Good afternoon chairperson, honorable judges, fellow candidates, and distinguished guests. What you just heard was Webster�s definition of dance.
Dance offers an enormous range of forms and expressions, from the elegant and sophisticated style of ballet to rock and roll head banging. Each movement the dancer performs carries meaning, sending a message to their audience. If you�ve ever turned on the TV and watched MuchMusic you�ll know what I�m talking about. How the artists portray themselves through their music videos illustrate who they are and what they stand for. Some artists chose secular movements in a hope to entice their audience through the appeal of sex, while others focus on worship. And that�s what I�d like to talk about today. The messages dancers send to their audiences through dance and their influence on society.
Music artists, such as Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, are prime examples of secular dancers. Their movements, actions, and lyrics promote wild living, promiscuous sex, and lewd dancing. In Britney Spears new video Crossroads, we watch Britney dance around her room in skimpy pajamas, and strip down to her underwear during a striptease for her chemistry lab partner. Honestly after seeing that you wonder why her film is rated PG and not R. These artists convey to their audiences the "if it feels good, do it" morality, and carry mixed messages about drunkenness and sex. Their dancing lacks substance but definitely not sex appeal.
MTV, a popular cable music network said in a recent quote that they own the youth of America, through the music and dancing projected on their screens. In some instances I believe this to be the case. The individuals, who glue themselves to the tube day in and day out and model how they sing and dance with other artists, are owned by the secular music industry. They no longer have their own ideas, their own styles, and their own beliefs. They�ve become what they see on TV. No wonder today�s teens are so desensitized to violence, murder, abusive sex, and profanity. Vladimir Lenin said, �One quick way to destroy a society is through the music.�
�I don�t let my child watch MTV,� Madonna once said. If our children can�t even watch music artists perform anymore why do they perform at all? Clearly the state of our society has more at stake than we realize. Secular artists have lowered the moral standards of society through singing and dancing to music about sex, violence, and drinking. Society is now paying a heavy price for this libertine attitude toward moral standards in the form of fornication, broken relationships, divorce, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and emotional havoc placed on friends and family of willing participants. If society is modeled after those who stand for nothing, what are we standing for?
Thankfully there are many other types of dances that artists can perform. Christian dance is one of many that don�t leave the artist with a bad image or message. This type of dancing is rare and hard to find. Christian dance has actually been proven to benefit society by bringing individuals closer to God and changing their lifestyles in a positive way.
Christian dance focuses on Jesus rather than the dancer. Its motive is to glorify God, to worship Him in spirit and truth in the beauty of holiness. Unlike secular dance it is not done to please, entertain, or impress man but rather to please the Father. Christian dance isn�t just a mere movement performed to music but rather an outward response of an inward love and awe of God. It is a celebration of color and movement that conveys a biblical message, originating from the heart of the dancer.
It is said that �dancing without an attitude of worship and the inspiration and anointing of the Holy Spirit means nothing, no matter how graceful and professional it may be. It cannot please God. It may charm the eyes but will never touch the lives of those watching� in a positive way.
Nate, a member of Christian pop music group Plus One, is aware of the negative messages in the media. He urges others to �guard yourself and not base your ideas for purity on what the media tells you. Base your standards for purity on what the Bible says. The Holy Spirit will convict you and let you know what�s right and what�s wrong, in accordance with God�s Word.�
In the Bible, Colossians 3:17 and 1 Corinthians 9:31, it says that �Dancing is not sinful or of the devil � but anything done for the wrong motive and that does not glorify God is sinful.�
Dance is a language. If you can successfully communicate with it, then your options are wide open � as long as you communicate purely, with a pure heart. In it�s real essence; dance is more than movement, more than technique. Rather it is a �whole being� expression of that which fills our hearts.
I encourage everyone to learn to dance. Whatever that means to you. Some people join aerobics classes. Some tap-dance and some break-dance, some study ballet, and others just bop around. Whatever, as long as you offer your dance with a pure heart! Your heart is what counts. Let the joy of the Lord pour out of you from your heart to your toes to your fingertips!
