreographer who stays connected to the source. The Holy Spirit helps in building and
adding to the vocabulary of dance as He inspires and spiritually connects the dancer with the song.Sometimes, inspiration comes from pictures. This is what I call Picture choreography. As
you view pictures, inspiration comes from the garments or the colors that would shed some light into what type of color you
need to incorporate into a present piece, or the number of dancers to use and the kinds of movements to incorporate.Flowers are also a very good source for inspiration. I have been able to develop
choreograpnic patterns by dividing the rose petals into groups of dancers simulating the different layers of the petals and
the center dancer being the rose bud. This is a beautiful visual presentation that aided me with the Choreography of the song
Down the Via De La Rosa. The introduction of thematic elements and storytelling also
helps to inspire the choreographer as the dance is reproduced as a story from beginning to end. This element works great for
Christmas productions.Dance videos and D.V.Ds are also helpful sources for inspiration
but a word of caution is: Try not to copy the moves as this would affect your ability to develop original
ideas on your own. With inspiration flowing all around, the choreographer is well equipped. My advice is
to keep a notepad and pen handy.
