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“Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and the harp.” Psalm 149:3.

The Grace Moravian Praise Dance team was formed in January 2003 and has been a vibrant part of the church’s ministry since then. The group was formed during the tenure of Rev. Leon H. Matthias. The dancers had their debut performance on February 23, 2003 during the worship service as T’keyah Dennis, Ashley Morrison, Shantel Isaac and Fiona Riley danced to Kirk Franklyn’s “Lean on Me”. Lyndace Greene and Lilly Smith choreographed the dance. In September of 2004, they presented their first full length concert entitled “I surrender All”.

Over the years, the group has performed at many churches and at various cultural activities. During that time they have experienced some personnel changes, but thanks to God, they are still able to minister to others through dance.

For the group, praise dance is a form of celebration and honor to God. Several places in the Bible make reference to the use of dance as a form of worship. The earliest mention of this is recorded in Exodus when the nation of Israel had just crossed the red sea. In Exodus 15:20, we are told that “…Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances”.

The Praise Dancers are aware that the foundation of any praise dance ministry must first be rooted in a personal relationship with God. Praise dance for them represents a message of witness, worship and honor as they reach out to help the young and the old. The dancers recognize that to minister to God’s people fervently and effectively, they require technical and spiritual training. A truly ordained praise dancer must dance with a clear message of salvation, deliverance, divine power, joy and favor. Dancers must be willing to learn techniques and have a spiritual understanding of who God is, thus preparing them to learn how to minister God’s word through dance.