Shaker Dance

In 1774 Ann Lee, a visionary (latter to be known as Mother Ann), and eight other members of the society left for New York to avoid persecution. It was there that their dances led to them being known as "Shakers".

A principal concept was that a simple and aesthetic life mirrored heaven on earth. Other deeply held beliefs were celibacy, pacifism, communal ownership of material possessions, equality of all people and the confession of sins.

The Shakers were an inventive and innovative community of people and they strove to make life and work easier. But it was hardwork and the search for beauty expressed through simplicity that dominated their lives and worship.

The brethren raised money for their communities through activities such as selling seeds and herbs, making spinning wheels, men and womens' clothing and fancy wooden boxes.The furniture they produced has since become world renowned. Communities often raised livestock, and grew vegetables, fruit and grain crops.

Since the Shakers did not believe in marriage or sexual relations children had to come from outside the community to replenish the member numbers. Sometimes families joined and brought their children with them. Orphans or children whose parents couldn't look after them were sometimes adopted. At the age of twenty-one young people had the choice to stay in the community or to leave.

Children enjoyed an excellent education. Some lessons were taught in song so that they were easier to remember - a teaching method which is only just coming back into practise in many parts of the world.

Sacred dance was the climax of Shaker worship at a time when dance was considered to be immoral by many Christian churches. Originally the worshippers expressed themselves through inspirational dance They felt themselves inspired by the spirit to twirl,twist, leap into the air and fall to the ground. They would whirl fast propelling themselves in circles by having one foot stepping round the other. This all seems very similar to the Sufi dervish dances. This whirling continued for 10-15 minutes, sometimes for as long as 40 minutes until the spirit left the dancer.

This style of dance was abandoned by the early nineteenth century. The Shaker dances which followed were orderly and had set choreography. Men and women came into the Meeting House through separate entrances and performed dances which had names such as Double Square, Mother's Star, and Square and Compass. The Shakers truly understood the inspirational power and meaning of dance in worship.

J.G. Davies in "A Shaker Dance Service Reconstructed" explains how they justified the use of dance in worship.

1. The physical motions add a greater dimension to the expression of prayer.

2. Since Shaker dancing is due to the direct operation of the Holy Spirit, it is a gift of God and his gifts are to be used, not neglected.

3. Worship should not be passive but active, and this means that not only the tongue and vocal cords but the whole of one's body should be dedicated to the praise of God.

4. Congregational dancing both expresses and renders more profound that unity or cooperation that should characterize God's people. Such dancing allows for the recognition and consecration of natural apptitudes and skills and it affirms the equality of the sexes."

In "By Shaker Hands" the author Sprigg writes

"Every member moved to feel the presence of God in his own spontaneous way, whether whirling like a dervish or shaking mightily."

Mother Anne's sucessor Joseph Meacham was told through divine revelation to change the form of the dance. "What was originally an involuntary emotion is now repeated as a voluntary duty" claimed Meacham. Perhaps it was felt that a more structured dance better reflected the orderliness of community life. He introduced the ordered ceremony called "laboring". "Square Check Tune" accompanied an intricately structured square dance learned in 1837 in a vision by Ann Maria Goff. It was only taught to those who moved quickly and lightly. The tune "Come Dance and Sing" received in 1838 accompanied a spirited round dance. "Quick Dance" lasted from 1811 into the 1870's and was a development from an inspirational form into a dance of the circular laboring category.

Early dances included the Square Order Shuffle and the Quick Step Manner. The most famous Shaker dance song is "Simple Gifts".The Square Order Shuffle was danced very solemnly with a forward and backwards movement of the ranks. The brethren and sisters formed separate groups. Solemnly shuffling towards and away from each other, taking three paces each way, forward and back, with a double step and an occasional "tip-tap" during the turn. All the dances were community dances.

Here is an annonymous account of the dance from "Living Among the Shakers,"1843 "Thither they (the dancers) proceeded in perfect order and solemn silence. Each had on thin dancing shoes; and on entering the door of the hall they walked on tip-toe, and took up their positions as follows: the brothers formed a rank on the right, and the sisters on the left, facing each other, about five feet apart.

After all were in their proper places the Chief Elder stepped into the center of the space, and gave an exhortation for about five minutes, concluding with an invitation to them all to "go forth, old men, young men and maidens, and worship God with all their might in the dance". Accordingly they "went forth", the men stripping off their coats and remaining in their shirt-sleeves.

First they formed a procession and marched around the room in double-quick time, while four brothers and sisters stood in the center singing for them. After marching in this manner until they got a little warm, they commenced dancing, and continued it until they were pretty well tired.

During the dance the sisters kept on one side, and the brothers on the other, and not a word was spoken by any of them. After they appeared to have had enough of this exercise, the Elder gave the signal to stop, when immediately each one took his or her place in an oblong circle formed around the room, and all waited to see if anyone had received a "gift", that is, an inspiration to do something odd. Then two of the sisters would commence whirling round like a top, with their eyes shut; and continued this motion for about fifteen minutes; when they suddenly stopped resumed their places, as steady as if they had never stirred..."

The Shakers believed that the dance was so important because it liberated the soul and invited the temporary possession of the indiviual by inspirational spiritual energies from another dimension. They tried to create a Utopia and to find answers to difficult problems and in so doing created religious communities which lasted for more than 200 years.


DANCE TO HEALTH-HELP YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD THROUGH IMPROVISATIONAL DANCE - is an instantly downloadable e-book written by an experienced Dance Movement Therapist. She aims to encourage the parents of Children with Special Needs to act as Dance Movement Therapists to their children.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG DANCE TO HEALTH