Suzanne Gorman

“We will dance (Glory and honor)” symbolic movements.

Gorman, Suzanne: "We will dance (Glory and honor)” Symbolic movements", 17th International Congress on Dance Research, Naxos, 22-26/10, 2003.

Preface

In the early church writings the Greek term choros (choral dancing) was harmonious in movement and had a special dignity and beauty (Adams, Dance as religious studies, 1990). The basis of this dance is to depict unity of the Bride of Christ as an expression of simple, flowing, harmonious movements which emphasize the mood of joy and exultation. In Aramaic the words "dance" and "rejoice" were the same word (Kaplan, p. 16). The noun mahol (Hebrew) designates joy and the Greek hyporchema can also designate joy and a multimedia event (Adams, p. 58) which "We Will Dance" portrays.

Premise

Dance is a natural expression of inner life through the outer body and integrates body with soul and spirit. Dance comes from the whole person (body, mind, spirit), is manifested through every beat of a heart and breath of a lung through a language of energy to reveal its message. Life and death, joy and sorrow, traditions and education are all revealed in the dance. The sacred, communal, "We will Dance" is a living experience of faith.

Arms

V formation- denotes exultation!! Spin turn on words “song of the lamb”- left arm is straight up with open hand, palm up as holding a tray, symbolizing our service to the Lord (imagine a waiter). Right hand comes out about shoulder height, bent at elbow, open hand with palm facing forward. Denotes pleasure (at Thy right hand are pleasures forevermore, Ps 16:11). (in a Jewish wedding ceremony it is taught the right hand signifies love and kindness, the left represents strength and firmness (Kaplan, p. 65).

Wave Offering - hands open, palms up towards the sky sweeping as a wave offering unto the Lord (Lev. 8:26,27; Num. 8:11 6:19.20). Motion comes to words, “for the Bridegroom has come, the glorious one”. Open hands waist high, crossing and circling out, stop when elbows are at your side “...and oh (we will look on His face)”. This is extending ourselves to the others, connecting and drawing them in towards us. Palms up held moving to the right, place them momentarily, then same motion to the left. This signifies beckoning, inviting, no one should be left out. “we’ll go... to a much better place”.

1st Glory /Honor- Rev 4:9,11   5:12   19:1 Each time we lift up hands, almost in a scooping manner, we are lifting up praises of “glory and honor”. We face each other in the circle depicting our already entering “in” to His presence. We are focused on worshipping him as the 8 Brides together, unity of our relationship.

2nd Glory/Honor. Hands join together in the circle, connecting us physically now for the Mayim step (water, a fluid motion).Flowing as a group like water, refreshing. Do not be in a hurry, listen to the music! Circle dance hagag, encircle about, sabab.

Last set of Glory/Honor Hands palms together, each pressing the Bride on either side of us. As a Bride we are pressed, like the grapes that bring forth the new wine for celebration! Feel the pressure of the full hand of you sisters, in essence this is also holding each other up, support and corporate worship under pressure releases the new wine!

Kneeling

This bending of our knees shows our honor and obedience to our King. (Phil 2:10, Ps 95:6). Uplifted faces - anticipation. Uplifted arms - exultation.

Feet

(Isaiah 52:5). Dancing in bare feet can symbolize simplicity and humility. The bare foot is fashioned to grasp the ground. There are 7,000 nerve endings in the foot. In planting the foot the heel will touch the ground first. Heel lead stimulates the immune system.

Bridal walk

Entrance to the chapel. Place in the song where instrumental music plays, front and back rows walking in their lines. Transfer weight on toes as we pivot right, take 4 steps using bridal walk. Pivot and turn left, take 4 steps with Bridal walk. Right foot always leads. Point toe. As believers we have the authority to put Satan under our feet! Remember we also dance upon injustice! May our feet be quick to walk in His steps! We are using our feet to proclaim a message of joy and hope for our soon coming King! We will dance on the streets that are golden!

Marriage

Marriage is used as a type of union in both the Old and New testaments. It was in this personal setting with family & friends that Jesus performed His 1st miracle, the turning of water into wine! (Jn 2:1-11) There is a mutual love between the lover and the beloved (S of S 1:1). A Jewish wedding is a vision of a restored Jerusalem (p 374).

Bride

Imagery of the Bride is symbolic of the church, God’s body, His people. At Mt Sinai Israel as the Bride, God as the Bridegroom. Even before the foundation of the world, God had already chosen us to be His through our union with Christ (Eph 1:4). (Rev 19:6-10). Rejoice and be glad for the marriage supper of the Lamb has come! And the Bride hath made herself ready. The Bride spent a year making herself ready for the occasion of marriage. Some of the preparations included cleansing, soaking herself in the oils and scents (Esther 2:12). Ruth was told to wash and anoint herself before she lay at the feet of Boaz (Ruth 3:3)

Christ loves the Church and gave His life for her. He did this to dedicate the church to God by his Word, after making it clean by washing her in water, in order to present the church to himself in all its Beauty - pure and faultless, without spot or wrinkle or any other imperfection. (Eph 5:26-28) “Every bride is beautiful and she is dressed to display her beauty.” (Kaplan, 1983 p.59) There is praise for the beauty of the Bride (S of S 4:1-5:1). The groom extols the beauty of his Bride (6:4-13). “ Female beauty is one of God’s great gifts to the world. When a husband has pleasure in his wife’s beauty, it gives him a better and broader outlook on life. Berakhoth 57b; Yevamoth 63b. The Torah specifically tells us that Rachel was very beautiful (Gen 29:17). As noted in the Talmud, even two thousand years ago, brides were made up and perfumed so as to enhance every aspect of their beauty” (Judaica CD-ROM). “Everything was done to make the Bride as beautiful as possible” states Kaplan, 59. Rev 22:17 The Spirit & the Bride. We can not be drawn to the Bridegroom except by the Spirit. Mt 25:1-13 Parable of the bridesmaids. They went forth to meet the Bridegroom. They were anticipating, eagerly waiting and putting into action their love for Him. The wise ones were prepared and ready, had oil for their lamps. “Behold the Bridegroom cometh” the cry that signaled his arrival!! This was traditional. The Bride anxiously waited for this message, then she quickly got her things (that were already prepared) and went out to Him.

Perfumes

The Bride was perfumed because it was a time of rejoicing!! Ointment and perfume rejoiceth the heart! Prov 27:9 “Fragrant with incense and myrrh” S of S 3:6 Among other things, perfumes in the Near East were used as pleasing fragrances “There is a fragrance about you” S of S 1:3; to freshen garments Ps 45:9; used to burn as incense in the temple (Ex 30:34); cosmetically as protection against a hot, dry climate (Freedman 226); beautification (Es 2:12). Most perfume was derived from plants, first discovered as potions, then people were attracted to their natural smells (forests, deserts, trees, flowers). Perfumes were not native to Canaan but had to be acquired by trade from places such as Africa, Arabia, India. Some substances were grown in Israel (Freedman 1992, p. 226-227).

- The more costly perfumes and fragrances were rivals of gold (Matt 2:11)

- Myrrh was the first of all spices (Bowker 1998, p. 190) and is sweet.

- Sandalwood is the oldest perfume in history and lavender has been used for centuries.

- "Rrose is the most complex of all the oils, ideal as a general tonic and fortifier" (Jollands, 2002, p. 37).

“Often referred to as spices (Exod 25:6 35:28) aromatic sources derive from plants such as frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, and saffron” (Achtemeier, 1985, p. 719). Olive oil was a base to which the aromatic spices were added, especially myrrh. Myrrh is sweet. *Tree of the myrtle family must be split/cracked limbs with a sharp instrument.

Frankincense

Last of the ingredients to be blended together. Piercing out of the depth of the tree, one must go out very early in the morning to get the resin. Out of the piercing comes brokenness. The resin flows freely in the morning. Messiah freely gave to us out of the depths of his heart (our Lord’s side was pierced, He hung on a tree for our redemption) Dick Reubin We, as the Bride, are to offer up our worship as Christ loved us and gave his life for us a sweet smelling fragrance, a sacrifice of pleasing odor unto our Messiah and King (Eph. 5:2).

The wedding gown - kittel

Kaplan, made in Heaven Chapter 8 p59-61. a) no requirements as to style. b) no shorter than knee length. c) modesty required, not low cut in front or back, bride's body not to be visible. Kaplan writes that a wedding is considered the most holy of all Jewish ceremonies. Kiddushin is holiness. The couples modesty should reflect the spirit of the ceremony.

Color

White is purity from sin, not virginity. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow (Is 1:18). On the wedding day the couple seeks to be forgiven from sin to begin with a clean slate as Adam & Eve did. The bride and groom are like Israel: The Israelites fasted before receiving the Torah. The couple have their own private Yom Kippur for confession, repentance and spiritual purification (mikvah- immersion). They must enter into the marriage with a clear and sober state of mind, all sins forgiven. When one’s sins are forgiven they are truly free. White garments are a sign of freedom (Shulchan HaEzer 7:1:10).

Bridegroom

Yeshua compares Himself to the Bridegroom (Mk 2:19). The groom also wore a new “dress” and a crown of gold, silver, roses, myrtle or olive (Smith’s Bible Dictionary 1930). “As a bridegroom decketh himself” implies he was dressed up! (Is 61:10). He also rejoices over his bride!!! (Is 62:5). Our Messiah rejoices (spins) over us with and shouts of joy!!!

The veil

The veil or curtain hung in front of the Tabernacle like a Bride’s veil (Ex. 26:9). Marriage of Isaac & Rebekah marks the beginning of the Jewish people. Rebekah was God’s choice for Isaac. It is a reminder of Rebekah’s action, her example, when she came upon Isaac (Gen. 29:65). Veiling of the bride - bedekung: In Jewish tradition the veil is also customary, found in sources to be at least 600 years old (Kaplan, 1983, p. 125-127). The bride wore a veil or covering over her head, probably covering her face. This perhaps could be a shawl (Smith’s Bible Dictionary, p. 193). “In biblical times, women covered their heads with veils or scarfs, as a sign of chastity and modesty” (Judaica CD-ROM). “The covering of the face symbolizes the modesty, dignity and chastity which characterizes the virtue of Jewish womanhood” (Ahavat-Israel, 1999).

The bride is the center of attention in the ceremony. She covers her face so that no one other than her husband will gaze upon her beauty. To cover her face suggests the groom is interested in more than his wife’s beauty (Diamant, 1985, p.8). Some authorities say she is covered so she cannot see the ring, that she must accept everything by faith, not by sight. It is also written that covering the head & eyes shows she will follow blindly. This represents the nation of Israel who must follow God blindly (Kaplan, 1983, p.126).

In the Catholic Encyclopedia “Religious veil” (2002), it is stated, “It was natural that the bride of Christ should, as the vestal virgins had done, adopt the veil, which thus symbolized not so much the purity as the inviolable fidelity to Christ which was to be reverenced in her”. The Roman Pontifical ceremony prays, “Receive the sacred veil, that thou mayest be known to have despised the world, and to be truly, humbly, and with all thy heart subject to Christ as His bride: and He may defend thee from all evil, and bring thee to eternal life” (2002). The wearing of a veil makes one feel uniquely bridal (Kaplan, 1983).

Pearls

“Lustrous concretions carbonate of lime interstratified with animal membrane” (Kunz, 1968, p.596). (of great price). According to the parable of Yeshua in Mt 13:45:-46, entering into the Kingdom of God is as finding this pearl that is worth all one has (great price). Sold all to buy this, sold everything. Total commitment, total abandonment. Our Lord paid a great price for us. The Bride adorneth herself lavishly with jewels. Isaiah 61:10, Song R. 4:10 Jewelry was of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls. (Judaica CD-ROM)

The pearl was very valued and highly esteemed, ranked along with gold and other precious stones in the ancient world (I Tim 2:9). The 12 gates of the New Jerusalem are described “each gate was made from a single pearl” (Rev 21:21). Achtemeier (1985) writes, “The pearl is a lustrous concretion formed by a mollusk consisting of the same material as its shell. It is the only gem produced by a living process” (p. 767). Formation of a pearl: Their beauty is formed by an irritation such as a piece of sand, an intrusion, an abnormal growth within the shell of some mollusks. The mollusk is unable to expel the foreign body. A substance, nacre, carbonate of lime and animal matter, a gradual thickening around, coats the irritation. A dense lustrous body is formed of concentric layers of nacre. The pearl’s beauty is formed from the and around the irritation. The beauty is due to nature (God) alone and they are not improved by art. The various colors and lustres depend on where they were formed, I.E pink conch of West Indies yields rose colored pearls. Pearls found in the region of the Persian Gulf have a yellowish color compared with the pure white of Indian pearls. Common oysters and clams yield white or dark purple. The pearl-oyster banks in the Persian Gulf have been known and fished since ancient times. The pearl-oysters of the Persian Gulf are double in size than those of Ceylon, thicker & smoother on the outside. The largest pearls are found in the deepest waters.

Shofar

We want to establish Biblical patterns in this presentation of “We Will Dance”. “The shofar is the ritual instrument of the ancient and modern Hebrews...” (http://www.piney.com/Shofar). There is a power released by the blowing of the shofar (ram’s horn) unlike any other. It was sounded loud and long for God’s people to come up to the mount (Ex. 19:12,13,16). In Exodus 21 it was sounded so loud they SAW the sound. The smoke of the mountain vibrated all around it! The people saw the sound of the noise!

Horn=Power

Our Messiah will return with the voice of the trumpet (Rev. 1:10). This is a great voice and relates as to the voice of Yaweh. The angel Gabriel will blow the trumpet of God, and Yeshua will come like a thief in the night to snatch away His bride (John 3:29). He who has the Bride... (read) In the early traditions of Judiasm when a bridegroom went to claim his bride,the attendants or groomsmen would run ahead of the groom to announce the coming of the Bridegroom with the blowing of the shofar, shouting that he was coming. “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh” is the proclamation (Reuben, Sound the Shofar). The Father had indicated to the groom that it was time to go forth for His Bride after he had prepared a place for her (John 14:1-4). This place is represented by the Chuppah, a later teaching. The sound of the shofar signals many things: cry of war commencement of a ceremony (i.e. Holy Days); beginning of Rosh Hoshanna (New Year); to bring up the glory of God; to confuse the enemy; shout for joy!!!!!!! Shofar sounds & shouting breaks barriers - shakes up the devils kingdom

It is a tool and instrument used to do harm to the Kingdom of darkness. It is not for entertainment but for warfare. There are 2 types of trumpets: 1. Silver - man-made. 2. Ram’s or antelope horn, God-made. a. not duplicated. b. each original. First the horn of the animal is taken full of flesh, the cartiledge. This flesh must be removed for a beautiful sound to be heard. As the breath of God fills us, we use this breath to activate the sound.

Breath

The devil is the prince of the power of the air, which consists of sound waves (Eph 2:2), (Ps 98:4). Souns shatters satan’s kingdom. Series of vibrations, Kingdom of darkness has no power to stand. We invade his territory. Pierces the darkness. Something spiritual goes on when the shofar is blown!!!!!!!! 3 heavens. 1-earth 2-heaven 3-God’s Dwelling. The sound of the shofar goes up to the Third Heaven (One Man Celebration, 9/99)

References

Achtemeier, P.J.,ed. (1985).Harper’s Bible dictionary. New York:Harper & Row.

Bowker, J. (1998). Complete Bible handbook. New York: DK Publishing.

Bradshaw, P. & Hoffman, L. A., eds. (1996). Life cycles in Jewish and Christian worship Norte Dame: Notre Dame Press.

Catholic Encyclopedia:Religious veil. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15321c.htm 11/19/2002

Diamant, A. (1985). The new Jewish wedding. New York: Summit Books.

Encyclopedia Judaica (1971). Jerusalem: Macmillan.

Freedman, D.N.ed., (1992). The anchor Bible dictionary V5. New York: Doubleday.

Isreal-Jewish Wedding. http://ahavat-israel.com/torat/marriage.html 12/4/99

Jollands,B.(2002). Instant calm: Natural ways to relieve stress. New York: Lorenz Books.

Kaplan,A. Rabbi. (1983).Made in heaven: A Jewish wedding guide.New York: Moznaim.

Kirsh, J. (1998). Moses: A life. New York: Ballantine Books.

Kunz, G.F. (1968). Gems and precious stones of North America. New York: Dover.

Lascalle, R.S. (1978). That they might be saved. Seattle: Bedrock Press.

Negev, A. & Gibson, S. eds., (2001). Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy land. New York: Continuum.

Newsom, C.A. & Ringe, S.H., eds.(1992) The woman’s Bible commentary. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press.

Smith’s Bible dictionary.

Zangla, D. (1998). Jewish roots. Brunswick: Messianic Vision Press (David Ruis) c1994, Mercy/Vineyard

Ms. Suzanne Gorman