I’ve seen liturgical dancing once. As genuine an expression of faith and joy it might have been for the dancers, it was not shared by the congregation. Just the opposite in fact. It was deeply troubling – like driving by a 20-car pile-up. You didn’t want to watch but you had no choice. Time seemed to stand still in the horror of it all. If these women had worn something besides a leotard it might not have been so heinous. The rule in church as in life is dress for your body size and shape. At least that’s the rule I’ve been following. Maybe they hadn’t heard that one. Just when I thought I would rather staple myself to a burning building than see any more it ended. And there was much rejoicing.
I think Alexandra over at Oremus has something to add!
I’ll say that it can be the same way with music in church. The folk-psalmist is singing their heart out on a bluesy rendition of a psalm. It makes the congregation uncomfortable to see someone emote in that manner. I’ve heard music in church that has given me that feeling. I’m sure I’m not alone. As a private devotion that music is wonderful but music in the Mass is like most everything else in the Mass, a communal prayer. And music in church is not performance, it is prayer – a musical offering. If it looks like a performance, or if someone is acting like it’s a performance, that makes the offering less genuine. Not unlike making a show of a offering in the temple while the widom gave all she had to live on without making a big to-do of it.
We have liturgical dancing regularly in our parish. The pastor loves it. The congregation is very mixed. I personally can’t stand it. I think it is a sacriledge. They will process down the aisle at the beginning of mass, and then dance here and there in mass, and then after Holy Communion, they “solo” where a separate song is played or performed so thay can dance. Sometimes they even go behind the alter! One time on Good Friday they went behind the alter and were prancing all over. I was absolutely disgusted, and will no longer go to our parish for Good Friday services, but attend another parish on that day. They wear the leotard thing, but have some kind of liturgical color drape or scarf over their leotard, probably for modesty sake, if you can call it that. One time our bishop was at mass. The dancers were prancing all over. The bishop had accidently left his mike on, and the whole church heard him tell the pastor sitting next to him, “I don’t like this…” but nothing has been done. It saddens me so. The pastor praises our church by saying, “now you’re really getting used to the meditation of the dance”… I pray for the Holy Spirit to enlighten him on this issue and to discontinue these dancers during Holy Mass. It just shouldn’t be there. So many people have told him what I am writing here but he doesn’t care. He likes those “dancing girls” as one visiting priest put it.
I saw this liturgical dancing for the first time and the confirmation of my cousin and her fiance at Easter vigil at St Ambrose in Woodbury MN. I was absoultly horrified by what I saw. These dancers liturally acted out the exodus and danced in front of the priest behind the altar. This went on and on like it would never end. I believe the priest enjoyed it as he was clapping and doing a little toe tapping. He also did many other things that were in my opinion not right. For example after communion he had the eucharistic ministers take care of the Blessed Body and Blood by dumping them into a bowl and wipeing them out with there hands. Then they took the Precious Blood and literally dumped it in to one cup. The priest meanwhile was sitting in his seat waiting, like he was waiting for his bill at a restaurant. Up until that point I thought the liturgical dancing was bad. This took the cake. Why are these abuses allowed especially as bad as these. What can we do to try to stop this desecration? any help would be appreciated.
MPA MN