Liturgical Dance |
Flowing out of the music and Sunday readings, Liturgical Dance is a vital part of the worship at St. John's. The dancers express prayer and praise to God, reaching for a deeper meaning of the scriptures through movement and color. The history of liturgical dancing goes back to the Old Testament when King David danced before the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chronicles 15:29). Early Christians worshiped in joyous prayer dances around an altar. The group name, Spiritus, embodies the prayerful, full-hearted sense that the dancers bring to worshipful dance, while also tapping into the Latin terms that denote the parts of a mass. Spiritus dances at many of the major festivals of the church year: Christ the King Sunday, Epiphany, Palm Sunday, Easter Vigil, Pentecost. Because dances fit with the liturgy, they are suitable for any Sunday. In the Spiritus repertoire are dances for Advent, Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Over the years, children of the Sunday School and teens have been a mainstay in many dances, including those for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Spiritus is open to all interested men, women and teens. Dance training is not a requirement. Meetings and practices are at 12:15 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays in the Main Church. Contact Donna Pallo-Perez at dpalloperez@q.com or Helen Johnston at hjohnston44@gmail.com. |