The choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor isn’t the only group that offers praise through performance. 

The Bible references dance in a number of places, said Linda Lang, the new co-director of the group, including Psalms. "Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp” and "Praise him with the timbrel and dance." 

“Dancing is a form of worship,” she said. “Instead of singing in the choir, we dance.” 

Lang knows about dance from the secular side of things, also. With a background in ballet, she was a dance team coach for a high school team. 

“There were tryouts, competitions, trophies and performances at high school basketball games,” she said. “Sacred dance is completely different. In church, you don’t have to be perfect. Everyone appreciates what they see. It’s a way of processing our faith.” 

The Sacred Dance ministry practices between September and May. Before each practice, the group members pray before they dance. 

“It’s an easy going feeling,” Lang said. “There’s no competition. It’s not speaking, it’s not singing, it’s showing your faith.” 

And while there may be modern movements, including a nod to ballet or even jazz, it’s not like modern dance, Lang said. 

“It’s not what you see on TV. It’s not suggestive. It’s from the heart. You don’t have to be a good dancer.” 

Sacred Dance at Westminster weaves interpretive and lyrical dance with sign language and religious music. 

“It’s about telling a story with dance,” Lang said. “We often incorporate sign language. It’s a natural movement for expression.” 

The dances are choreographed, with some moves coming from other Sacred Dance ministries, which can be viewed on the Web site http://www.tangle.com, a sort of Christian YouTube, Jones said. 

The Sacred Dance program at Westminster Presbyterian has grown over the years, from a single group just for youth to three groups that cover middle school, high school and adult. 

In the beginning, there were just five dancers. Today, there are about 20 dancers, including the group’s first male, who was urged by his sister and girlfriend to join. 

The groups dance during Sunday services three or four times a year It was the 1970s when Sacred Dance first found its way into churches, Jones said. The Ann Arbor-based Christian Dance Network helps connect dance ministries from around the state and region, offering classes and an annual Christian dance concert, she said. 

“There’s such variety in the Christian dance community. “People can use any style of dance, but all the dances have an element of interpretative movement.” 

It can be lyrical interpretive, ballet, jazz or even hip hop, she said. 

“No matter who you are, what your background is or where you are form, Sacred Dance shows how we can all worship Christ.”