The Importance Of Dance In Footloose

Humanity’s artistry and creativity has slowly evolved and changed throughout the years. From cave paintings, to Renaissance portraits, to Victorian literature, and finally to modern experimental craftsmanship; art has been part of the human culture for years. This includes the evolution of what is known today as modern dance. Each type of new dance trend allows performers to accentuate and manipulate the body in new and certain ways. However, as seen in the popular movie from 1984, ‘Footloose,’ not all people agree with the notion that dance is something that Christians should associate with. The main character has to fight for his right to express through dance, but his argument can be expressed even further to those who still believe that dance is not something that should be in God’s

While this type of dancing is still in the world today and was prominent in the Old and New Testament, other types of dance are actually beneficial in the Kingdom of God, letting followers become more like Christ and his ideals as well as letting them praise the Lord through their body. My goal is to prove that, through the teachings of the prophets and Jesus Christ, much of dance in the modern setting is encouraged in God’s heavenly Kingdom.

Like said before, dance has been part of the human culture ever since the beginning of history, going back to depictions of ritual and shaman dances before the time of written history began. An article from Illinois Wesleyan University on the evolution of sacred dance, specifically for religious purposes, states that, “the universe is permeated by rhythm, harmony, and patterned movement…Therefore, it is perfectly natural that man respond deeply and significantly to these ordered rhythms that make up his life, his world, and his universe.” It seems as though it is in human nature to dance, or to connect with the earth because Creation is natural patterns and music that can be reflected in human bodies. However, even the