We all know that music has the power to make us move -- whether it be clapping our hands, patting our feet or swinging around in a circle.
The word "dance" and its various forms are found twenty-seven times in the Word of God.
The dances of the Bible can be divided into categories. Let us notice each of these.
Figurative or Symbolic Dancing:
"Dance" sometimes stands for a happy way of life marked by joy, prosperity and contentment.
Examples from Scriptures:
"Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever" (Psalms 30:11).
"Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow" (Jeremiah 31:13).
"The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning" (Lamentations 5:15).
It is clear that "dancing" in these passages refers to the whole tenor of life, reflecting a life of joy and blessing just as "mourning" calls to mind gloom and despair. This understanding sheds some new light on Solomon's familiar words.
"
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
Exuberant Dancing:
Many of the Old Testament references to dancing convey little more than a jumping for joy and a gleeful, energetic celebration.
"And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea" (Exodus 15:20-21).
"And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter" (Judges 11:34).
"And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music" (1 Samuel 18:6).
"And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet" (2 Samuel 6:14-15).
It is clear that each of these verses describes a great celebration by the children of Israel: Miriam led the women in singing and dancing after God destroyed the Egyptian army by the same water he parted to save Israel; Jephthah's only daughter rejoiced to see her father return from his battles and celebrated his homecoming; the Israelite women sang and danced when their men returned from the war against the Philistines; David danced "with all his might" when he was able to return the ark of the covenant to the people of God.
While these dances were accompanied by music, it is certain that their spirit was far removed from that of the modern dance.
Religious Dancing:
Although we are not entirely happy with the label we have given this classification, it may serve to describe the dances offered in praise of the God of Israel by his people of long ago. Under the Law of Moses the Hebrews were commanded to praise God with song, instruments of music and dancing. Notice these passages from the Book of Psalms, the songbook of ancient Israel.
"Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp" (Psalms 149:3).
"Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs" (Psalms 150:4).
The nature of these "religious dances" is not entirely certain. It may well be that the enthusiastic leaping of David and the heart-felt dance of Miriam, along with similar celebrations, would be included in this category. No one could witness a gala affair without learning that the cause for joy was the power of Almighty God.
Still, these two points must be kept in mind as we consider these passages from the Psalms. [1] Whatever these dances to the praise of God may have been, we can be certain as to what they were not! Surely, no one would argue that these dances were in any way comparable to the sensual gyrations of the modern dance. [2] New Testament Christians realize that the Law of Moses was nailed to the Cross (Colossians 2:14).
Worldly or Sensual Dancing:
Indeed, the Bible does describe what may happen when men and women dance.
And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. And the Lord said to Moses, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves" (Exodus 32:6-7).
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp." But he said: "It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing I hear." So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain" (Exodus 32:17-19).
Look at one more passage, this time from the New Testament...
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleaness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21).
Take a good, close look at that word "lasciviousness". If you are reading from the New King James, your Bible talks about "lewdness." Other translations have "sensuality" (NASB), "debauchery" (NIV), "licentiousness" (RSV and NRSV) or "shameful deeds" (CEV). What is lasciviousness? Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon defines it as "filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females." It was a word used by the Apostle Paul to denote behavior that is basically sensual in nature.
"They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God!"
Another "work of the flesh" in Galatians 5 is komos, translated "revellings" in the King James Version ("revelries" in NKJV, "carousing" in the NASB, "orgies" in the NIV and "carry on at wild parties" in the CEV). The word was most often used in connection with drinking.
Let us resolve that we are going to be bound by God's Word.
If these words describe the behavior and activity that may take place at a Homecoming Dance or high school prom, why would the child of God want to place his/her soul at risk? And knowing the importance of Christian influence, why would he or she want to be a stumblingblock to others?
Conclusion:
It is not always easy to be different or to reject that which the world so eagerly embraces. Nor is it always easy to follow where Jesus leads.
"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do things that you wish" (Galatians 5:16-17).
but anyways.no dancing is not wrong, except dirty dancing of course. hec i wish i could dance, probably couldn't do it to save my life!!! 
