children’s praise dance – Worship Dance Ministries

Praise Dance Camp Day 1 Reflections

Today was the first day of praise dance camp. I forgot to bring a camera besides my phone (which I needed for music), so no pictures. It was actually lovely to just be present and not be trying to take pics (although I will take them tomorrow, because I love to have them later to document the time and learn from). For today, here are my reflections:

1) I love getting to lead this time. I’m sure I enjoy it as much or more than the students. It is such a gift to have time set aside to dance and worship. It gives me a chance to move/praise away any stress I am carrying, to be free, to smile, and to focus on the kids and Jesus.

2) Free worship is one of the favorite parts of camp most valuable for everyone. It was beautiful to watch the girls just pour themselves into dance.

3) Kids love dancing with props. A strategy I’ve learned over time is to start small. We began with streamers today and they loved them. Once they discover the larger streamers, flags, the billow cloths, they love them even more and only want to use them. But there is something different to learn and to say with the different props. I have to remember to be the teacher, be prayerful and firm about what we will use each day.

4) God’s Spirit is in me. He is in each of us who call Jesus our Lord. I prepare, but I can also rest knowing that His creative Spirit is in me and will lead me in our time. I don’t have to know every detail of what I’m going to do when I walk in the room. As a friend once said, “Leave room for God.”

I’ll be sharing updates each day, so watch for them.

3 Versatile and Beautiful Patterns for Worship Garments

Several years ago a dance ministry leader encouraged me to raise my standards for dance garments, to seek to dress beautifully for God’s glory. My biggest objection was financial. I did not have a budget for a new wardrobe of worship garments.

She encouraged me to seek a seamstress for my team, so I started praying about that. I approached people whom I knew sewed and asked them to consider sewing for the team. Though both were willing, neither was enthusiastic.

Then, one day in worship team practice, a woman new to the team mentioned that she sewed and would love to create tunics for the team. She had a passion for worship dance and a desire to use her talent for sewing to bless the ministry.

I was moved by God’s answer to my prayer, and it confirmed that He was blessing the dance ministry He was calling me to. With this friend, I found several patterns that we used to create dance garments:

For the team, she used a simple tunic pattern that she adapted for each team member. She also used this pattern for the children, using it as a model and creating a simple pattern herself. (Pictured below on

pattern for worship dance tunic — Overlay adapted from Burda Pattern 7354.

the team.)

She created more intricate overlays for my solos, adapting costume overlays. My favorite came from a Medieval gown pattern. We adapted it in several ways, raising the neckline, shortened the length, so that I wouldn’t step on it, and omitting the sleeves. In addition, I had her leave the bottom half of the seams open so that the dress had flaps, which were very effective and made the dress easier to dance in. (Pictured top left.)

pattern for blue worship overlay — Overlay adapted from Simplicity Pattern EA989101.

The other pattern we used for an overlay was also a costume pattern. We also raised the neckline on this pattern. (See blue and gold overlays.)

Lastly, I found this pattern online for circles skirts: You don’t even need to purchase a pattern, but can simply use the instructions to create the skirt.

Truly, having a skilled seamstress who wants to use her gifts to bless the dance ministry is a gift from God. All of these patterns have been wonderful but also needed to be tweaked to be appropriate for worship dance.

patterns for liturgical dance garments — Overlay adapted from Simplicity Pattern 2231.

The Course: Teaching Worship Dance to Children is Online now!

I’m thrilled to announce that the online course, Teaching Worship Dance to Children is open for enrollment now. Praise God. I released a preview version of the new videos for this course and got great feedback (see the testimonials below). I also got some great ideas for improving the class. I listened to your feedback and added more live videos, suggestions for classroom management, and shared my favorite places to purchase garments for children and patterns as well. So take a look:

In this online course, you’ll receive:

• Teaching Children who Love to Dance to Worship when they Dance: Five short videos (46 minutes total) with study notes with ideas you can to help children worship wholeheartedly when they dance. $20 value

• And a Child Shall Lead Them – Audio Class: Two one hour audio lessons with slides and study notes taught by Amy Tang and Jocelyn Richard titled, And a Child Shall Lead Them. In this class, you’ll learn how to set a foundation for worshipful children’s dance, how to use And a Child Shall Lead Them – Ten Worship Dance Lessons for Children in the classroom to help children keep the right heart attitude for worship, to build a vocabulary of worship, to dance the scriptures, and to dance with their faces. You’ll also hear tips on how to start a dance class in the community. $20 value

• And a Child Shall Lead Them – Ten Worship Dance Lessons for Children, e-Manual with supplementary video downloads – The e-book version of Amy’s worship dance curriculum, including the e-manual and 2 supplementary videos (27 minutes total), will be available for you to download immediately. (Already own it? There’s an option to purchase the course without the curriculum.) This is a digital version of the book and videos. $29 value

• Bonus Materials: $18 value

The Lord’s Prayer Video – This (6 minutes) video will teach you gesture for the Lord’s prayer along with everyday movements to help children (or adults) remember it and have fun with it. This devotional dance is also a fun activity for dance classes and workshop.

Tips to Keeping Your Classroom Running Smoothly So You Can Teach – Amy Tang shares tips on how to keep children engaged, focused, and happy in class. She shares from her own experience teaching worship dance class and teaching in public and private schools along with some tips from other experienced teachers.

Suggestions for Buying or Making Garments and Props for Children – Amy Tang shares her favorite vendors for children’s praise dance garments and props, a couple of patterns for creating skirts for children, and a couple of simple tricks for dressing children beautifully without purchasing new garments.

•Access to the Teaching Worship Dance to Children Private Facebook Group – Here you’ll have the opportunity to build relationships with and learn from others who are teaching worship dance to children. I know I’m not the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to teaching worship dance to children. I’ve simply put what I’ve learned and what the Lord has given to me in a format to help others. You all have a wealth of wisdom and experience to share. While this page will give you access to me, it will, more importantly, give you access to each other. You can post ideas, suggestions, and questions, and resources. I will respond to questions asked and will look forward to you all answering as well. I think this could end up being one of the most valuable aspects of the course.

All the course materials can be watched online and accessed anywhere that you have wifi and can be dowloaded onto your computer, so you can keep them forever.

Read what others have said about Amy’s teaching materials for children:

God bless you and your amazing work! I am so glad I purchased the dance curriculum… what a powerful tool! And, might I add, Jocelyn is right, you have already done the work. I feel as if you are right here coaching alongside as I implement with my one worship dancer … she is 8 and has such a heart to dance for the Lord.. a true worshiper! More importantly… I am learning and being equipped as I study your course outline… Thank you, Amy! – Bobbi Andrade

Your teaching is so clear that anyone watching would be able to receive the tools they need to use your concepts. Your ideas were great. I love that you included some video as well. – Nanette

All the material sounds like great tools to use while working with children. I really felt the portion on Teaching children to dance devotionally is a SEED that will help them grow and instill in them a personal connection with HIM that will last a lifetime. Beautiful work! – Denise

It’s extremely helpful. It helped me learn how to “worship” and just not “dance” and how to teach same to children. – Merthene

Don’t change anything. I can tell that the lessons are always prepared in Love and of The Spirit to Worship The LORD. – J’Sue

The practical lesson ideas were so helpful for getting me started. I also love the various ways you’ve described that will help children dance for worship rather than just for fun. – Maria

These worship dance lessons are spelled out for you, she has professional photographs in this ebook for you. All the work is done, all you have to do is pray and get your children together and worship the Lord. — Jocelyn Richard, The Praise Dance Life

Purchase the Full Course: (You’ll receive an email with acccess to the course within 12 hours of making payment)

Price: $52

Purchase a hard copy of the manual with your course:

(You’ll receive an email with acccess to the course within 12 hours of making payment)

Price: $62 + shipping

Already own my children’s praise dance curriculum?

(You’ll receive an email with acccess to the course within 12 hours of making payment)

Purchase the rest of the course separately:

Price: $32

(does not include course e-manual or its supplementary video downloads)

Helping the Child who Loves Performance over Worship

Have you ever had a student on your team that didn’t seem to get the heart of worship?

Have you had a student who struggles to catch on but isn’t willing to work to learn?

Have you had a student whom you have questioned whether she should continue on the team?

Read on to hear about my experience with a student like that and how God led me to respond.

You have a team member, a young girl who loves to dress up and dance in front of people, but she doesn’t really seem to get worship yet. She resists working hard in rehearsal. As a result, when dancing, she didn’t know her part well. She has to watch others and appears nervous and self conscious. Even so, she is eager to be on the team.

I had this happen several years ago and was encouraged to discourage this child from participating on the worship team. I considered that, but because she really wanted to be on the team and because her mother, who was also on the team, had such a heart for worship that she really sought to impart to her daughter, I felt I needed to try to work with her.

My experience with this child prompted me to be more deliberate with my whole team in calling them to worship and minister and preparing them to do this. I clarified my expectations of dancers in our covenant (see earlier post).

In addition, I increased the time I spent praying for and with my team and the time we spent preparing spiritually for dance presentations. I asked everyone to be reading scripture daily and meditating on the words to the songs. I was more intentional about keeping the vision before the team, a vision to minister and worship so that God can work in people’s hearts.

I also guarded my own thoughts towards this child. I would say to myself over and over, “___________ is going to be worshipful and graceful when we dance.”

On the practical side, I adjusted my rehearsal times so that the children’s rehearsals were shorter than the adults, and sometimes were separate. I spoke to her mother and asked her to make sure the girl had a book to read if she needed to stay for the adult portion. Sometimes I gave her a task to do to be helpful during this time, like holding the camera while we recorded portions of the dance. And, finally, I had a mother who offered to bring a simple healthy snack to rehearsals. Giving the children a short break and food to eat, helped her stamina.

dance team solutions — Click image for more information.

This child really grew in her understanding of worship and ministry. In addition, she began taking a dance class outside of dance team, which helped her technique. The biblical principle for me was love, which bears all things and believes all things.

A fantastic resource for team related issues is the book Team Terrificus, by Lynn Hayden. She asks questions like this and many more that will help you solve team related issues by practicing the fruit of the Spirit and common sense wisdom.

How about you? How have you responded to children (or adults) on your team who seem to enjoy performing, but do not yet have a heart for worship?

Please share in the comments section (at the beginning of the post).

Read tomorrow to hear how do deal with a difficult teammate.