Theology of Dance

The other day my brothers and I went to a Theology of Dance night. It was so fun! It is a theology course based on the principle that dance is a reflection of the theological and practical relationship between man and woman.

Before we began the dance lesson, the instructor, Matt, gave a brief theology lesson. Since we were new to the program, he started with the basics and talked about the complementarity of men and women in dance, and how this reflects life. He started with four principles: Beautiful, Musical, Comfortable, and Loving. Beautiful is when the true and the good are united, and used for what God intended. Musical is, in Matt’s words, “when the couple is in Harmony with the Music”. Comfortable is when both partners trust each other, and there is a lack of stress in the dance. And finally, Loving; “to desire good for someone else for their sake and their sake alone.”

He elaborated on the complementarity of the dance: that man leads, and woman allows herself to be led. That it is a man’s joy and purpose in dance to make his partner look fantastic, and it is the woman’s joy to let him show her off. He said that it was only when a man shows his partner off to advantage that he will look good, and if he neglects to show her off, then his beauty diminishes in the eyes of the viewers. Wow! What an interesting reflection on life! Does this mean that it is man’s joy in life to magnify his lady, and her joy to let him? I guess it is! This is so contrary to the mentality of our world, wherein each person stresses their autonomy and individuality, and where (especially women) assert that they don’t need anyone else in life. But the truth is that we are relational beings, created for the other, and meant to live in complementarity. It is only when we live as we are created that we will rise to the great heights for which we are destined. When a man, even if he’s only my friend, offers to carry something, or hold open a door, or even drives me to where I need to be, I feel most feminine and appreciative and loving toward him. I feel a desire, in those moments, to be more toward him, and to find a special way to express my gratitude. Men, I say to you, do not fear the feminists of this age! Do not stop being kind to women and fulfilling your manly proclivities just because most women think they don’t want you to. Because the only reason they think they don’t want these expressions is because they themselves are denying their own natures. Women, I say to you, do not ever let your pride and insecurities keep you from being ready and willing to allow men to reveal your glory. That is their joy, and it is yours to receive their gift, and to pay it back in kind.

Here is a link to Matt’s website (www.theologyofdance.org/) and I encourage you to reflect on dance in light of the natures of man and woman. John Paul II, in his Theology of the Body, gave the world a great gift of explanation of the nature of mankind, and Matt has taken this to its natural extension: offering practical, visible, and physical representation of JPII’s principles.