#388. The 11 signs of a wicked awesome mission trip interpretative dance song.
Jun 26th by Jon(You don’t read this blog to stay on top of current events. Other than the Jon & Kate post and maybe the Michael Phelps sermon illustration post, I don’t focus on having the blog reflect the most up to date information in pop culture. And I had a guest post ready today from Mrs. Hucklebuck, which I think you’ll really love in a week or two. But it seemed foolish to ignore yesterday and I thought the best thing to do today might be to revisit a post I did about the song Michael Jackson gifted church youth groups across the country with, “Man in the Mirror.” It’s a great song and at the bare minimum, the Grammy performance at the bottom of this is worth a watch.)
The 11 signs of a wicked awesome mission trip interpretative dance song.
When I was in high school in the early 90s, I went on a mission trip to Dominica. Our youth group wanted to sing a popular song that we could also choreograph some simple dance moves to. At the time, there was a church law that you had to use one of the following three songs:
1. Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”
2. Gloria Estefan’s “Coming out of the Dark”
3. Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
So we learned Man in the Mirror and Coming out of the Dark, strung together a handful of dance moves and then proceeded to perform for the general populace of one of the Lesser Antilles. It all made sense at the time.
But times have changed. I have to believe we’ve collectively retired those three songs. Despite the 80’s love due Miss Tyler deserves, surely, we are not still singing, “Once upon a time I was falling in love, but now I’m only falling apart, there’s nothing I can do, a total eclipse of the heart.” And though I remain a firm believer that the rhythm is gonna get ya, maybe even tonight, Gloria Estefan is no longer rocking youth groups.
So what are the new songs we should be learning awkward dance steps to and performing on our mission trips? What pop culture nugget can we shine up with a mime intro and wow folks with? And most importantly, how do we make sure that the songs we do pick, will be as excellent as those three above?
We look for the 11 signs of a wicked awesome mission trip interpretative dance song:
1. The song features snapping, the easiest “dance move” ever.
2. The song has a “songversation” in the middle, where two people go back and forth, like the weird dude that just groans, “Turnaround bright eyes” in “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”
3. The song is inspired by a personal crisis like Gloria Estefan’s car crash.
4. The song includes a whistling solo that even the least talented member of your group can handle.
5. The song contains a section that’s perfect for a gospel choir to magically appear from behind a curtain.
6. The song has lyrics that practically beg for you to mime things like Jackson’s “As I, turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat, this wind is blowing my mind.”
7. The song is cheesy enough that years later when you hear it with your mission trip friends you will all immediately break into the dance routine.
8. The songwriter clearly wrote the song about his girlfriend but with some creative editing you can pretend he’s singing to God.
9. The song has a solo section for that one girl in your youth group that can just belt it out.
10. When you return from the mission trip and put together a black and white slideshow of your photos you can play the song in the background and make everyone cry.
11. The song allows you to stretch it out to 14 minutes if you need some filler while other parts of the service get ready.
How did you score? 10 for 11? 2 out of 11? And what songs are we performing these days on mission trips? I told you my three from back in the day and even included a video clip of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” In fact, I wanted you to know what you’re up against so below is his 1988 Grammy Awards performance. I don’t think we’ll ever have a better song to do an interpretative dance to, but maybe I’m wrong.
So what’s your favorite mission trip interpretative dance song?
Comments
Tom, I love that literal video version. very clever.
To Anonymous (the (cough) 'jerk' one)- You made a mistake in your original post- "We can't change, it's why we need Christ." Yes, we can change, with Christ. It's called sanctification, transformation, "by the renewing of our minds" and comes from walking with Christ and learning humility on a daily basis as we navigate this world. Christ centered instead of self centered. Something we all persevere in. Sounds like you don't need to persevere anymore, got the humility thing down real good, I might add. I actually like some things besides Jesus; my Calvinism, Man In The Mirror, my goofy youth group days,and this silly blog are few of them.
Spike: Ad hominem doesn't address the argument. It's super that you like all those things.
What did I say that was (cough) jerkish and un-humble? Did I claim to have no interests besides Christ? No, I am simply making the case for a higher view of Scripture, truth, and a higher view of God in our worship. Most American evangelicals in recent years don't sound as if they've even read the entire New Testament once.
The case needs to be made here, whether you want to hear it or not. Does it not concern you that such a high percentage of churchgoers are false converts, or do you just not agree with that? And if the 'church' is doing something to contribute to that travesty, does it not need to be addressed? Jude 3, my man.
Are you really making a theological issue out of whether we change in Christ or He changes us? That's not the point. The point is a song like that played in church implies that we change to please God — it implies a works-righteousness religion. And that leads to false conversions. I shouldn't be surprised; I expected some arguments for my comments here. I even expected to be called a jerk, though not by a self-described Calvinist. Usually Calvinists have a higher view of God to begin with.
@Anon – 2:19
"Get outside of your box and see God everywhere all the time. It's fun."
No, it's panentheism. Spoken like someone who finds the Bible and theology (the study of God) boring. Maybe you don't, but you're speaking like you do. "Outside the box" is so 1993. :eyeroll:
I think what the original poster meant was that you can see evidence of God in areas outside of the Bible, not that everything is a part of God. That by looking around/watching movies/listening to music, something can click that makes you understand God a little better. Of course, you don't have to do this to understand God, but you also don't have to attack those who do. It's difficult to make generalizations about people based on a few comments on a blog, especially when many of them are tongue-in-cheek.
backstreet boys "i want it that way" choreographed around a pool with a hands-splayed jump at the dramatic 'I WANNA HEAR YOU SAAAAAY…" moment. classic.
Anon @ 9:16
That comment hadn't posted when I made my last post. I do kind of see where you are coming from. I don't know if I would call it false converts, but maybe shallow faith. And I agree that some churches seem more concerned with putting on a show than preaching the gospel. This is probably the start to a much larger conversation, which is difficult to have in this format. There might be a better way to get your point across, though, than being so harsh to people you've never met.
Total Eclipse of the Heart is an epic song. Love how its beginning sounds nothing like its chorus.
Surprised no one has suggested Don't Stop Believin'. It could be molded by a program director into a story about a guy and girl who were "on the midnight train going anywhere", but someone led them to Christ on that train.
Also, how about Jesus Take the Wheel?
Anon- "Ad hominem doesn't address the argument." I wasn't changing the subject. My (sarcastic) point was that this isn't the type of blog to make a theology argument like "I see what's wrong with modern evangelicalism, all on display right here. :sigh:" This is an inclusive blog, not a church. There's a lot of "fun" blogs you may want to avoid.
Per Jon's original post, we were reminiscing. There's plenty of serious blogs that need you to make your "argument".
I saw a John Piper panel discussion yesterday from Advance 09, and they seemed to agree Christians should get along until asked to do something against your belief system. Light hearted discussion wouldn't qualify. In fact exposing our faith light heartedly does point out our differences gentleness, and would serve the Lord.
That reminds me- Paul asked Timothy to use gentleness with opponents, in case God granted repentence and they found the light. (2 Tim 2:24) With that in mind, I apologize for calling you a jerk. My earlier post of 'quick' sarcasm in response to your attack reminds ME why I persevere. Any clearer?
"Understanding sarcasm is a very complicated process to grasp. It is considered to be one of the last and most advanced concepts for children to comprehend. It is usually not fully understood till the age of twelve and sometimes (much, much) much later."
-Via Wikipedia, parenthesis mine.
Everyone knows that Wikipedia is the only inspired, the only infallible, authoritative word of the World Wide Web. (See what I just did there?)
To put it plainly…grow up.
Also, what's with the anonymity? You are stating/defending your faith here people. What are you afraid of, a drive-by egging by a disgruntled SCL reader? Or maybe a deluge of prayer-chain junk mail? (It was the junk mail, wasn't it? I knew it…)
I've been Mary in "Mary Did You Know?" performed by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna. We didn't perform it, but we did do what I know as a "Human Video." Miming and whatnot. But it's great, pretty hilarious when I look back on how seriously I took it as a 12 year-old. My campus Christian group did indeed perform Lifehouse's "Everything." I saw the video and had no part in the performance. I mean…a ninja comes out..seriously. It's like watching the Christian version of a young adult sensationalist novel.
Howie,
I have heard WAY too many Jr. High kids sing Jesus Take The Wheel for specials at Church… good suggestion.
I can't believe noone has suggested "Speechless" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I have seen way too many happy hands club interpretations of that song. It is perfect for a mission trip interpretive dance song!
Just about every youth convention/retreat/fine arts festival I attended in high school contained a "human video" (or interpretive dance) that involved the main character succumbing to peer pressure and then being saved by Jesus who was standing on a chair at the back of the stage being with his arms out. These videos also featured the protagonist kneeling, using flowy arm movements and his/her chest thrusting up and down to resemble sobbing.
ha, for my senior year mission trip to Belize with my church, we acted out a "Total Eclipse Of the Heart" dance to the song. To this day, I still can not bear to hear that song after performing it so many times!
So, being in a traveling drama ministry, every time we go to a church that has it's own drama team, they want to show us the newest thing they've been working on. It seems that anything by Lifehouse is popular for youth groups. If it's a drama team with older people though, sure fire bet that there's something by Casting Crowns (specifically If We are the Body) or Third Day (specifically Thief)
@Sarah Beck:
The Easter production my church did this year had the thief singing "Thief" from the cross.
And actually, it was pretty good. The show itself was decently done, the rest of the music was original, and the guy who sang while hanging on the cross had to have some serious breath control!
"
I swear" by All 4 One.
"I swear, by the moon and the stars in the sky, I'll be there" became "I know, by the Word of the Lord in my heart, He'll be there"
I've always thought "Everything I do, I do it for you" could make a terrific song from God to us. I even rewrote it years ago – just changing a couple words here & there.
To the "(cough)jerk" anon:
You are being called a jerk for using terms like "you people" and ::eyeroll:: which are dismissive, demeaning and not Christ-like.
The defense "But you're wrong and I'm right" is a childish one. Just because you think you're right doesn't mean you get to be rude.
i was in youth group seven years ago and we totally had a skit about jesus to total eclipse of the heart. it was hardcore emotional. so that now every time i hear that song for the rest of my life, i don't think, "oh, sweet 80's power ballad!" instead, i think, "oh, satan's trying to get me to sin, but jesus eventually will save me." which is a great thought, really. but it's really hard to enjoy bonnie tyler's crescendos when you're picturing jesus battling satan.
and seriously. how does a human being move their body like that?! blows my mind.