By:Beth Wallach
In commemoration of Martin Luther King Day, this was the second time the group of predominantly African-American women, was invited to the Rockville Centre church. Home based at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Roosevelt, Choresis is not a dance group in the traditional sense, but rather women who view themselves as ministering God's word through dance.
Robin Marshall, Choresis' creative director, conceived of the group in 1998 when she was asked to choreograph a song for church services. Their beginnings were modest, with six women forming the group. Their numbers doubled to 12, then quickly doubled again. Today, they are 31 women strong, and although they don't hold auditions per se, Marshall said there is a workshop period where new inductees demonstrate that they can "at least keep time." She said what the women gain from Choresis, whose name is taken from the Greek term, perichoresis, meaning divine dance, is much more than just the ability to dance. Weekly bible study is a major part of their focus, and they begin each session by forming a prayer circle.
Longtime Rockville Centre resident and United Church member, Tom Hodge, first found out about Choresis through the Parish Resource Center in Elmont. Intrigued by the notion of a spiritual dance troupe, he made the trip to Roosevelt to see what all the fuss was about. He immediately knew they would be warmly received at United and invited them to visit the congregation. "It was very moving to see biblical language passages interpreted through the movement of dance," said Hodge. In the days after, Hodge said he received numerous telephone calls and letters from fellow parishioners telling him how meaningful and moving the service was to them. "We're planning on having them back next year," Hodge said, "maybe in February," which would coincide with Black History Month.
"Dance is a very neglected way of expression in the church," said Reverend Robert Gunn, United's pastor. "It conjures up, unfortunately, some very negative attitudes in the church about one's body, so we welcome Choresis as an inspiring expression of spirit that helps us be more aware of our bodies as instruments of God's grace."
Besides being a full time mother, Marshall, who works in the English department at C.W. Post University, is also a playwright. She recently penned "Victim of Circumstance," which has been produced on the Post campus and in Manhattan. Her husband, Reginald Tuggle, is the pastor of their church in Roosevelt. Said Tuggle, "Praise dancing is identified throughout the Hebrew and New Testaments as a deep expression of gratitude for what God has done and is doing in our lives. In the African American worship experience praise dancing has been present from the very beginning."
Marshall's right-hand woman is Deanna Marshall. Not related by blood, the women share more in common than just a surname-they believe their movements are an effort to remove self and bring people a sense of healing and spiritual well-being. Said Robin Marshall, "We are very humble about what we do. We feel we have been called to do this. It was not a choice, but something we have to do."
Deanna Marshall, who is the director for the county executive offices for women's services in Suffolk, said that a diverse group of women make up the foundation of Choresis. She said that among their ranks are lawyers, judges, nurses, doctors and school principals.
"I was just so moved," said Pepper Robinson, a member of United Church's choir, who lives in Oceanside. "They reached inside and touched people. It's so clear a form of worship."
Invited to Vienna, Austria by the national organization Advent Sing, a group of religious singers from all over the world, Choresis visited the European capital in December. They danced for ailing, aged people in a nursing home, and in front of 2,000 people in the Vienna City Hall. Despite a sizable language barrier, both Marshall's agreed a connection was formed between the praise dancers and the nursing home patients. "People head tears in their eyes. It was truly remarkable," said Deanna.
"Handl's Messiah" and "Healing" were among the choreographed numbers the women, who were barefoot, danced to. With simple robes in either black or white, the focal point for observers were the women themselves.
Before breaking their fast at a lunch of homemade soup and tea sandwiches sponsored by the church, Choresis dance their final number, a signature piece called, "I Need You to Survive." Lining up on and in front of the alter, they moved into the nave and to the people in the pews. Engaging parishioners with eye to eye contact and expressive hand movements, the morning service ended on an interactive note. According to Robin, the first person she was led to was a woman who was in need of healing because her husband was gravely ill with cancer. "Our connection is twofold," she said. "We get as much from them as they get from us. It's truly humbling that you have a gift and a talent to help people."
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