Choreography – Page 2 – Worship Dance Ministries

Pasadena Choreography Workshop Recap

Adding depth and interest to your choreography is simple, but it is not easy. I think each participant at last Saturday’s choreography workshop with Marlita Hill in Pasadena would echo that sentiment.

Going into the workshop, Marlita assured that we would learn how to turn simple movements into creative phrases that fill the space, song, and stage and communicate God’s heart. She also said we would learn how to communicate our choreography to others so that they can easily and effectively follow. We did both of those things.

Marlita walked us through a series of exercises that taught a slice of Laban’s Analysis of Movement in a way that was simpler than anything else I’ve heard before. It made complex choreography teaching accessible. But it was not easy.

We worked hard. Each exercise called us to work harder, dig deeper, and stretch further. The results were very satisfying. Each of us walked away having choreographed a short dance that told a story about who we are.

In addition, one of us had the opportunity to teach her dance to the rest of us. Marlita coached her on how to teach dancers to turn (Who among us hasn’t asked our students to turn, and then stepped back and watched the turns go in varying directions, losing our unity at that point?), travel, and replicate timing in a way that preserved the integrity of the dance and the team unity.

So, thank you to those who prayed for this workshop. We felt your prayers and they were effective. And thank you to each woman who participated, who took risks, dug deeper, and shared their movements with us.

Watch this 3-minute video recap. Just watching this short clip, you’ll get ideas for how to take your own simple movements and add depth, interest, and power.

Learn Simple Techniques to Amplify your Choreography

Thank you to all who prayed for the Movements of Intercession – Dancing Your Prayers workshop in Pasadena last weekend. We had a powerful time studying the scriptures, stepping into them through movement, and interceding for each other, our loved ones, and our nation.

Enjoy these pictures from the workshop: Pasadena dance intercession collage Continue reading “Learn Simple Techniques to Amplify your Choreography”

Do you consult others when you choreograph?

When choreographing, should a dance leader look to hear team for inspiration and confirmation about choreography?

Or, does seeking the opinions of others muddy a leader’s connection with God and what He specifically wants to say through her dance?

Does God primarily reveal His Word for the dance through the anointed, appointed leader?

Or, is it important to listen to and gain ideas from a group of Spirit-filled dancers, so that we can more fully understand what God is trying to say?

At the Unlocking Movement that Speaks prophetic movement workshop this past Saturday in Pasadena, these questions simmered among us and left me with some questions for the Lord, “How do you want this done, Lord? How do you speak? How do you want me to best listen?”

At the heart of the discussion were really two paradigms for choreography: Continue reading “Do you consult others when you choreograph?”

I want to dance like her!

pasadena prophetic movement class I love watching dance. I am enamored by its beauty and captivated when God speaks through a dancer who belongs to Him. There are so many dancers whom I admire, whose ministry has blessed me, and whose talent I appreciate. There have been three dancers, though, who, when I saw them dance, I whispered the prayer, “Lord, I want to dance like her.”

There was something about the way they danced that spoke deep in my heart and called to me. Mixed with a talent they had honed was an expressiveness to their movement, an ability to tell a story with their movements that drew me in and made me want to understand and remember the story or the heart of their message. Continue reading “I want to dance like her!”

Express Your Thanks through Movement

I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and to say thank you for allowing me to be part of your life. I pray God’s favor on your Thanksgiving, whether you are gathering with a crowd or spending the day on your own. Whatever the case, your giving of thanks will bless the Lord.

The word, “Yadah” in Hebrew, which is translated as to praise or to thank in our English bibles, is to hold out, to revere or worship w /extended flourishing, wave hands in showy way, graceful gestures, glorify, give thanks, cast out, use the hands in a motion of throwing, cast out, use hands in motion of throwing. (Taken from Dance, Dance, Dance! by Lynn Hayden.) The scriptures are full of calls to give yadah or thanks to God. 2 Chronicles 20:21, Psalm 107:15 and Psalm 63:1 are just three of many.

So, today, as you are giving thanks, take time to lift up your hands in thanks, wave them to the Lord as a sign of your appreciation for His goodness in your life. You’ll give Him joy and, I’m pretty sure, find that you, too, are edified. That’s just the way it works with Him. You can’t out give Him.

Have a thankful, and Yadah-full, Thanksgiving.

Flash Sale: Choreography Training/Dance of Healing

This is a super last minute announcement, but it’s such a good deal that I wanted to post it, in case you are willing to act quickly to save on registration. Jocelyn Richard, who has taught me so much of what I know about worship dance, has a flash sale ending this evening.

She’s offering Choreography Basics and the Dance of Healing online courses (self study) for the price of one course. Honestly, I can’t think of any two courses more relevant at this time.

Firstly, if you are preparing to dance for the holidays, you’ll get creative ideas for powerful choreography from the Choreography Basics Course. It was when I was choreographing a dance for Christmas five years ago that I found one of Jocelyn’s choreography tutorials on Youtube. I watched her and said to myself, “I want to dance like her.” Her expressive choreography and skill combined were powerful and moving. I am not kidding when I say that watching that video transformed my dance. Continue reading “Flash Sale: Choreography Training/Dance of Healing”

Meet Me in SC and be in this DVD

I’m really excited to be able to travel to South Carolina in November to attend Dancing for Him’s Streams and Streamers Conference and I hope I can meet many of you there.

I’ve been to several of Lynn’s conferences, and each time I go away full of the joy of worshiping through dance, having my toolbox full of new ideas, and having received ministry that frees my spirit.

Here’s some questions to answer to determine whether this conference is right for you:

Would you love to learn many aspects and concepts of worship/expressive dance?
Would you love to learn some fresh movement and choreography ideas?
Would you love to be in a professional video production?
Would you love to learn many creative ideas and dance composition with streamers?
Would you love to receive ministry through and be activated in prophetic dance?

Photos from the Dancing for Him Conference I attended in Santa Maria this past March

If you register in time (before September 15), you’ll receive a tunic and streamer with your registration. It’s also a graduation conference. In fact, I’m graduating from Level II of Lynn’s online dance ministry school. I anticipate a strong anointing for ministry, not just for the graduates, but for all who attend.

Read Lynn Hayden’s description of the conference here:

Be set free to dance before Him with full and total abandon while learning techniques to help your dances minister most effectively. Come experience the intoxicating, overpowering flowing streams of His presence and go home with not only fresh ideas, but changed!

In January, 2014, we had the original Streams and Streamers conference and it was amazing! Though we covered a HUGE amount of material and creative ideas, there is just so much more!! This time we are going to focus much more on the creative activations! You will go home with a plethora of new, fresh and creative ideas!!

If this sounds good to you, come join us.

I will not be teaching at this conference, nor am I hosting it. I’ll be attending and receiving my Dance Ministry Leadership Certificate and my License from Dancing for Him. I would love to share this experience with you. I know you’ll be blessed by Pastor Lynn’s teaching and the fellowship with other worship dancers.

Again, the deadline to register and receive a tunic and streamer is September 15. Please let me know if you register. I really look forward to seeing you there.

Movements of Breakthrough

Strongholds are anything that hinders the will of God in our lives. They can be long standing patterns of behavior or thought, even things that seem to be woven into the fabric of our personalities that keep us from doing God’s will or abiding in Him.

There are strongholds in families, strongholds over cities, institutions, and nations. They manifest in relational conflicts, in addiction, in injustice, crime, illness, and more. The outward symptoms are physical and material, but the root of the problem is in the spiritual realm.

The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 that God has given us authority in Christ to pull down these strongholds:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Our greatest weapon in pulling down these strongholds is prayer, and when we pray according to His will, we know He answers. As dancers, we intercede not just with our words, but with our movements.

In this 4 minutes video, I share movements you can use in your prayer and devotion to break down strongholds in your life, in the lives of your loved ones, and in your community.

This teaching comes from the DVD Weapons of Warfare/Movements of Breakthrough. The Weapons of Warfare/Movements of Breakthrough DVD contains four basic sections. In the first section, Pastor Lynn teaches out of the Dance, Dance, Dance! book on the Hebrew words associated with power movements.

In the second section, we learn how doing movements like circling, marching in procession, whirling, and shaking can bring deliverance by pulling down strongholds.

In the third section, Pastor Lynn gives four scriptures that describe the Lord bringing victory and deliverance through praise, and she gives movement ideas for each of these scriptures. She goes on to develop 8 counts of punch-kick movements that you can use in your own workout or to lead a group of dancers.

And, finally, in the fourth section, she demonstrates how to put all this together into a 20-minute time of movements in which a group of dancers can do spiritual warfare while also getting a cardio workout. Each section builds on the previous section, equipping the dancer with movements for intercession.

I love this DVD. One of my primary callings as a dancer is to intercede in my own prayer time and to equip others to intercede through movement. This DVD gives me strong movements for warfare (where my natural bent is towards fluid, gentle movements) and a strong biblical basis for using them.

Whether you purchase this DVD or just incorporate the movements for pulling down strongholds into your devotion (and create more movements of your own), I pray that you are encouraged and equipped by these in your prayer time.

Please share your thoughts in the comments:

Did you find this helpful?

How have you incorporated dance into your time of intercession?

Pasadena Workshop Recap

Thanks to all of you who prayed for the Devotions in Motion Workshop this past Sunday. We had a wonderful time. God brought a beautiful group of women who had a heart for worship. It was a small group – perhaps because it was a Sunday, perhaps for other reasons. But it enabled an intimacy that was beautiful and also allowed us to learn an entire group dance.

Here are some testimonials:

Thank you so much for a beautiful, spirit-filled afternoon. The video was lovely. Pretty amazing for a 3 hour workshop. Thanks again. God bless you for your inspiration and teaching. – Nancy

I really loved the dance. I like the way you gave choreography but helped us choreograph too. I liked the help on choreography on terms. This will help me!!! – Christie

(I appreciated) experiencing the ministry of the spirit through the dance and dancing it together, seeing how God brings a dance together in its beauty. – Tracy

Enjoy the recap video and join us next time.

Jump Start your Devotions

If you have purchased Devotions in Motion, I have good news to share about it. I’ve added to it.

At the request of my good friend, Diane, I added a “straight through” video of all 5 devotional dances. This way, once you have learned the dances, you can use this video to dance them straight through in your devotions. I hope you find it helpful. It is available on your Devotions in Motion download page, which you received from me.

If you don’t have Devotions in Motion yet, but have been wanting to purchase it, it will be on sale for $15 through Sunday night. After that, the normal price will be $20.

I’ve also created a 2 minute video to give you a glimpse of Devotions in Motion. If you’re wondering if it would benefit you, this should help you figure that out. You can watch it here:

You can purchase it below or click here to learn more.

Price: $20 Sale: $15

THESE ARE VIDEO DOWNLOADS – Within 24 hours of purchasing them, you will receive an email link giving you access watch the videos online and to download them to your computer.