Summer 2005
So what is Messianic Dance? Is it Davidic or Israeli? What is the
difference?
I am certain that there are many who have been involved for years that
have their own strong opinions. It is still the question I deal with more than
any other. I would like to offer my opinion and give you a break down of all
three based on my twenty years of experience.
My introduction in New York was to Jewish Dance Worship; some told me it was Liturgical or even Christian Dance Worship.
I had four years with the Dancers of The New Jerusalem who were a
‘Jews for Jesus’ affiliated group based in New York. We travelled with Liberated
Wailing Wall, their music group and danced at Conference centres like the
New Orleans Superdome and all over the USA (1985-1989) until my family moved to
London. At that stage I had not heard of the phrase Davidic or Messianic Dance.
In 1993 and 1995 I attended a Messianic Conference in Pennsylvania and
attended Davidic Dance classes. Many of the dances were Israeli adapted to the
new Messianic music being played at the Conferences.
I love this music because the words are straight from scripture, not
someones’ feelings about their relationship with the Lord.
After the Conferences I referred to myself as a Davidic Dance Teacher. I
explained that it was based on Israeli or Jewish Dance. I then regularly
attended Israeli Dance classes and learned many more steps and the traditional
names for those I had been teaching in Davidic Dance.
Since January 1985 I have considered myself part of the Messianic
community but it wasn’t until Erica Bebb approached me in 1994 to consider
being joint coordinator with her of the Messianic Dance Network of the ICDF.
(See above) that I even considered the words Messianic and dance together.
Erica and I spent hours on several occasions trying to unfold the
meaning of Messianic versus Davidic. We had enormously different views, which I
believed were due to seeing things from both the Jewish and Gentile
understanding in the discussions.
I was so blessed by her maturity and I found the meetings very
encouraging, that we could agree to disagree and still find an explanation.
Ten years later I am still dealing with the question regularly. This is
how I deal with it today in its chronological format.
Davidic (2
Samuel 6:14)
Generally this is the scripture used as a basis for the first Biblical
celebratory dance (Macholat). Actually, the first is the dance of joy
after the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 15:20) led by Miriam, the elder sister of
80-year-old Moses, on Timbrel.
Therefore to me Davidic Dance is the first Hebraic style dance worship
to the G–d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by His chosen people Israel.
It is a term widely used by the Messianic Congregations and is the one I prefer.
Israeli
(Psalm 149:3)
The next term used today is Israeli, also referred to as Hebraic or
Jewish. Any of the scriptures found on page 7 of this letter would support the
Biblical Israelites worshipping G–d in Dance. Other forms of Israeli or Israeli
Folk Dance, according to the Encyclopaedia Judaica can be traced back to
Moldavia and Eastern Europe where a woman began teaching in the courtyards of
the synagogues after the Shabbat meetings.
There is no record of it being used as worship. Therefore, it may have been of a social nature. I however, have difficulty believing that dance by those attending a synagogue can be secular considering the Biblical history of dance as worship. I have discovered from ‘survivors’ that I met in Sombatheley Hungary, that on Simchat Torah (rejoice over Torah) they danced with rocks on their shoulders because they had no access to the Torah Scrolls. This shows us that dance worship does not depend on personal circumstances but is a command to be observed whenever possible.
In 1993/4 I was teaching weekly Davidic/Israeli class in a Liberal
Synagogue in London. To me it was worship but I do not believe even one of the
20 or so participants saw it as anything other than a fun night out, not even
the Rabbi!! They ‘let me go’ when they found out I was ‘Messianic’ even
though I had not proselytised. I prefer to be friends and deal with their
questions as they come, which they did.
I find the Israeli system of dance to be inefficient. There are thousands of songs and each one has its’ own dance. In regular weekly workshops the steps are not often taught, as the music is played, you are expected to know them. The newer ones will get taught but I have seen some sit out of most of the dances that they did not know. It can be complicated for a beginner.
I prefer the interchangeable dance system; see the back page to order a
paper on this.
So where did the phrase ‘Messianic Dance’ come from?
I have to tell you that in my life it came from my association with
Erica Bebb! My initial understanding from her was that any dance style was
acceptable as long as it pointed to Messiah Yeshua. I arrogantly thought
that the word Messianic was mine not hers!! The style had to be part of my
movement, that is, Jewish.
We had wonderful creative brainstorming sessions about it, resulting in
fact in many uplifting exciting presentations together. We were after all joint
co-ordinators of the Messianic Dance Network and I have no problem with it
being called that.
I feel that Messianic Dance must have a strong message pointing to the
Messiah not just a dance that worships G–d. We, N.J.D. have a dance called Isaiah
53, which is a beautiful song by Liberated Wailing Wall. It obviously
speaks of Yeshua. Neither the music which is a waltz nor my choreography
are Hebraic, but to me it is a perfect example of a Messianic dance. It is
available on a compilation video with other dances. I prefer there to be
something Jewish in Messianic Dance. Since our Isaiah 53 dance is based
on the Jewish Tenakh, it has that.
Therefore, the term Messianic Dance does have some creative license but
needs a strong Biblical base pointing to the Messiah.
Why do I prefer the phrase Davidic Dance? I am an emotional and
flamboyant dancer so the idea of David dancing before the Lord “with all
his might” appeals to me.
I trust this will help you to understand why there are so many descriptions. Choose yours.
Leadership
For over ten years now I have been training others to be leaders. I did
not realise I was doing this until David and Sandy Levine of ‘Hear O Israel Ministry’
pointed it out to me during one of the early Festivals. I took my leadership
position very seriously often ‘rubbing people the wrong way’ in order to
accomplish difficult things. (For overseas readers, that means making others
annoyed or upset!!)
I remember in Saint Petersburg in 1994 in one of the messages of
Jonathan Bernis he likened me to a ‘bull in a china shop’. In other words when
I set out to accomplish something positive, nothing gets in my way, not even
popularity! My persuasive character has been known to upset those I am working
for even though they have to admit I am doing an effective job “with all my
might.” I have a somewhat overdeveloped sense of professionalism. I do not do
things by half measures only full.
I respect a chain of command even in difficult circumstances. In Kiev I
had taken thirteen N.J.D. members to a Festival, by invitation, to present our
dances. Three were school age and we had sacrificed to pay their fares and
taken them out of school for a week. They like us had rehearsed 8 to 10 hours a
day but the stage manager had decided three of them would not dance in the
Festival. Two were our sons Paulstephen and Wilfred who had both prayed and
accepted the Messiah Yeshua at five years old, as did our daughter
Natasha who was allowed to dance. Her friend Josie Delap was not.
It was devastating for the whole group. We cried and prayed for an hour
when I told them. It was as if our arms or legs were ripped off. The youngsters
were good and deserved to dance. It was a tough call for me but I had to
respect the stage managers decision and position. Some of N.J.D. did not agree
with me. I gained the love and respect of that dear lady (another ‘bull in a
china shop’) and we became great friends. A day or two later we were given the
opportunity to change the dance and included all of the children for the rest
of the Festival.
Another time in Israel in 1998 the leadership were distant and
unapproachable. Other dancers grumbled and I suggested it was unbiblical and
they should speak to the worship leaders so we could all discuss grievances and
pray to restore unity. I had just met these dancers and they were afraid to do
that. I was concerned about the lack of unity, which was causing a bad
atmosphere, and I knew was not G–d’s will.
I spoke to the leaders but got accused of actually causing the disunity
and stirring up a situation that they were not prepared to deal with.
I could have brought in some of the unhappy dancers to back me up and
prove that there was a problem (strength in numbers) but I feel that sometimes
defending yourself makes things worse. The atmosphere did not improve and
friends visiting me from another ‘Feast’ noticed the oppression without me
saying a word.
I remembered that in that very place Yeshua Himself was falsely accused
and ‘did not open His mouth’ Isaiah 53.
It hurt me so much and ruined my first trip to the Land I had yearned to
visit for so long. Now I yearn for a return visit but not to that Conference!!
Some of the dancers asked me to forgive them for not supporting me. They are
still my friends. Another tough leadership decision for me but I felt it
honoured the Lord.
In 2004 I taught at an amazing all Spanish Conference called “Boot Camp”
sponsored by a wonderful Colombian lady I had met in Puerto Rica, called
Yalille Diaz of ‘Dancing for the Lord’.
I do not remember ever being so blessed by love and the presence of the Ruach
ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit). Yalille spent the last day with me and took me to
the Airport in Fort Lauderdale and told me that the worship leader did not like
it when I led Davidic dances to the slower music in the evening services. In
the Latin culture when the music is slow it’s just you and G–d and each does
their own thing. I loved watching them but it is not part of my culture to use
floaty movements alone in a communal setting. We have lovely dances like
Miserlu and my own Shabbat waltz. It was a blessing that Yalille had no problem
with me leading a circle (Machol) but if she did I would have obeyed the
chain of command if she had asked me to stop, which was what had happened in
Israel. Yalille allowed me to worship according to my culture and that is
usually communal. It may have been a difficult leadership decision for her.
How important is Dance Worship to G–d?
How many of you who are involved in dance worship have heard this?
“Could the dancers please go to their seats, we want to really worship now”!! I
have heard it many times and it makes me furious!! Why is dance worship made
out to be inferior to singing or music?
Show me a chapter and verse, which says that.
I believe it to be a throw back of the Anti-Semitism of Luther and the
council of Trent of 1545. They decided that only preaching and music should
survive the ‘Reformation period’ I wonder which Bible they were reading? This
unbiblical decision put dance on the ‘back-burner’. Many churches even consider
it sinful!! I am grateful for an American Missionary that attended all my
classes in Barcelona who said, “a church that does not dance is not a church”.
Ginny White of the Northern Messianic Dancers spoke of her journey to
get to one of our Messianic Praise Days. She travelled on both A and B roads to
get there and challenged us to “get dance worship off the B road and onto the A
road in worship”. It is our Biblical right. Once again see page 7 for Scripture
references.
Teaching skills
Finally I have become concerned about the teaching skills of some in dance worship. I am often at conferences where many classes are offered simultaneously. I do not get much chance to attend other classes since I teach Davidic, Israeli, Messianic Tambourine, Fitness and give lectures on all.
Participants often travel far and at a great cost to feed on knowledge
and worship. Should we be less professional for the Lord in the
name of niceness? Unity is vital and inclusiveness is a blessing but if it is
at the cost of giving or offering the best, the price is too high.
Be sure of gifting before you offer to teach or hire a teacher.
Qualifications are not always enough. Anyone can scrape by and get a piece of
paper. Knowing a dance does not mean a person knows how to teach it. Secular
qualifications for a ministry job means nothing if the anointing of G–d is not
there. I have seen dances offered as worship that have no spiritual content at
all, it either belongs to G–d or not. There must be a spiritual content,
something that lifts the participant to another level, which gives them
something to take home with them. If it does not make you feel closer to the Lord, it is
just a dance class, fun but empty. No eternal value. Life is too short and the
need in these days too great to waste time.
Even more frustrating is a teacher who does not know the music or dance
well enough and who cannot answer questions like ‘on which count is that step?’
The answer I heard was ‘just do it like this’!!
You should not teach if:
You do not know rhythm and counts.
You do not know the music inside out.
You are not ergonomically and spatially aware.
You do not have patience.
You think that there are bad dancers in your class.
You do not know the difference between to copy and to mirror.
You are perfect.
You cannot admit your faults and weaknesses.
At N.J.D.’s suggestion I am preparing a ‘Teachers Training Conference’,
which I will finalise as soon as there is enough interest.
I recently saw a Davidic Dance teaching book, which had good information
and scriptures, but the dance instruction was more confusing than educational.
If there are no counts (eg.1-8) in front of the steps how can you know the
timing for each step or ‘bar’.
In some highly recommended videos I have seen the teacher face the
camera!! How can you guarantee that the learner has the ability to turn the
movements around? This is true too of a Tambourine video from a recognised
school in Texas. The teacher also said to ‘point your foot because it’s
pretty!! WHAT ABOUT THE MEN!! I saw about 60 dynamic powerful young men along
with same number of women in Puerto Rico playing Tambourine. Should they seek
to be ‘pretty?’
Think about whom your audience might be, you must cater to all ages and
genders.
Before purchasing find out if the materials have been tested out by
untrained dancers.
I am a classically trained dancer R.A.D. (Royal Academy of Dance) and I
could not follow the dances of the book mentioned earlier, due to confusing
instructions and no counts. I was not the only one.
In the 2001 joint Messianic newsletter Cathy Wright of Australia raised
seven issues (see page 8). I believe these are still relevant and I am keen to
get the opinion of others. If you have comments or needs in these areas please
email or contact me. If I do not receive questions I cannot give it the time
required due to other responsibilities.
Past events
This year has been so much easier because I have had the odd weekend
free to actually have a calm and peaceful Shabbat, which I prefer. From
July till December 2004 I have been teaching alone or presenting with N.J.D.
every weekend.
On September 18th we did one hour for the ‘Older Peoples
Network’. It was a delightful day and we managed to get quite a few up and
dancing, even in wheelchairs. Our own Rachel and John danced as the bride and
groom in our wedding dance as a rehearsal for the dance at their real wedding
in the following month. The audience loved it when I told them. I cannot think
of anything more joyful than dancing at the wedding of friends and we all so
enjoyed their wedding. Rachel’s mother, Teresa is also a member of N.J.D.
Late in October we travelled to Bristol to dance at the Messianic Praise
Day in the West, sponsored by the local branch of the Christian Dance
Fellowship of Britain. I also taught three workshops, one being my new
Messianic Tambourine patterns. I wanted desperately to attend Ginny White
‘Warfare’ session but alas I was also teaching. Wild Olive played great
Messianic music during the evening worship. Contact me if you would like their
CD's.
We worked with all these again in Ealing, London in November. Each time
we have these events, so many contact me to let me know that their eyes have
been open to the Jewish roots of their faith and to pray for the peace of
Jerusalem as the Bible commands in Psalm 122. At this event I taught the first
of many of my All Paul Wilbur Workshops. They also want to continue in Davidic
Dance Worship.
Apart from our Monthly workshops and rehearsal days I have had a good
break for the first three months of 2005. Considering the stressful months
ahead (see family page) it seemed to be G–d's perfect planning as usual. Our
Passover Seder in April was a good time of fellowship, dance worship and
food. Rev. Jean Hall hosted about 50 people.
Four of us went to Hounslow in July to teach at a combined church event
all day. They served a kosher meal afterwards, which was so appreciated.
In August a few of us went to a venue in Covent Garden to teach at a
birthday party. The space was limited and with columns and many enthusiastic
men, women and children. It was so uplifting to see such joy in the Lord.
Mishpocheh—Family
pages
This is the family page for those who have known N.J.D. for years and
still ask about our children, all of who have been members.
Starting with Paul, who is Force Chaplain for the City of London Police.
After London’s terrorist attacks on 7th July, he worked ten to
twelve hour a day supporting the police in whichever way was helpful to them in
their awful task of clearing the bodies and bomb sites. Paul’s office is in the
police station across the road from the first place attacked at Liverpool
Street. It was a very stressful time for all of us. I have never seen him so tired
and worn out. It took several weeks and an unexpected two-week break, cycling
and lying on the lawn ‘stargazing’ in the Kent countryside to recover. The
Mission provided us with a huge six-bedroom house with a massive lawn. Paul
kept saying how much he was looking forward to it and I do not think he was
disappointed.
The biggest news in my life was the anticipated death of my darling
little sister Margaret on April 5th.
Although she was older than Barbara and I, she never grew more than five
feet tall due to her Downs Syndrome. Of course Barbara and I saw her as our
little sister.
She was always happy, cuddly and hungry. She made it to 62 years old
which was amazing. She is hugely missed. She had however been near to death so
often in the last few years and my mother had sat at her bedside every day even
though Margaret did not move towards the end.
Since April ’04 when I had been given a bicycle, I have been going
further away and become a very keen cyclist. In Annapolis, we picked up a
decent bike, one with brakes and gears, and I discovered how really easy it is
to actually go uphill. I then joined groups riding for several hours or all day
all over the South of England. I try to ride every day and I am seeing such
great scenery and wildlife and probably getting fitter than ever before.
Because our weather here is so mild I only stopped for two weeks in February
due to wet, icy roads.
Paul and I have a dream to have a two-week ride in Europe for our 30th
Anniversary in autumn 2007. I especially anticipate communicating in Italian,
Spanish and French.
Natasha has passed her driving test and since she, Jim and the three
children, Chloe, Joshua and David still live on a country lane in Essex,
driving has given her more freedom. They joined us for ten days in the
six-bedroom house in Deal, near Dover in August, and her friend and two other
children, AND … five members of N.J.D. (for a weekend). Paul and I got away for
a bike ride almost every day. But we did so enjoy our lovely huggable
grandchildren. I got to teach David, 2 ˝ yrs a few words and to see how cute he
is. Chloe and Joshua had tea in bed with us each morning and cuddles before
bed. We are blessed that Natasha lives only one hour away and she is the one
with the children. I fear that I will not know my future grandchildren so well
and it saddens me. We had not considered these things when we entered a
cross-cultural marriage.
Paulstephen, after six years in the U.S. Navy including four at the
Academy, graduated high in his class in May 2005. His commission is Navy Pilot.
Almost all of our immediate family, both sides, descended on Annapolis,
Maryland for a tiring, stressful but so exciting commissioning week. I still
cannot believe how much we packed in, often attending four events a day, each
needing a different outfit ranging from casual to formal.
Captain and Mrs Heath hosted Paul and me, friends we had known since
Paulstephen was a ‘plebe’. They had experienced the same event over thirty
years ago. But I do not think they expected our visit to be so busy. They
kindly offered us their home too for the ‘graduating party’. Paulstephen then
married Peggy Ann the next day!!!!
They stayed one week in Annapolis in their new apartment then travelled
for the rest of their honeymoon in the UK. Paul arranged a Mission home in
Wales ‘in the middle of nowhere’. Then they had time in Liverpool with Wilfred
and Sarah, in London with Natasha and then us. We took them to Paris for a day
trip and they went home exhausted. They were not the only ones!
Paulstephen graduates from the University of Maryland in December with a
Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering. In March 2006, they will move to
Florida where he will begin flight school. He already flies solo.
Wilfred has settled in Liverpool with his wife Sarah. They have been
married for 1˝ years. They have their own apartment close to Sarah’s family and
I am sure he enjoys being part of a large family and having so many new
friends.
He loves his job as a policeman. During our visit to Annapolis when so
many family members were together after many years we noticed that he had
become more confident and sociable. He kept us laughing with his stories and
experiences since he had been in Liverpool. For those who know him in social
circles or with N.J.D., you may remember he was usually quiet. It was good to
see his natural wit, which I have always enjoyed, and leadership abilities
emerging.
It was the first time I had seen him this verbal in a large group and I
felt very content about who he has become. Needless to say I still miss him
very much.
Paul and I had him alone at home for three years and I enjoyed taking
him to the I.C.D.F. Conference in Australia. I was told he was a great blessing
to the youth as he presented dances with us so confidently, after which I took
him (along with three other N.J.D. members) to the Great Barrier Reef. Then, I
took Wilfred on the trip to Seville on his 18th birthday and he met
Sarah whom I had also invited as an interpreter for the dance group. Wilfred
still teaches Davidic dance from time to time. He and Sarah are very involved
in their church.
New
Jerusalem Dancers Vera Chierico, 38 Kenilworth Road, Penge, London SE20
7QG
www.angelfire.com/ia/njd Telephone; 020 8778 9333 e-Mail;
<verachierico@beeb.net>