Lord of the Dance..
October 08, 2003 at 7:41 PM

I hate to be sick. I hate feeling yucky, and tired and worthless. And I hate sitting here at home when I know I could be doing something worthwhile, but I'm too tired, and have no energy to do anything but sit here and check email. So, since I'm pretty much stuck here, feeling like poo...I'm gonna talk about this cool vision I had a few days ago, because I haven't had the oppurtunity to explain it to any one in detail.

John and I want to do this song called "Lord of the Dance" at church, so we programmed it for the week before Christmas. It's the best song...Cool funky beats, great guitar, awesome backups, great message...EVERYTHING. So since I LOVE the song so much, I was just listening to it on Sunday night. And I got this cool picture in my head of little kids dancing all around, and teens, and adults all dancing together. I saw people running with those ribbon wand things, and just this big beautiful scene...

The song would start out with just John singing, standing down on the floor in front of everyone (as opposed to up on the stage...I think everyone should be much closer to the congregation so they feel like a part of the whole dance.)

He'll sing almost the whole verse with just him alone. Towards the end of the verse, he says the words, "I started to dance..." And that is when I see two young girls come from opposite sides of the room kind of skipping and prancing. ((carrying the ribbon wands) They'll pass each other, and make their way to the other side of the room. It happens very quickly, and then John gets into the second verse by himself again.

Towards the end of the verse, he'll sing, "and find the longing deep inside of me..." and that's when two older kids, maybe teens, along with the two younger kids will come out and dance through the whole chorus, ("I am the heart, I need the heartbeat. I am the eyes, I need the sight. I realize that I am just a body, I need the life. I move my feet, I go through the motions, but who'll give purpose to chance. I am the dancer, I need the Lord of the dance...") then leave off to the side again.

The next words, "The world beneath us spins in circles, and this life makes us twist and turn and sway. But we were made for more than a rhythm with no reason, by the One who moves with passion and with grace..." And on this next line, "As He dances over all that He has made!" All the dancers (I think I would like there to be maybe 15 or 20 total) will come running out from everywhere, completely circling the congregation. They'll dance the entire chorus on the sides, in the back and in front of the auditorium. He ends the chorus shouting "Lord of the dance!" And I want everyone right then to throw their arms in the air and spin around fast while the music and drums get louder and louder.

Then it goes into the next part where all the music comes down and all the dancers will slowly dance in a big circle around the auditorium, holding hands.

At the end of that, he sings loudly, "I will get down on my knees and I will pray!" Everyone at the same time will fall onto their knees, with their hands in the air. Then into the chorus again, they'll jump back up onto their feet and all of their dancing will be loud and passionate, and deliberate, getting stronger with each word, as the song comes to it's climax. The last chorus, and the last time he says "You are the Lord of the Dance..." Everyone will slowly make their way up the the front, following each other in a line. They'll continue doing a few simple motions all together as the singers all sing the fun "na na na's" that started the song out. On the last na na na's of the song, John will slow way way down, and each dancer will, in time with what he says, melt down to almost a sitting position. And that will be the end...

Also, during the choruses, especially the two most powerful ones at the end, I see little kids, not dancing with the rest, but running around with those ribbons on a wand... Maybe if we have enough people that can, they can do flips and rolls down the aisles. That would just add so much to the energey of the song.

My vision for the whole dance is very passionate, and joyful. Lots of skipping, jumping, spinning. I want people to really feel the song. To feel what I feel and see what I see when I listen to it. Just hearing the song is so moving and powerful, but I want them to SEE the song as well.

If we can do this...it will be so powerful...

Here are all the lyrics to the song, so that hopefully it will make more sense. But just the words alone aren't enough. You have to hear the passion in the music and the voice to really understand how powerful it can be...

Lord of the Dance

On the bank of the Tennessee River

In a small Kentucky town

I drew my first breath one cold November morning

And before my feet even touched the ground

With the doctors and the nurses gathered ´round

I started to dance

I started to dance

A little boy full of wide-eyed wonder

Footloose and fancy free

But it would happen, as it does for every dancer

That I´d stumble on a truth I couldn´t see

And find a longing deep inside of me, it said . . .

I am the heart, I need the heartbeat

I am the eyes, I need the sight

I realize that I am just a body

I need the life

I move my feet, I go through the motions

But who´ll give purpose to chance

I am the dancer

I need the Lord of the dance

The world beneath us spins in circles

And this life makes us twist and turn and sway

But we were made for more than rhythm with no reason

By the one who moves with passion and with grace

As He dances over all that He has made

I am the heart, He is the heartbeat

I am the eyes, He is the sight

And I see clearly, I am just a body

He is the life

I move my feet, I go through the motions

But He gives purpose to chance

I am the dancer

He is the Lord of the dance

Lord of the dance

Lord of the dance

And while the music of His love and mercy plays

I will fall down on my knees and I will pray

I am the heart, You are the heartbeat

I am the eyes, You are the sight

And I see clearly, I am just a body

You are the life

I move my feet, I go through the motions

But You give purpose to chance

I am the dancer

You are the Lord of the dance

I am the dancer

You are the Lord of the dance

-Steven Curtis Chapman