Dance does not often leave behind clearly identifiable physical artifacts that last over millennia, such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave paintings. It is not possible to say when dance became part of human culture. Dance has certainly been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Archeology delivers traces of dance from prehistoric times such as the 9,000 year old Bhimbetka rock shelters paintings in India and Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from circa 3300 BC.

 There are several elements which make up dance. Representive of body movements, such as the head, neck, eye, hands, legs and such. As I see and have researched dance like music it can impower the mind in several ways. First being is the basic motive of the dance like all things it can be in worship. The pureness of the heart is the key to Christian or Litergical dance as a worship tool.

As God created music so the dance is the expression of the music of the soul. Some ancient dance forms deal with the beauty of the body. The devil has used this tool as he has music to introduce sexual acts which we can find in the word of God dealing with the beheading of John the Baptist. Dance the enemy uses is through emotion and the natural senses of man.  Worship of the Lord Jesus Christ goes beyond emotion and roots in a persons very being it is through the Purity of the soul.  The "WORSHIP"  dance is done with the expression of thanksgiving to our Lord who created us in His own image.  It goes far beyond any ritual or ceremony, celebration or entertainment it reaches out the the Almighty God through the spiritual  expression of ones thanksgiving and love from the inward man, not the outward man, from the spiritual not the worldly and flesh.  It is not mystical rather offered up to God as a scarific of praise and adoration.

David was known as the "man after God's own heart." The fact that David danced before the Lord shows that God does not disapprove of dancing. David "danced before the Lord with all his might," which shows that worshiping God should be joyous and touch a person emotionally. Connecting with God should cause a person to leap with joy. Being in the presence of God should be a meaningful and momentous experience. The key is God's heart....David danced before the Lord and as a man after God's own heart it is very clear that when one is in the presence of the Lord how can one be still? The story of David dancing provides insight into the "man after God's own heart." David was a warrior and a shepherd. He was the king of Israel. He made mistakes and bad choices with dire consequences along the way, and yet the Bible consistently points to David as an example of what God wants us to be like. David did not care about appearances. He loved the Lord deeply, and when he worshiped God, he did it with his whole heart.  So let us Dance as David Danced!

  Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! ... Psalm 150

praise his name in the dance -

praise him with timbrel and dance

To worship God in dance is biblical. The Bible commends it (Psalm 149:3; 150:4). Scripture gives many references to the use of dance as a form of joyous celebration and of reverent worship.

David's dance before the Lord is described in 2 Samue16:14. This passage of Scripture may rank as one of the most misunderstood accounts in the Old Testament. Some seem to think that David danced practically in the nude before the Lord. But read the account in 2 Samuel 6 carefully: "And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod." It doesn't exactly sound like David was naked, does it) An ephod was a close-fitting, armless outer vest commonly extending down to the hips. In Old Testament times it was used almost exclusively as a priestly garment and worn in connection with the worship of God. David was not naked when he danced before the Lord; he was instead dressed for worshipping God.

David's leaping and dancing before the Lord was expressive of joy and praise to God. David's dancing (described in 2 Samuel 6:14) was a form of religious rejoicing, an expression of joy on the occasion of the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. King David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouting and with trumpets, and David danced before the Lord. He took the place of a slave at the head of the procession to express honor to Jehovah God. His willingness to be the Lord's bondslave shows the true purpose and intent of his worship.

Michal, King david's wife, not understanding her husband's motive, and thinking he had lowered himself before the people, reproached him bitterly, and despised him in her heart. But David's motive for rejoicing was pure.  We are called to worship in Spirit and truth.  With that in mind the worship of dance to our Lord must be done as David with rejoicing with a PURE heart asking God to LISTEN to ones heart.

   Lets look more at Litergical DANCE

Ancient dance of Eygpt and Greek

Ancient dance of Persia and the other Ancient cultures

References

Adams D. (1975) Involving the People in Dancing Worship: Historic and Contemporary Patterns. Austin: Sharing.

Adams, D. (1980) Congregational Dancing in Christian Worship. Austin: Sharing.

Adams, D. ed. (1978) Dancing Christmas Carols. Saratoga: Resource.

Adams D. & Apostolos-Cappadona, D. eds. (1990) Dance as Religious Studies. New York: Crossroad.

Brooke, C. (1971) Medieval Church and Society. London: Sidgwick & Jackson.

Clark, M. & Crisp, C. (1981) The History of Dance. New York: Crown.

Daniels, M. (1981) The Dance in Christianity: A History of Religious Dance through the Ages. New York: Paulist.

Davies, J. G. (1984) Liturgical Dance. London: SCM.

Fallon, D. J. & Wolbers, M. J. eds. (1982) Focus on Dance X: Religion and Dance. Virginia: A.A.H.P.E.R.D.

Gagne, R., Kane, T. & Ver Eecke, R. (1984) Dance in Christian Worship. Washington: Pastoral

Kraus, R. & Chapman, S. (1981) History of the Dance in Art and Education. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Taylor, M. F. (1976) A Time to Dance. Austin: Sharing.