Although it may seem like a very novel idea, dancing has been a part of church services and gatherings for ages.
“Dance has always been featured in the scriptures,” says Linda Telesco, the director and choreographer for Spirit Dance, a group that performs what Telesco calls “liturgical dance.”
“In the Bible, it says that people sing and dance,” Telesco explained last week. “Religious dance is an ancient practice. It’s definitely not a new idea. It’s like being in a choir, although instead of the message being in song, it’s expressed in dance. In meditation, dance is the equivalent of music. It’s an expression through movement. Although many people don’t realize it, there are all kinds of religious dance groups. It’s like prayer, only more interpretive and expressive.”
Telesco will bring her group to Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church, located on 80th Street and Kennedy Boulevard, today [Sunday] at 3 p.m. for the performance of “Darkness Into Light,” an Advent Meditation in dance, music and scripture.
The three-part program explores the Biblical stories of Advent through dance, dramatic movement, music and scripture. It’s also an interactive program that invites the audience to get involved from time to time.
Advent is the month-long celebration that acts as a precursor to the Christmas holiday season. Spirit Dance will perform such recognized stories as “The Magi” and “Silent Night.”
“We are all trained dancers,” said Telesco, a North Arlington resident who has been a trained dancer since she was 10 years old. “All of us have backgrounds in ballet and modern dance. And the group is interfaith. We are not ecumenical. We are open to all various faiths, although we are Christian based.”
Still, the idea may startle some people.
“It may take some getting acquainted to,” Telesco said. “But it’s the kind of dance that will capture your interest.”
Telesco said that she has always had strong faith, growing up as a Roman Catholic.
“I used to hear the music in church and wanted to dance to it,” Telesco said. “I loved the music and imagined what it would be like to dance. I know other dancers say the same thing.”
Telesco said that she trained with many prestigious organizations, like the Martha Graham Studio of Modern Dance in New York, as well as the New Jersey School of Ballet. She even performed with several companies, like the Brooklyn Lyric Opera Ballet.
“But at the same time, I started thinking about doing choreography,” Telesco said. “I then told someone that I wanted to do dance in a religious group and that’s how Spirit Dance started, with just a few of my friends.”
Getting around
Although Spirit Dance has a very hectic schedule, performing 16 times during the month alone, dancing is not Telesco’s main occupation. She is a freelance writer, doing a lot of advertising work, and she also works for the SMA Fathers religious organization.
“We are obviously very busy during Advent,” Telesco said. “We do a lot of the major religious events, but we also do organization dedications, women’s organization meetings, prayer services. We do keep very busy.”
Telesco said that she is also teaching workshops for other people, especially young people, to get involved with liturgical dance.
“These are people who are not trained dancers, but feel safe in our environment,” Telesco said.
If Telesco were an outsider, what would she recommend as a reason that people would want to see a Spirit Dance performance?
“People hear about us dancing in church and really wonder what it’s all about,” Telesco said. “They can’t envision it. And it is hard to imagine. I think if people come and see it, that they would be pleasantly surprised. There are more ways to look at religion than just music and scripture.”
The performance is free, but donations are appreciated. The church is located at 8016 Kennedy Blvd. It can be reached at 869-7244. Telesco can be reached at 997-6767.