DANCE IN WORSHIP 101

Do you wish your worship could feel more expressive and connected? This course is for anyone with an interest in dance, as well as worship teams looking to involve people of all ages. Learn how to use simple body actions to support prayer, song and Scripture in a way that feels natural and welcoming.

Course syllabus

Session 1: The Heart and Purpose of Dance in Worship

• What dance in worship is and isn’t 
• Dance as embodied worship 
• Biblical foundations, its movement is functional within the liturgy, our reflection

Session 2: Movement Vocabulary & Expressive Qualities

• Foundational movements like for instance our gesture, flow etc. 
• The art of using dance as a prayer, praise, etc
• Exploring expressions of Celebratory, Homiletic etc. 
• Guided practice and creative simple movement for worship

Session 3: Dance within the Liturgical Flow

• Mapping the worship service 
• How to add dance movement naturally in a liturgical worship service? 
• Where can dance movement naturally fit at the Call to Worship? etc. 
• How dance helps the congregation “see” Scripture and glimpse the Creator? 
• Small group activity

Session 4: Creating a Simple Worship Offering

• Principles of choreography for worship 
• Ministering vs performing — cultivating a posture of the heart 
• Preparing and presenting a short worship movement piece (solo or group) 
• Reflection circle: How movement deepened my experience of worship 
• Closing prayer of dedication

This workshop is for

Individuals with a heart of worship and no prior experience is required.

Prerequisites

Anyone 18 years old and above.
Any medical conditions to be made known to us at the point of registration.

Course highlights

• Participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of Dance in Worship
• It will feature hands-on activities and opportunities for participants to dance along with worship songs using tambourine, a pair of twirl streamers to form patterns and simple dance steps

Course duration

4 weeks (4 weekly lessons)

Class Size

Min 8, max. 10 participants

About the instructor

Emily Ann Palaruan, fondly called Teacher Ann, is a seasoned dance pedagogue, trainer, mentor and choreographer. With a deep passion for cultural, communal and liturgical dance, she has worked across diverse genres and with dancers of all ages and nationalities. For over 25 years, she has used dance as a means of outreach and formation, working with minorities, people with special needs and faith communities. A sought-after speaker and trainer, she has led workshops on Creative Dance Outreach, Dance in Worship, and Communal Dances across Europe, Africa and ASEAN.

Date: April 4, 11, 18, 25, 2026

Time: 10:30am-12:30pm

Venue: Methodist School of Music

Cost: S$288 (incl. GST)

Click here to register (registration closes March 14, 2026 or whenever the class is full).

About the organiser:
The Methodist School of Music is a member of the Methodist Schools network. MSM was founded in 1997 as an agency of the Methodist Church in Singapore and is registered with the Ministry of Education.

Its three-fold thrust is to:

• Nurture individuals regardless of race or religion, towards musical excellence;
• Contribute towards the development of music in Singapore and the region;
• Equip Christians for the needs of the music ministry.

Its goal is to equip and edify both the individual and the church through music and the performing arts.