We all have periods in our journey where we feel we’re at a dry point, or unable to do, say, think or feel like we might ‘normally’. Every journey has hills and valleys, no journey is a straight road. Therefore you will need different things at different points of your journey. As a mover and dancer sometimes, we can feel pressure on our Christian dance movement journey to always be moving and responding to life in a way that uses movement. My journey over the past 3 months or so has experienced what dance can look like in a dry season and how you begin to make your way out.

Work with where you are at

I was beginning to hear more and more about people feeling guilty because they weren’t dancing when they were ‘supposed to be’. This struck more of a cord with me than people probably realised.

Despite me teaching and sharing with you all so much I have been in a dry season of my Christian dance movement. That’s meant that I haven’t felt a pull to dance or move in gusto that I might normally have. Often, I simply took one movement as my offering in that moment. Why this season presented itself I don’t fully know. Apart from there being a lot of external issues that we were dealing and processing as a family. Which meant that my capacity to do Christian dance movement or much else has been very small.

I began to struggle with the fact that I wasn’t dancing like I was telling everyone else to, questioning my abilities as teacher, leader and mentor. But as I journeyed with this weight – because it felt like a weight – I realised that each time I just managed a movement. One simple movement. That was the biggest offering that I could give at that time, and often, it always turned to be exactly what I needed at that time.

As this settled and I chatted with God about this more He drew my attention to others that were struggling with the same thing. So, whilst away on the Going Deeper dance weekend the topic came up again and this is what I’d love you to grasp.

We should never feel the pressure to do Christian dance movement just because that might be our language of conversation with God. Don’t dismiss or judge what you may be feeling about not doing it at the time. There will be clear moments when the purpose of using dance and movement will be made clear.

God meets us where we are at. If that’s simply standing or holding our hands out or breathing. That’s our movement to him in that season, and that’s okay!

Turning point

There will be a turning point where things shift. Don’t rush it. Just give it space. For me, the turning point has begun. It begun over the course of the Going Deeper dance weekend. Emma offered up space for us to choose to make room for God.

Whilst I know I’ve made room for Him over the past 3 months or so. I know that the room I’ve given him may not have been the room he wanted! So, the turning point for me was the phrase ‘I will make room for you’. Room for God to breath into my Christian dance movement.

Since then, there have been two main points where there has been ‘room’ for movement. The revival dance at the dance weekend and then during some enforced isolation and dancing in the kitchen – kitchen dancing is always the best!

As I have shared before. Lyrics speak to me so much. This song was one that stirred my heart and I knew I needed to make the choice to dance to it. It sums up so clearly what happens when we move and how there is God’s gentle encouragement as we do so.

Going Forward with your Christian dance movement

As you go forward from here embrace where you are at with Christian dance movement journey. There is no right or wrong way of doing it. Accept the season that you are in and move in response to that. With as much or as little movement as you need to sustain you.

But, choose to give space to God to allow him to breathe where He needs to in order to help you when you need it most.

Useful links:

Music for the dance – Here as in heaven, Elevation Worship.

Make room, Community Music.

Going deeper and Dancing free dance weekends