―What drives a dancer, what sets them apart? We ask Elder Debora Hutson.
When God gives man a gift, blesses it and releases him to use it, it becomes ministry. The Scripture Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever thy hands findeth to do, do it with all thy might…” gives meaning to the term ministry as it is any work or service carried out in honour of the Lord. Whether a person cleans, serves food, or drives a car to build up the body of Christ, it is considered ministry.
Worship and service through dance can be considered a more visible and identifiable form of ministry. It is regarded as one of the more powerful tools of ministry, and it is truly one for only those who are called to it, significantly impactful and pertinent.
Ministerial Dance is much more than what we see, more than mere entertainment. This particular ministry can speak to the heart and soul of any man, woman, boy, or girl, breaking down verbal communication and cultural barriers while restoring and refreshing the life of the vessel through which the message is being portrayed.
Who else can we get to talk on such a deep topic other than someone who has dedicated their life to the Art and Call of Ministerial Dance? This person is none other than Elder Deborah Hutson, who has consistently been dancing for 27 years.
Most recently, Elder Hutson graduated from the Institute of Creative Arts with a Certificate (Distinction) in Dance, emerging at the top of her group with high honours, being recognised for preparing and submitting the best research paper for the course of study. Elder Hutson, a trained teacher who now serves as District Education Officer within the Ministry of Education has touched the lives of young men and women over several years.
However, she has testified that dance is the one thing she has been passionate about from a very tender age. At the age of ten, when she joined Guyana’s National School of Dance, the call of God to be a trailblazer in dance became evident as she quickly moved through the training stages ahead of others at her age.
Even when she dropped out of the premier choreographic training institution, the fire and passion for the performing art stayed lit. At age 18, she started attending the Tucville Assembly of God Church and joined the dance ministry there. She got married a few years later and moved to First Assembly of God Church in Wortmanville, for it is where her husband fellowships and ministers unto this day.
By this time, Young ‘Sister Debbie,’ as she is fondly called, realised that dance in the church is different from what she learnt at the National School of Dance. Of course, the principles remain the same, but dancing for the Lord came with an added responsibility that could not be taken lightly.
So what is the difference? Elder Hutson explained it best by saying, “It is different when we consider the purpose or reason it is done. Ministerial dance focuses more on ministering to the spirit, while secular dance appeals more to flesh and soul. These realms have different purposes. In the church, we share the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Lord, so it also has an intended outcome,”
Ministerial Dance – A hobby or a call?
Anybody can dance, Elder Hutson posited, but in Ministerial dance, it is essential that the dancer remains relevant, which means that a tremendous amount of effort needs to be invested into what they do. So this cannot be treated as a hobby or pastime. Psalms 149:3 says, “Let THEM PRAISE His name with dancing…”.
“It is definitely not a pastime. It is a gift or talent that has been bestowed on us before we were even born, and God has called us to be worshippers unto Him. Therefore we should not see this ministry as something we want to do ‘just because’. It is an outward expression of the love we have for Him.”
Not all persons in church are called to Ministerial Dance. Even though we can dance in thanksgiving and praise, there is an order that must be acknowledged when it comes to ministry. When God calls someone to the Ministry, the Elders within the assembly confirm it.
What should a ministerial dancer possess?
At this point, one might think that the checklist for a ministerial dancer is complete, but to be effective, one must also possess the following:
Good health – Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. This augurs well for a dancer. The body is the most important instrument to the dancer as it mainly translates and communicates messages only the spirit will understand.
Relationship with Christ – You are either hot or cold! As a ministerial dancer, it is necessary to set aside one’s life and live as unto God, for the Bible mentions God’s distaste for lukewarm Christians. This means that a dancer cannot live the life as one in the world but must turn completely away from sin and be consecrated unto God.
Knowledge – There is much to know about the art of dance. To remain relevant in the ministry, you must know the dancers’ vocabulary, techniques, genres, types of dance, origins, cultural preferences, garments, etc. These do not come easy. It takes years of practice, education and growth to become familiar with all.
Testimonials from others – Who are you outside of church? Who we are in church should be exactly who we are outside of church. A work colleague or a neighbour down the street should not question your lifestyle but should see it as the best reference to living solely for Christ.
Elder Hutson added that 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 should be the Scripture that guides the conduct of a Ministerial Dancer.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.”
With this Scripture in hand, Elder Hutson spoke on how the conduct of a dancer can affect another congregant, whether directly or indirectly. This, she said, has a lot to do with the term ‘transference of spirits.’
I learnt this from Dr Anne Peterson-Higgins of Grand Bahamas. She said lots of you put the church into a further state of sin because you are coming with your sinful self, dancing with these clothes, and whatever you are doing (in secret/sin) spins off to the audience. If you are a person who lies and fornicates or commits adultery and there are congregants who are struggling with these things, you are not bringing the church out of anything or anywhere. You are not setting captives free but rather taking them deeper into sinful bondage.”
Sister Debbie leads an immensely empowered group of ministerial dancers at First Assembly of God Wortmanville and its outstations under the name Cekahalame Dance Ministry. Cekahalame is a combination of four Hebrew words and is translated as ‘dancing before the Lord in praise and worship’. This responsibility comes with its fair share of challenges, but this does not sway her commitment to completely fulfilling her God-given purpose on earth.
She testified that the difference is having the Holy Spirit as a faithful guide through all things. She praises the fact that she gets the opportunity to see young women grow in ministry and in their personal lives.
This dance group does not only attract children, teenagers and slim bodied, young dancers, “but we have adult, full-bodied and slim bodied, matured women. We are trusting God for men to come into the ministry and grab hold of that call on their lives and not see it as a stereotype.” She noted.
What does Elder Hutson emphasise the most? Well, her dancers all agree that Elder Deborah Hutson stresses ‘excellence’ with reference to 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “…whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God”. This is the catalyst that drives the Cekahalame Ministry, the goal being to give God the best praise they can bring before His throne of Worship and Grace.
