4 Basic tips for Praise Dancing with the Praise and Worship Team or Choir

Praise dancing with the Praise and Worship Team or Choir can be difficult and intimidating. For most of us, we find that a best practice for this kind of dance is to refrain from choreographing it. The reason for this is because the praise and worship team may not sing it exactly the same as the original choir or worship composer. Also, as they are led, they may change the words a little or a lot. They may also skip parts, focus on only one part and etc. The important thing I want to teach you is for you to know your choir and praise team. Get and understanding of how to flow with them. Know their quirks, their mannerisms vocally and as a worship leader. Know their signature style! This will help you predict what may come next and how to prepare for it as you minister along with them.

Here are 4 basic tips for Praise Dancing with the Praise and Worship Team or Choir with a dance that is not choreographed.

#1 - Keep it simple 
The key to a unified praise for the purpose of encouraging the saints and for creating an atmosphere of togetherness in worship is simplicity. By keeping the dance simple, accomplishing the above purpose will be a breeze.

• There should be a leader in the front of the dance team. This Leader can be positioned anywhere as long as each team member can see them. The leader should keep movements simple by focusing on the beat and the voice of the choir. A best practice is to refrain from trying to choreograph to words. During the dance, team members can take turns leading. This enhances the praise dance and the worship service as the Spirit leads each team member in ministering their witness of the goodness of the Lord. 

• Even though a best practice is to refrain from choreographing to words, this does not mean that you cannot ever do it. You can and you should! However it should not be your focus. If you are aware of what the song will be, or you and your team are familiar with the song already, choreographing a movement to a word common in the song is reasonable. This is the part of the song where you can put movements to words. For instance if the word "blessed" is often used you can declare that movement to be a bowing movement or a movement where your hands touch your mouth and extend up. If the phrase is "at all times" you can declare that this phrase will always be a turn. If a song is familiar it is good and reasonable to have movements that are somewhat premeditated, practiced and understood by all team members so that the team can minister with intention.

#2 Keep it wide and high
 Always do movements that are wide and high (arms wide or extended out or high) - meaning stay away from interpretive movements that are close to the body like sign language gestures (sign language movement for "Lord" for example). These hand movements can not be seen by the team because the team is in back of the leader. Keep it wide and high so that everyone can see what the leader is doing clearly. Sign language gestures are good to use if the leader is acting as a mirror to the dance minister, meaning they are standing in front of the team face to face.

#3 Movements should be repetitive 
Again, never try to focus on choreographing to words. Focus on moving to the beat (best practice#1). This takes out all of the guess work in trying to find a movement to a word. It also gives team members an opportunity to grasp the movement and make it their own. A reasonable amount of times to minister in a particular movement or movement combination is about 5-6 times. Prolonging a movement beyond this time frame can make the dance boring. If you are all moving the same way, doing the same movement repeatedly with a heart of praise and worship, it will be beautiful and glorious...this expression will have the right impact on the congregation because your goal is to simply praise God with your bodies with intention, focus and simplicity of movement.  

#4 Have a waiting movement
This is a movement that every one does when they are trying to follow the leader, but don't have the step/movement yet. Each team member can do it until they catch on. The movement from the leader should be simple enough for each member to pick it up quickly. For example, the movement can be simply to march in place. As the team member picks up the movement they can begin to worship in that movement. This always works out beautifully.

There you have it! 4 basic tips to help you flow well with the praise and worship team or choir. As Dance Ministers it is a given that we MUST allow the Holy Ghost to lead us. As He leads, keep these tips in mind. It will help you be sensitive to His leading.  Once you understand these tips and learn to flow in them you can worship to any song spontaneously with your team.


Be blessed,
Sonia Kong, PDCM