Shall We Dance? - Part 4
By Allan E. McNabb

During our study on dancing, we outlined four basic principles we use to determine whether an activity, such as dancing, is sinful.

  • We are to glorify God in our bodies, and exalt Christ (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Phil. 1:20).
  • We are to do things that are honorable and respectable in the sight of all men (Rom. 12:17; Phil. 4:8), obeying God in everything we do (Acts 4:19; 5:29).
  • We shouldn't engage in lustful and licentious (sensual) behaviors (Rom. 6:12; 1 Jn. 2:16; 2 Cor. 12:20-21; Jude 1:4).
  • We shouldn't engage in questionable behaviors (Rom. 14:23; 1 Th. 5:21-22).

In this article, we explore ballroom dancing and swing dancing.

Ballroom Dancing
Not long ago, many religions taught that ballroom dancing was sinful.  But today, things have changed.  Not only do many churches condone ballroom dancing, they also offer ballroom dancing in their buildings.

The waltz is one of the mildest dances, which epitomized ballroom dancing years ago.  But that’s changed.  Today, erotic ballroom dances have grown in popularity, like the tango, samba, and salsa.

Sultry dances like these define ballroom dancing today.  A person can investigate a ballroom competition on TV, and immediately understands that present-day ballroom dancing includes overtly sexual, vulgar expressions.

Eroticism of Ballroom Dancing
Ballroom dances such as the tango and salsa are erotic.  In other words, they arouse sexual desire.

Dr. Edward A. Dreyfus, a Clinical Psychologist, wrote an article for SelfhelpMagazine.com in which he uses ballroom dancing to teach lessons on intimacy and sexuality.  In the article, he has a section titled “The Dance Of Sex” and says “Love-making is similar to ballroom dancing” (http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sex/sexther1.html).

On SalsaCrazy.com, one lady describes her fascination with Salsa by saying, “I've made the remark to my non-salsa friends that it is like having ‘safe’ sex, I mean really fantastic sex” (http://www.salsacrazy.com/faq.htm).

In Broowaha, an online citizen newspaper, Joan W wrote an article titled “The Dirty Little Secret of Ballroom Dance.”  In it she says,“It’s dirty little secret is that men do ballroom dance for sex and money and women do it to get a husband.  . . .  With more than a dozen women for every male, the odds favor the men.  Men quickly figure it out and soon sleep with every woman there. . . .” (http://sf.broowaha.com/article.php?id=2840).

Of course some people disagreed with the article, but some people responded very honestly, revealing truths we should know about ballroom dancing.

One respondent said, “I'd heard that about ballroom.  It even looks sleazy on TV.”

Another person said, “I agree with Joan.  Over the years it sure seems the male teachers and male dancers had an affair with every woman at the dances. . . .”

Another person responded, expressing the reaction most men would receive from their wives if they wanted to start ballroom dancing.  “When Dancing With The Stars first came out I asked my wife if ballroom was something she was interested in us doing.  She gave me that long cool direct look she had so perfected many years ago and flatly and dryly said, ‘I catch you doing that ballroom dancing and you’ll be lucky if all I break is your leg. . . .’”

Perverts At Ballroom Dances
You expect to see perverts watching erotic dances, and that’s exactly the case with ballroom dancing.

Jean Kim, with the Harvard Medical Area Ballroom Dance Club, wrote an article on etiquette titled “Simple Rules of Ballroom Dance Etiquette.”

Writing about do nots for men, Jean has a section titled “The Pervert” and says:  “Wandering hands, indiscreet stares, stalking, unwanted advances, men who circle the dance floor checking out women and the list of lecherous behavior goes on and on and on.  You know who you are. You are fooling yourself if you think that we don’t (Simple Rules of Ballroom Dance Etiquette, Jean Kim, Harvard Medical Area Ballroom Dance Club, http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~hma-bdc/).

Swing Dancing
Although swing dancing is technically categorized as ballroom dancing, I often hear it referred to differently, as a dance popular with young people today.  But like ballroom dancing, it has a sexual component we can’t ignore.

Swing dancing dates back to the 1920's, when people began dancing to the swing style of jazz music.

Swing dancers display fascinating feats of athleticism, but also incorporate sensual movements in the dances.  Some girls wear short dresses that fly in the air when they jump, sometimes turning flips in the air, and sometimes wrapping their legs around the boys in sexual positions.  And other girls wear tight, low cut outfits that are very revealing.

Responding to an article on swing dancing, one person reveals the sexual component to swing dancing.  “Swing is sex.  Swing is making this move fit this music at this moment.  . . .  In contras you get to flirt; in folk dances you get to posture.  In swing you get it all.  Swing isn't just sex, but what swing does is give you prolonged contact, intimate contact, with one other” (http://www.henryandjacqui.com/Essays/Couple.htm).

Christians Shouldn’t Ballroom Dance or Swing Dance
There are many reasons Christians shouldn’t ballroom dance or swing dance.  Perhaps the most prevalent reason is that the dances are sexually explicit, as indicated in comments above.  As such, Christians shouldn’t participate in the lustful and licentious activity (Rom. 6:12; 1 Jn. 2:16; 2 Cor. 12:20-21; Jude 1:4).

To Be Continued
In upcoming articles, we’ll explore other types of dancing, such as square dancing, line dancing, and high school dances.