There are many Hebrew words used in the Tanach that are translated "dance" or "dancing".
The most used one is mecolah (#4246) and means a dance or company of dancers. In
Exodus 15:20-21, Miriam and all the women danced for joy to praise the L.rd for His
deliverance from the Egyptians. There will be dancing and joy when Israel
is restored (Jeremiah 31:4) and there is dancing to celebrate victory in 1
Samuel 18:6. Another word that is used several times is machol (#4234)
and means a round dance or a circle dance. It is used to signify
praise or worship as in Psalm 149:3 and 150:4. It is also associated with
joy and contrasted with mourning in Lamentations 5:15 and Psalm 30:11.
In 2 Samuel 6:14-16, David danced before the L.rd and the Ark of the
Covenant. That Hebrew word is karar (#3769) and means to
spring or leap and in Ecclesiastes 3:4, the word raqad
(#7540) means to skip about. One word which is translated dance is
chagag (#2287) and it actually means to feast. (see Zechariah 14:18 and 1 Samuel 30:16).
There was also a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4) and an inappropriate time to dance,
as in the worship of the golden calf in Exodus 32:19.
In the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant), there are also Greek words for dance. Yeshua
talked about the children dancing to the flute in Matthew 11:17 (orcheomai #3738)
and dancing was part of the feast celebrating the return of the
prodigal son in Luke 15:25 (choros #5525). Sometimes the
words related to movement are translated "rejoice" as in Revelation 19:7
where we will be jumping for joy and rejoicing greatly at the marriage
supper of the Lamb. (agalliao #21).
In our Messianic walk, we can use appropriate dancing as worship and
praise to the L.rd. We have so much to be thankful for and we can rejoice
that Yeshua paid for our sins so we can look forward to dancing with Him
and all the saints in heaven for eternity. When you practice dancing,
think of ways you can praise and worship God with your words and actions.
Worship dance is an integral part of our services. We do not dance for show, but in humility and as a beautiful
expression of our sacrifice of praise and worship unto the L.rd in unity. While we are open to all who want
to dance, we ask that you have a basic knowledge of the dance before joining the circle. The worship service
is not the place for you to "practice" a particular dance. We encourage dancers to join the Pre-service Dance
Review one half hour before each Shabbat service to learn which dances will be in the worship service. This is for
review only and is not intended to be a teaching session. Feel free to join a dance class at 2:45 pm each Shabbat
to learn a variety of dances as well as proper "dance etiquette".
Note: Rehoboth has a dress code for dancing in service - See dance leader for questions
The pre-service dance review is 10:30 am or 3:30 pm most Shabbats in the dance room (downstairs)
Most Shabbats from 2:45 - 3:30 pm in Dance room.
See Monthly Dance Class Flyer
for further information.
Simple Steps: This class is open to any person that wants to start to
learn the basic dance steps. If you come to the class with "two left
feet", you may leave with the ability to identify a left and a right foot.
Beginner: Often a dance that can be picked up in a few minutes or with
some brief teaching and may or may not require some outside of class time practice.
Intermediate: Usually requires teaching and some practice outside of class.
Advanced: Usually requires teaching, a wide knowledge of different
dance sequences, practice outside of class and further reviews.
Service or Presentation Dances: Dances done during the worship service or presented as a special.
Tambourine: This class is open to anyone who wants to learn tambourine patterns to be used in worship or presentation.
Flag: This class is open to anyone who wants to learn how to incorporate worship flags into easy dances.
