Joy+Dance+Group

The Joy Dance group exists to glorify God through dance. Dance is one of the forms of worship mentioned in the bible. We use dance to praise God, to share the message of Christ in the community, to minister to christians and to bring joy and hope to people in places such as resthomes. Dance is not only a response to God's love for us, but a way to draw near to God, for He inhabits the praises of His people.

The Joy Dance group consists of eight girls from age 6 to age 10. We have been a group since May 2010, and have performed in a variety of places including a rest home, St Andrews Church, a church at Fairlie and two major outdoor events, the Father's Day in the Park and the Arts and Plants Festival.

Bible study to understand the meaning of the songs we use in the dances, and prayer, are a regular part of our weekly rehearsals. The girls have the total support and encouragement of their families, who are an integral part of making the dance group possible.

We value the prayers of people to provide opportunities for the group to perform, and particularly that God draws peole to watch, and touches their hearts. The girls have often found sickness or difficulty around the time of a performance, and have seen God provide healing and strength for them in their performances. They are 'out there' in the world and it is a spiritual battleground so the more prayer cover we have, the better.

Currently the girls are able to perform nine dances, and usually introduce these with words of scripture or personal testimony. We are always working on new dances ,and use a variety of styles to suit the different places we may perform.

We are profoundly grateful to God, that He enables the girls to learn so quickly and to perform with confidence. We are totally reliant on Him for inspiration, the necessary skills for the dance group and for using the girls for His glory. The girls know we are not performing for personal glory but so that Christ might be evident to all, and the Spirit of God touch hearts.

Anyone who wishes to help the dance group could do so through prayer, through sewing or making the dance resources we use, financially and through encouraging the girls. Whilst we are unable to perform too often (approximately once a month suits the families involved), at the same time we seek to dance where God leads and we would be interested to hear of opportunities for this to happen.

Louise Shaw