Dance: Is it a mating ritual or an art form? The dictionary defines dance as “an artistic form of nonverbal communication” (dance). As Christians, we have always heard that dancing is immoral; that dancing only led to one thing: sex. Although this is the general opinion, many people find ballet art, such as The Nutcracker, tasteful. Dance embodies passion, grace and balance. The dance is not just a mating ritual as we have been told; It’s a story too beautiful to describe. Dance is a way to communicate with anyone, regardless of the language they speak or their age. It’s a way of crossing barriers and touching souls. Over time, many people have questioned the true nature of dance; Some people think it's an expression of culture, others say it's a spiritual medium, and some cynics even believe the dance is just a mating ritual. Contrary to what these people claim, dancing has been used for centuries as an art form, not just a mating ritual. As an Adventist, Ellen White's writings are highly regarded. In her book Messages to Young People, she takes a very harsh look at dance. Ellen White believes no Christian should be caught dancing; that Jesus and dance cannot exist together. In Ellen Whites' eyes, dancing is only used for "self-gratification" and will lead down the "path of dissipation" (135, 136). It does not distinguish between types of dance, leading many Adventists to believe that it refers to all types of dance. So where did this negative view of dance begin? It certainly didn't start with the Bible, as there are 27 different mentions of the word dance. Throughout the Bible, dance is used to represent joy, sorrow, and even a spiritual connection with God. In the Bible, David said, “Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him” (New International Version, Psalm 149:3). The only negative connotation the Bible gives to dancing is when it is mixed with idolatry or drunkenness. When Moses came down from the mountain and found the people dancing around the golden calf, he had a problem with the idol and not the dancing (Daniels 9). It was during medieval times that dancing began to develop a bad reputation. Dances such as the Dance of the Dead, the Maniac Dance and the Flagellant Dance had surfaced.