How exceedingly wonderful it is to see children and teenagers dedicating their time, talents and energy towards praising the Lord.  The Anointed Chenaniah Praise Dancers are an example of devoted adolescents inspiring a new crop of young, liturgical dancers through their commitment to righteous living and artistic excellence. 

The Anointed Chenaniah Praise Dancers are five closely knit, highly anointed sisters (Britni 6, Briana 10, Tiffany 12, Toni 14, Ashanti 15) from the sunny oasis of Boynton Beach, Florida who’ve turned an indwelling gift for graceful, imaginative dance into a form of expressive worship and choreographed praise.  The result has been a full-time ministry that has served before hundreds of thousands of people over the last five years. 

From their appearance on the Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel show to their performances at the Donnie McClurkin Back To Holiness Conferences to their special presentation at the NAACP National Convention, the Anointed Chenaniah Praise Dancers are finding an appreciative audience every where they go, through their unique ministry that’s both turning heads and changing hearts.

With their first annual Dancing With Authority Conference set to commence in just a few weeks in the resort area of Palm Beach Springs, Florida, BLACKGOSPEL.COM wanted to speak with these five young ladies who are lighting up the stage with a special anointing and undeniable gift for dancing.

Christopher Heron: The Chenaniah Praise Dancers have been dancing for five years now.  Does dancing as a form of worship and praise mean the exact same thing today to the Chenaniah Praise Dancers as it did five years ago?

The Anointed Chenaniah Praise Dancers:  Yes, and so much more. Our calling is the same but, as our relationship with God grew over the years, so did our understanding of this ministry.  In the beginning, we were fine if the people entered into praise. Now, we understand that praise is the vehicle that takes the people towards worship.  Five years ago, when Chenaniah ministered, God moved by His spirit and the people entered into praise. Now when we minister, it is our desire and expectation that the people will not just enter into praise but will also accept the invitation to worship.  We want people to go behind the veil and experience God through the dance like never before.

CH: The Chenaniah Praise Dancers believe that dancing to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is more than interpretation...it is divine revelation. Please explain what type of revelations the group has received with regards to dancing for the Lord.

ACPD:  We believe God has given us the gift of revelation. Revelation is spirit breath. We believe God allows us to enter in on the same revelation the song writer had when he/she wrote the song…revelations that an atmosphere can be set so rich and so thick that whatever you need, all you have to do is reach up and grab it!  These revelations make our choreography different.  But, the key ingredient in it all is the ANOINTING!

 CH:  As the ministry of the Chenaniah Praise Dancers has grown in popularity and reputation over the years, what individual and collective steps has the group taken to ensure that the group is identified with excellence and an anointed spirit as liturgical dancers?

ACPD:  We are so big on this subject.  When it comes to this ministry, excellence is certainly at the front of the line.  Excellence, by definition, is a continued state of progression, pursued but never obtained, still realizing that there's always room for improvement.  Excellent is what we are. It's how we were created.  We make sure that we are excellent in our attire. Our garments must be clean, wrinkle free and presentable. We travel with backup attire for our presentation, etc.  We’re also excellent in the way we live off the stage. We spend lots of time in prayer, praise and practice, in that order, to maintain a spirit of excellence.  After all, we are ambassadors for the Most High God and we must represent Him with excellence. 

CH:  The dance performances of the Chenaniah Praise Dancers have ranged from the Back To Holiness Conference hosted by Donnie McClurkin to the very secular audience of the NAACP National Convention.  How does the Chenaniah Praise Dancers prepare and tailor each performance for the various crowds they witness before?

ACPD:  We must be all things to all people.  We have to be sensitive to the spirit, in order to know what to minister in different settings.  It is our job as ministers to be prepared to dance using various styles, songs and choreography.  We minister according to what the spirit leads us to give the people, from Hip-Hop to Praise & Worship. We can never take for granted what a particular crowd needs.

CH:  The Dancing With Authority Conference in Palm Beach Gardens Florida is just a few weeks away.  What is the theme and ultimate objective of this very special conference?  And what motivated Chenaniah Ministries to launch such a unique conference for other liturgical dancers and worshippers?

ACPD:  The theme of the conference is "Taking It To Another Level".  This is in keeping with the scope of the conference, which is “Dancing With Authority!” The conference objective is to awaken dancers with the reality that they are ministers, first.  And that they should dance with the authority of the One that called them into this ministry.  This will require a relationship.  We want them to know that the dance ministry is not a club.  You must be holy.  In order to dance with power, it requires a praise and worship lifestyle.  It is our desire to see dance restored back into the church as a true form of praise and worship.

CH:  Your anointed dance has blessed tens of thousands of souls everywhere you've witnessed.  The beauty of blessings that come from God is that it flows both to the receiver and the giver.  What type of blessings have the Chenaniah Praise Dancers received from sowing into the dance ministry? 

ACPD:  We have been blessed in so many ways.  We've seen people dedicate and rededicate their lives back to Christ.  Deliverance and healing have taken place. We've been blessed with awesome opportunities to share the stage with some of the greatest Gospel artists of all time. We've been blessed to minister at conferences and churches with great pastors and leaders. 

It has been a blessing to be used during our youth for Kingdom Building.  It a wonderful blessing to be in ministry with our sisters.  We are happy to be vessels that God chose to use to minister in dance to the nation.

The Anointed Chenaniah Praise Dancers will host the 2005 Dancing With Authority Conference in Palm Beach Gardens Florida  from June 16-18, 2005.  For more information, visit www.chenaniah.org.  To contact the Chenaniah Praise Dancers, email them at chenaniahpd5@aol.com.