Library

The Sacred Dance Guild maintains an extensive listing of sacred dance resources of books and videos (and for SDG Facilitators – published articles). Gathering these resources in one location is an invaluable contribution to a broader understanding of dance as a sacred art.

Is there a resource you are looking for that you cannot find here? The SDG may be able to help you find it. Do you know of a resource that you think should be added to our library? Please email res@sacreddanceguild.org.

About the Library

The SDG is happy to provide this listing as a service to help interested individuals discover resources on sacred dance which they can then source independently online or from their local library or bookstore.  Links will be included where possible.

  • This library is a listing only; it does not reproduce or distribute any of the resources listed here. Generally the listing indicates author/creator name, the name of the publication/material and the year – if known or provided.  In some instances publishers are noted as well. 
  • The SDG respects international copyright laws and practices.
  • The SDG does not maintain a physical library of these resources for consulting or lending.
  • The SDG does not guarantee that these resources are still available; many are out of print.
  • The SDG is not responsible for the content or the ongoing existence of external websites
  • The Library is “grouped” by:
    • Books/Videos/Articles by Sacred Dance Guild Certified Facilitators (including Honorary Members),
    • Books/Videos by Sacred Dance Guild members (both present and past) and
    • Other reading/viewing recommended by the Sacred Dance Guild members 
  • Those who are known to have danced on are marked with an asterisk *
  • To SEARCH text on the page – use  Control F or Command F. 

Library

Enjoying the graceful movements of Persian dance during class at Festival 2012.
Enjoying the graceful movements of Persian dance during class at Festival 2012.

Browse the library by group:

Sacred Dance Guild Facilitators/Honorary Members

Barratt, Claire Elizabeth

Beckman, Betsey

  • A Retreat with Our Lady, Dominic and Ignatius: Praying with Our Bodies
  • The Dancing Word: Mary Magdalene, Vision Video, 2010

Bryant, Sylvia Buck

DeSola, Carla,

Froehlich, Helena

  *Halprin, Anna

Reed, Carlynn

  • And We Have Danced: A History of the Sacred Dance Guild 1958-1978

Saumaa, Hiie

Snowber, Celeste

Walter, Carla Stalling

Winton-Henry, Cynthia

Zehr, Leslie 

  • The Alchemy of Dance: Sacred Dance as a Path to the Universal Dancer, 2nd Edition, 2018
  • La Alquimia del Baile: el baile sagrado como un camino hacia la bailarina universal, 2017
  • Zehr, Leslie, and Cosima Lukashevich. The Sacred Art of Dance Journal, 2017.

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Sacred Dance Guild Members – Past (now Deceased*) and Present

*Adams, Doug & Anne Adams, Dancing the Christmas Carols
Alessi, Alito & Karen Nelson, Common Ground: Dance & Disability

Blessin, Ann Marie, Sacred Dance with Physically and Mentally Handicapped, Sharing Company, 1982

*Fisher, Constance & Doug Fisher, Dancing With Early Christians, Sharing Company, 1983
*Fisher, Constance, Dancing Festivals of the Church Year, Sharing Company, 1986
*Fisher, Constance, Dancing the Old Testament: Christian Celebrations of Israelite Heritage for Worship and Education, Sharing Company, 1980
*Fisher, Constance, Dancing with the Early Christians, Sharing Company, 1983
*Fisher, Constance, Music and Dance in the Worship Program of the Church, Sharing Company, 1981

Gottlieb, Robert, Circles-Cycles Kathak Dance
Grauer, Rhoda, Dancing in One World, Thirteen/WNET and RM Arts, 1993
Grauer, Rhoda, Lord of the Dance, Thirteen/WNET and RM Arts, 1993
Gravath, Paul, Khmer Court Dance: Cambodian Royal Court Dance, MCM Video/DVD

*Intravaia, Toni, And We Have Danced, Vol. 2: A History of the Sacred Dance Guild 1978-1994, 1994
*Intravaia, Toni, And We Have Danced, Vol. 3: A History of the Sacred Dance Guild 50th Anniversary, 2008
Kane, Thomas A., The Dancing Church of the South Pacific, Paulist Press, 1998
Kane, Thomas, Dancing Church: Video Impressions of the Church in Africa, Liturgy Training Publications
Kast, Maggie, The Crack between the Worlds: A Dancer’s Memoir of Loss, Faith and Family, 2001
Kujda, Jason, Glorious! Instructional Dance Video in Hip-Hop Style, Worship Steps
Kirk, Martha Ann, Her Wings Unfurled, The Loretto Spirituality Network, 1990
Kirk, Martha Ann, Mexican and Native American Dances in Christian Worship and Education, 1981

*Mihelick, Kathryn; Shearer, Andrea Tecza: Sole to Soul – A Sacred Dance Journey, 2019,
*Mihelick, Kathryn, What We Do and Why We Do It

Porter, Phil, What the Body Wants: From the Creators of Interplay, Northstone, 2004

Rock, Judith & Norman Rock, Performer as Priest and Prophet, 1988

Sherman, Deena Bess, Liturgical Dance, Express Press, 2006
Sherman, Deena, Liturgical Dance: Practical Guide to Dancing in Worship, 2004
*Sonen, Pat, Using Movement Creatively in Religious Education,  1963

*Taylor Doane, Margaret & Jeannine Doane, Soul to Sole With Seniors, Jump for Joy Publishing, 2005
*Taylor Doane, Margaret, Dramatic Dance With Children in Education and Worship, 1977
*Taylor, Margaret & Doug Adams, Look Up and Live: Dance in Prayer and Meditation, Sharing Company, 1980
*Taylor, Margaret Fisk & Doug Fisk Taylor, A Time to Dance, Sharing Company, 1967
*Taylor, Margaret, Children Dancing Today’s Challenges: Dances for Religious Growth in Supportive Groups, Sharing Company, 1995
*Taylor, Margaret, Considerations for Starting and Stretching Sacred Dance Choirs, Sharing Company, 1978
*Taylor, Margaret, Creative Movement: Steps Towards Understanding, Sharing Company, 1979
*Taylor, Margaret, Hymns in Action for Everyone from 9 to 90 Dancing Today, Sharing Company, 1985, 

Tucker, JoAnne & Susan Tucker, Torah in Motion: Creating Dance Midrash, A.R.E. Publishing, Inc., 1990

Tyler, Connie Pwll Walck, Dancing the Deep Hum, Deep Hum Productions, 2008

Wellford, Jane, Moving Liturgy, Dance in Christian Worship
Weyman, Gloria & Lucien, Deiss, Liturgical Dance, ISBN 1584590025
Weyman, Gloria & Lucien Deiss, Liturgical Dance, ISBN 937690406

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Other Resources Recommended by SDG Members

Amoss, Pamela, Coast Salish Spirit Dancing: The Survival of an Ancestral Religion,1978
Anderson, Gary, Time to Mourn, A Time to Dance: The Expression of Grief and Joy in Israelite Religion, 
      1991
Andes, Karen, Woman’s Book of Power: Using Dance to Cultivate Energy and Health in Mind, Body and
      Spirit, 1998
Andrews, Edward, Gift to be Simple: Songs, Dances, and Rituals of American Shakers
Apostolos-Cappadona, Diane, History of Symbolic Movement in Worship, Sharing Company, 1999
Artress, Lauren,   Riverhead Books

Bach, Anne, Ancient Fertility Dances of the Middle East
Baker-Fletcher, Karen, Dancing with God: The Trinity from a Womanist Perspective, 2006, 
Banks, David, Trance and Dance in Malaya: The Hindu-Buddhist Complex in Northwest Malay Folk Religion, 1976
Barrere, Dorothy & Marion Kelly, Hula Historical Perspectives, 1997
Bellamak, Lu, Non-Judgmental Sacred Dance: Simple Ways to Pray in Dance, 1984, 
Bilderback, Carolyn, Gatherings from a Dancer’s Journal, 1992
Blogg, Martin, Dance and the Christian Faith, 1985
Buck, Dorothy, The Dance of Life, 1987
Butler, Stephanie, My Body is the Temple, 2002

Calcaterra, Anita-Christina & Cathy Moore, Belly Dancing the Sacred Shapes with the Goddess,  2003
Carter, Sydney, Lord of the Dance, 1998
Chaiklin, Sharon & Hilda Wengrower, Art and Science of Dance and Movement Therapy: Life is Dance, 2009, 
Chaiklin, Sharon & Marian Chace, Foundations of Dance-Movement Therapy: The Life and Work of Marian Chace, 1993
Chew, Joella, Awakening Sacred Dance Through Spirituals and Scripture, 1987
Chodorow Smallwood, Joan & B. Govine, What is Dance Therapy, Really?, 1972
Classen, E. & E. Backman, Religious Dances in the Christian Church and in Popular Medicine
Cohen, Selma & Cathy Matheson, Dance as a Theatre Art: Source Readings in Dance History from 1581 to the Present, 1992
Combs, Jo Anne, Christian Sacred Dance: An Ethnography of Performance
Costello, Elaine, Religious Signing: A Comprehensive Guide for All Faiths, 2009
Curry, Karen, Dancing in the Spirit: A Scriptural Study of Liturgical Dance, 2004

Dail-Jones, Megan, Culture in Motion: A Study of the Interrelationship of Dancing, Sorrowing, Hunting, and Fighting as Performed by the Warlpiri Women of Central Australia, 1984
Deiss, Lucien & Gloria Weyman, Dance for the Lord,  1975
Deiss, Lucien, Dancing for God, 1969
DeMille, Agnes, Book of the Dance, 1963
Deveaux, Marilyn, Exercising Kingdom Dominion in Dance: What Christian Dancers Bring to the Stage that Worldy Dancers Cannot,2006
Dosick, Wayne, Soul Judaism: Dancing with God into a New Era, Jewish Lights Publishing, 1999
Dowd, Irene, Taking Root to Fly, articles on functional anatomy – 1988 
Duncan, Isadora, My Life, Liveright Publishing, 1927
Dunham, Katherine, Island Possessed, University of Chicago Press, 1994
Durgaparameshwari, Sri, Yakshagana: Dance Drama of South India: Ravana

Fallon, Dennis J. & Mary Jane Wolbers, eds., Focus on Dance X: Religion and Dance, The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 1982
Fegusson, Erna, Dancing Gods: Indian Ceremonies of New Mexico and Arizona, University of New Mexico Press, 1988

Foster, Susan, Corporealities: Dancing Knowledge, Culture and Power, Routledge, 1995
Freedman, Russell, Martha Graham: A Dancer’s Life, Clarion Books, 199
Friedlander, Ira, Whirling Dervishes: Being an Account of the Sufi Order Known as the Mevelevis and Its Founder, State University of New York Press, 1992

Gagne, Ronald & Thomas Gagne, Introducing Dance in Christian Worship, Pastoral Press, 1984
Gilyard, Tara, Prophetic Dance: Communicating Divine Revelation through Movement, PublishAmerica, 2006
Gioseffi, Daniela, Earth Dancing: Mother Nature’s Oldest Rite, Stackpole Books, 1980
Goldschmidt, Matti, Bible in Israeli Folk Dance
*Graham, Martha, Notebooks of Martha Graham, Harcourt, 1973

Harrison, Susan & Debra Tyree, With Hearts and Hands and Voices: Songs with Sign Language for Sunday School, Choir, and Worship, Abingdon Press, 2000
Hedgeman, Denita, Guidelines to Starting and Maintaining a Church Dance Ministry, 2007
Highwater, Jamake, Dance: Rituals of Experience, Princeton Book Company, 1978
Holler, Clyde, Black Elk’s Religion: The Sun Dance and Lakota Catholicism, 1995, 
Howells, Herbert, Come Sing and Dance: The Words from an Old Carol Set to Music,  1969
Huang, Chungliang Al & Jerry Huang, Thinking Body, Dancing Mind, Bantam Books, 1992
Hughes, Russell, Total Education in Ethnic Dance, Marcel Dekker, 1977
*Humphrey, Doris, An Artist First, Princeton Book Company, 1995
*Humphrey, Doris, The Art of Making Dances, Grove Weidenfeld, 1959

Inayat, Taj, Crystal Chalice: Spiritual Themes for Women, Sufi Order Publications, 1978
Irwin, K., Primer of Prayer Gesture, Sharing Company, 1977
Iyengar, Malathi, Dance and Devotion, Rangoli Foundation, 2004

Johnson, Don Hanlon, Bone, Breath & Gesture – Practices of Embodiment; 1995 
Jones, Blackwolf & Gina Jones, Earth Dance Drum: A Celebration of Life, Hazeldon, 1998
Jones, Mary, God’s People on the Move: A Manual for Leading Congregations in Dance and Movement, Christian Dance Fellowship of Australia, 1988

Kamaliah, K., Vision of the Sacred Dance, Kamaliah, 1987
Keeney, Bradford, Bushman, Shaman: Awakening the Spirit through Ecstatic Dance, Destiny Books, 2004, 
Knoll, Barbara, Time to Dance: An Invitation, Destiny Image, 1991
Kovacs, Aimee, Dancing into the Anointing, Treasure House, 1997

Leseho, Johanna & Sandra Leseho, eds., Dancing On the Earth, Findhorn Press, 2011
Levy, Fran, Dance-Movement Therapy: A Healing Art, American Alliance for Health Physical, 1992 
Lexova, Irena, Ancient Egyptian Dances, Dover Publications, 1999

MacLeod, Marian, Dancing Through Pentecost: Dance Language in Worship, Pentecost to Thanksgiving
Manor, Giora, Gospel According to Dance: Choreography and the Bible from Ballet to Modern, 1983

Marvelous Ministries, Praise Him in the Dance, AuthorHouse, 2005
McMahon, Patricia, Dancing Wheels, Hougton Mifflin Company, 2000
Michaels, Lisa, Natural Rhythms, Connect the Creational Dance of Life to the Pulse of the Universe 2008
Miller, Kamae, Wisdom Comes Dancing: Selected Writings of Ruth St. Denis on Dance, Spirituality and the Body, Peaceworks
Moore, Rachel, Rivers of Praise: Worship Through Movement, 2004

Nelson, Gertrude Mueller, To Dance With God, Paulist Press, 1986

Oesterley, William, Sacred Dance: A Study in Comparative Folklore, BiblioBazaar, 2009
Ortegel, S.P., Sister Adelaide, A Dancing People, Center for Contemporary Celebration, 1976

Packard, Dane, Church Becoming Christ’s Body: The Small Church’s Manual of Dances, Dances for Holy Seasons, 1985
Pardue, Emily, Drama of Dance in the Local Church, Xulon Press, 2005
Payne, Helen, Dance Movement Therapy: Theory and Practice, Routledge, 2006
Pearlman, Ellen, Tibetan Sacred Dance, Inner Traditions, 2002
Peterson-Higgins, Ann, I was Born to Dance: From Topless to Top Class, iUniverse, Inc., 2008
Peterson-Higgins, Ann, Purpose of the Dance: Volume 1, iUniverse, Inc., 2008
Philippou, Margaret Joy, Transcendental Dancing, Body, Mind and Soul International, 1994
Pruszokowski, Dawn, I Need Thee – Instructional Dance Video in Lyrical Style, Worship Steps, 2008
Pruszokowski, Dawn, Please Walk Beside Me: Instructional Dance Video, Worship Steps, 2005
Pruszokowski, Dawn, Sovereign: Instructional Dance DVD in Hip-Hop Style, Worship Steps, 2008
Pruszokowski, Dawn, Treasure of Jesus: Lyrical Dance Instruction Video, Worship Steps, 2008

Redmond, Layne, When The Drummers Were Women: A Spiritual History of Rhythm, 1997
Roberts, Debbie, Rejoice: A Biblical Study of Dance, Destiny Image, 198
Robie, Joan Hake, Devotion in Motion, Starburst Company, 1981
Rolle-Alesnik, Paulette, Dare to Dance with Him, Creation House, 2005
Roseman, Janet Lynn, Dance was her Religion, Hohm Press, 2004
Roth, Gabrielle, Maps to Ecstasy – teachings of an urban shaman – 1989
Roth, Gabrielle, Sweat Your Prayers – The Five Rhythms of the Soul – 1997
Rupp, Joyce, The Cosmic Dance, Orbis Books, 2002
Rush, E. Gardner, Music and Dance of the World’s Religions: A Comprehensive, Annotated Bibliography of Materials in the English Language, Greenwood Press, 1996

Sachs, Curt, World History of the Dance, WW Norton & Co., 1963
Salimpour, Jamila, Belly Dancing: From Cave to Cult to Cabaret, 1979
Sautter, Cynthia, Irish Dance and Spirituality: Relating Folkdance and Faith, Sharing Company, 1986
Schmit, Clayton, Too Deep for Words: A Theology of Liturgical Expression, Westminster John Knox Press, 2002
Shelton, Suzanne, Divine Dancer: A Biography of Ruth St. Denis, Doubleday, 1981
Shelton, Suzanne, Ruth St Denis: A Biography of the Divine Dancer, University of Texas Press, 1990

Silberling, Murray, Dancing for Joy: A Biblical Approach to Praise and Worship, 1995
Smagatz-Rawlinson, Diane, Making the Connection: A Comparison of Dance in Concert Versus Worship, Sharing Company, 1989
Sorell, Walter, Dance in Its Time, Columbia University Press, 1986
Sorrell, Walter, Dance Through the Ages: A Vivid, Richly Illustrated Chronicle of Dance, 1967
Spencer, Paul, ed., Society and the Dance, Cambridge University Press, 1985
St. Denis, Ruth, An Unfinished Life: An Autobiography, Dance Horizons, 1971
Starhawk, Spiral Dance, HarperOne, 1999
Stevens, Ann, Dance!, Destiny Image, 20070
Stevenson, Anne, Restoring the Dance: Seeking God’s Order, Treasure House, 1998
Stewart, Iris, Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance: Awakening Spirituality Through Movement and Ritual, 2000
Stodelle, Ernestine, Dance Technique of Doris Humphrey and Its Creative Potential. 2nd ed.,1990

Taussig, Hal, Dancing the New Testament: A Guide to Texts for Movement, 1977
Tharp, Twyla & Mark Tharp, The Creative Habit, Simon & Schuster, 2003

Unae, Adrienne, Sacred Dance: Rebirth and the Call

van Nieuwkerk, Karin, Trade Like Any Other: Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt, 1995
Veer, Ram Avitar & Sangeetacharya Natraj: Indian Dances through the Ages, History, Theory, and Practical Guidance, Pankaj Publications, 1982

Wagner, Ann, Adversaries of Dance: From the Puritans to the Present, University of Illinois Press, 1997
Webb-Mitchell, Brett, Dancing with Disabilities: Opening the Church to All God’s Children, 1997

Vajrachara, Prajwal, Tantric Buddhist Dances of Nepal
Vigier, Rachel, Gestures of Genius – Women, Dance and the Body, 1994

Wosien, Maria-Gabriele, Sacred Dance: Encounter With the Gods, Avon Publishers, 1974,
Wuellner, Flora Slosson, Prayer and our Bodies, The Upper Room, 1987

Zarrilli, Phillip, Kathakali Dance-Drama: Where Gods and Demons Come to Play, Routledge, 2000
Zdenek, Marilee & Marge Zdenek, Catch the New Wind, Word Books, 1972
Zdenek, Marilee & Marge Zdenek, God is a Verb, Word Books, 1974,