Some liturgical dance was common in ancient times or non-Western settings, with precedents in
Judaism beginning with accounts of dancing in the
Old Testament. An example is the episode when
King David danced before the
Ark of the Covenant (), but this instance is often considered to be outside of
Jewish norms and
Rabbinic rituals prescribed at the time.
Dance has historically been controversial within Christianity. Many records exist of prohibitions by leaders of most branches of the
Christian Church, for such reasons as the association of dance with
paganism, the use of dance for sexual purposes, and a Greek-influenced belief in the separation of soul and body. Beginning in the second half of the 20th century, there was a significant growth in the use of dance in
Christian worship. This further spread through the
charismatic movement of the 1970s, which initiated a transition to
contemporary worship in certain parishes. A distinctive style of worship dance has developed within
Messianic Judaism. Known as
messianic dance or
davidic dance (for King David), it sometimes incorporates elements of
Israeli Folk Dancing. ==Controversies==