This is a topic I've been praying about a lot, and I decided to seek guidance here. This is open to anyone who reads here as long as we keep it civil, of course.
I take a "bellydance" or "Middle Eastern dance" class on Tuesday nights. It's all girls, I thoroughly enjoy it, and I dress modestly when I do so. I always wear a v-necked, 3/4 sleeved top that doesn't show any clevage, and two long skirts layed over one another for extra fullness.
The movements are not nearly as suggestive as some "cabaret" type bellydance is...on the contrary, there is a great emphasis placed on keeping the movements from looking bad. It is primarly the movement of arms, really, and when you wear the right overskirt, most spectator's eyes are on the movement of the fabric, rather than on the hips.
My main concern is performing. There's nothing obscene about our dances in the least, as when we perform we do it in a studio-wide recital that covers every class right down to preschool ballet. Some girls show their stomachs when they perform, but I never have and never will. In fact, the long-sleeved traditional dance coat I have covers more than normal! I also feel that by and large the two international dance classes at our studio (bellydance and flamenco) involve more modest costume choices than your average requirement for a ballet or tap recital.
I know dancing in the Bible is not always presented in the best context, and that's why I'm seeking your collective opinions. As a girl seeking to follow God, is it immodest of me to dance in public? I love the rush and the atmosphere, but it's not worth it to me if it ends up resulting in a stumbling block for anyone watching.
Feedback is greatly appreciated! :)
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4 comments:
Lydia,
I think that that is a great question, one that I have asked myself and am glad others are thinking about. When I first started reading your post I assumed it was about being "suggestive" or dressing immodestly, but seeing as that isn't your struggle and that it is dancing itself, I have a distinct opinion. I go to a Baptist church. The old time Baptist churches were strongly against dancing, but ours (like most are now days) is not.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says:
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven...
verse 4: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance"
Psalm 149:3 says:
"Praise his name with dancing,
accompanied by tambourine and harp."
And in 2 Samuel 6 David dances as a form of praise and his wife tells him not to and God punishes her by never letting her have children. Read this at biblegateway.com
Anyway! So I conclude that if you have the right intentions, dancing can be "okay" and even Godly.
Have a blessed day,
Everly
Lydia,
I'm not sure if I can give advice on this one. For me, as an Orthodox Jew, the answer is obvious - a man isn't allowed to see a woman dance AT ALL (we'll have separate dancing for men and women at our wedding). But since you aren't Jewish, I suppose you need to try to look at it from a man's perspective and see if you would find it appropriate or perhaps suggestive in a bad way. It's hard to tell without actually seeing the dances.
Thanks so much for both of your perspectives! :)
Lydia, you are so blessed that you are thinking about modesty, and the suggestiveness of dancing, as very few young women think about such things these days. It is important, once you try to walk with God, that you pray and discern these things. I think that what anna s says is very appropriate for you even as a Catholic. If your performances are for a mixed audience, then even if your dress is modest, and as you say the spectator's eye is supposed to be directed by the movement of the fabric, there is always the possibility that some of the male element of the audience may be looking "beyond" the fabric, which could lead to an occasion of sin. I do think the Jewish tradition sounds a much safer bet from the point of view of being Godly - after all, if you think about Our Lady, she was Jewish, would she have engaged in any activity that could lead anyone into sin? Is it possible that you could still enjoy your dancing amongst the girls, but give the performances a miss? Maybe you could pray to Our Blessed Mother for especial guidance in this, and also St Maria Goretti, who was martyred for her purity.
God Bless.
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