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| quote: | Originally posted by Fledz
Trance died back in the 1800s. Correct? |
| quote: | Sacred dance was the climax of Shaker worship at a time when dance was considered to be immoral by many Christian churches. Originally the worshippers expressed themselves through inspirational dance They felt themselves inspired by the spirit to twirl,twist, leap into the air and fall to the ground. They would whirl fast propelling themselves in circles by having one foot stepping round the other. This all seems very similar to the Sufi dervish dances. This whirling continued for 10-15 minutes, sometimes for as long as 40 minutes until the spirit left the dancer.
This style of dance was abandoned by the early nineteenth century. The Shaker dances which followed were orderly and had set choreography. Men and women came into the Meeting House through separate entrances and performed dances which had names such as Double Square, Mother's Star, and Square and Compass. The Shakers truly understood the inspirational power and meaning of dance in worship.
J.G. Davies in "A Shaker Dance Service Reconstructed" explains how they justified the use of dance in worship.
1. The physical motions add a greater dimension to the expression of prayer.
2. Since Shaker dancing is due to the direct operation of the Holy Spirit, it is a gift of God and his gifts are to be used, not neglected.
3. Worship should not be passive but active, and this means that not only the tongue and vocal cords but the whole of one's body should be dedicated to the praise of God.
4. Congregational dancing both expresses and renders more profound that unity or cooperation that should characterize God's people. Such dancing allows for the recognition and consecration of natural apptitudes and skills and it affirms the equality of the sexes."
In "By Shaker Hands" the author Sprigg writes
"Every member moved to feel the presence of God in his own spontaneous way, whether whirling like a dervish or shaking mightily." |
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