Modesty

The reason for staying modest is so that all eyes stay on the Lord rather than on the person participating in the worship. This is often the opposite of what dancers would normally expect and hence one reason for the big culture gap between dancing in the church and dancing outside the church.

It is not just dancers who need to be alert that their clothing protects their modesty everyone who is moving around whether they are using flags or ribbons needs to be aware of this issue.

Here are some things to consider

• Do your undergarments fit properly?
• Do you have sufficient undergarments i.e. leotard, tights, cullottes.
• Do you need a sports bra? Proper foundation garments that keep our uniquely female attributes from showing through and shaking free are essential.
• Is the neckline too low and revealing? Some say only close fitting round necks or even polo necks with rollover collars should be worn.
• Are sleeve lengths or openings too revealing? Some say sleeves should always be full length.
• Are blouses and tops too short when bending or stretching? Some make up for this by wearing a leotard underneath.
• Is the dress/skirt of a modest length? This normally means at least mid calf length but sometimes it can mean ankle length.
• Slits in skirts should not be cut too high.
• Garments should not creep or ride up.
• Can you retain your modesty when you bend over or spin round? One solution to this is to wear culottes under your skirt. Often in matching fabric but interesting effects can sometimes be gained by using one fabric for the skirt and a contrasting fabric for the cullottes.
• Tight fitting clothes should be avoided.
• Can you move around easily without being restricted by your clothing?

With girls it can be appropriate to encourage them to wear a swimsuit under their clothes partly to hold and flatten developing feminine features. Most children already have them and this can be an easier idea to bring up rather than wearing a sports bra.

The idea is to avoid doing anything that will become a stumbling block to anyone else. Some Christians don't like the idea of dance simply because of the clothing they associate it with, so if dancers wear modest outfits then that helps that situation.

Romans 14:12-13 says, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way". A stumbling block is "any cause of stumbling; that which forms a difficulty in one's way or which causes offence". This is why modesty is so important. Modesty is "being restrained by a sense of propriety; not forward, unpretending, free from anything suggestive of sexual impurity; moderate; not excessive, extreme, or extravagant".

The idea of modesty is not to create a form of bondage. Actually, the aim is to set us free from the things that would bind us to the world so that God can use us. Once we are free of the world, we can become a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable in his sight. Modesty allows us to be a transparent veil through which the Glory of God may brightly shine.