Please watch this two-minute and twenty-second video clip above before reading this post. I want to talk about folk dancing, and watching this video will give a visual of what I’ll be referencing in this post.
What Do You Mean by “Folk Dancing”?
When I speak of folk dancing, I’m referring to social dance that is group-oriented rather than individual or only pair-oriented. In other words, movement to music that takes more than one pair of dancers to perform properly. Folk dancing can refer to a particular kind of dancing native to a country, region, or culture. But I’m talking about when dancers form couples, and those couples form lines, sets, squares, or other types of group formations according to the type of dance being attempted. People quickly think of dances like the Virginia Reel or square dancing when describing this kind of dance. Each of these types of dance has specific names and subset categories. That is not for this post. When I speak of folk dancing in this post, think of group-oriented dancing that can be accomplished in a variety of formations and styles by groups of dancers of all ages and abilities.
Why Folk Dancing is So Valuable
In a sense, folk dancing is painting the music with complimentary movement. Whether in a jig, reel, or square dance, the pairs and groups are moving with the song’s form and flow. Folk dancing is also a great object lesson for Christians who live in a time that overly emphasizes the importance of the individual. In contrast, folk dancing is a corporate or body-driven activity that is not centered on you. You cannot properly dance the Virginia Reel by yourself. Nor can you properly dance it with just you and your partner. Instead, you need a group of couples all dancing in harmonious movement and purpose. This is a helpful picture of the Christian church in miniature. We remember the Psalms admonition of “How good and pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity.”1 Folk dancing is therefore a small object lesson of sorts in what it means to dwell together in unity as the body of Christ—the Church.
Does Not Have to Be Sexually Charged
Two people on the dance floor embracing one another in a slow rocking back and forth motion is not really dancing. Nor is wiggling at someone standing opposite you on the dance floor. These are pictures we have when we think of dancing for most people. Many of these “dance techniques” are sexually suggestive (or worse), and for that reason, many Christians have shied away from dancing altogether. But folk dancing does not have to be so. You may dance this rotation with your classmate and the next with your friend’s parent. The physical touch and interaction is neighborly and appropriate regardless of who your partner happens to be this go-round. Frankly, we need more practice in interacting with one another in proper ways. Folk dancing provides a way to do that in neighborly ways.
A Lot of Wholesome Fun
I often speak of the forgotten fun of folk dancing. I get the opportunity to teach and call folk dances throughout the year. It doesn’t matter where I go or who I teach; folk dancing brings joy, smiles, and laughter. It doesn’t matter if folks made a wrong step or if they remembered the correct action. They are going to be smiling. They will be smiling because they are made in the image of a Triune or Trinitarian God who models fellowship, love, and community in the Godhead. They enjoy being together and moving in this fun and wholesome activity. Whenever I look at photos snapped at these events, you never have to search far for pics of people smiling ear to ear while moving. It’s just that good of an activity. If you look back at the video above, you see nothing but smiles from these folks. It’s contagious.
Does Not Always Have to Be Formal
Many folks associate folk dancing with 19th Century English country dancing or even Colonial American Balls. While it is always fun to dress up for an evening of dancing, don’t think you have to always do this. Many folks would clear out the barn, have a fiddler sit on the rafters, and call an informal set of reels or square dances after a long day. Similarly, it’s been neat to hear the music start up in our church fellowship hall after evening worship with the young people gathering to dance for forty-five minutes or so. These are great opportunities for fellowship and fun.
How Do I Get This Where I Am?
I first encountered folk dancing when I did my Kodály music teacher training years ago. Returning to the above video, it is a folk dancing promo for our Chenaniah Summer Music Institute2 at New Saint Andrews College where I teach each summer. This two-week Kodály music teacher training is of course more than folk dancing. But it was folk dancing sessions that was the most unexpected activities of my Kodály training. I never imagined that I would get to lead so many family folk dances in churches, youth camps, conferences, school in-services, and more. To be clear, you do not have to have Kodály certification to foster a love of folk dancing. But folk dancing does go hand in hand with the Kodály philosophy of active, joyful music-making for all ages.
There are plenty of resources out there to learn to call dances. The best advice is to go find dances and participate in them if you have not before. From there, the best education is to research and be ready to learn as you go. If you want to call dances and there is not someone more capable in your area, you won’t get more helpful training than a room full of dancers hearing you craftily or clumsily lead them through a dance call. That’s the best way to get going.
Conclusion
Folk dancing is not only helpful to music educators, but it also encourages and enlivens our communities in our churches and schools. There is more that could be said in the application and benefits of folk dancing for our communities. But for now, give it a closer look. I highly recommend it.
Psalm 133:1
Chenaniah was the chief Levite in charge of music because “he was skillful.” (1 Cor. 15:27) Dr. David Erb so named our summer course the Chenaniah Summer Music Institute because we want to train future music leaders in our churches and schools who are also skillful.
Dancing With, Not At One Another