Total Praise: The Ministry of Dance by Greg Perkins 2027 Wall Calendar

"Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp." Psalm 149:3 (KJV)

Some praise is too big for words. When the choir hits that last chord and the Spirit moves through the sanctuary, sometimes the only fitting answer is to rise, lift your hands, and give God everything you have with your whole body. The dancer in white does not dance for applause. She dances because He turned her mourning into dancing, because He brought her through, and because the Lamb is worthy. Every leap is a testimony. Every bowed head is surrender. Every outstretched arm points back to the One who deserves all the glory.

Total Praise: The Ministry of Dance 2027 honors that worship for sixteen months. This African American wall calendar features the art of Greg Perkins, with graceful praise dancers on every page, each paired with a declaration of God's glory in gold script.

Dance as Worship in Scripture

Dance has been part of praising God since the earliest pages of scripture. After the Lord delivered Israel through the Red Sea, Miriam took up a timbrel and the women followed her with dances (Exodus 15:20). When the Ark of the Covenant came home to Jerusalem, King David "danced before the LORD with all his might" (2 Samuel 6:14). The Psalms call God's people to praise Him "with the timbrel and dance" (Psalm 150:4) and celebrate the God who turns mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11). In the book of Acts, a man healed in the name of Jesus Christ went into the temple "walking, and leaping, and praising God" (Acts 3:8). Dance in worship has always been a response to what God has done and a way to give honor and glory to the Messiah.

The Ministry of Dance in the Black Church

For centuries, much of Western Christianity discouraged dancing in worship. Enslaved Africans carried a deep tradition of sacred song and movement, and in the ring shout, worshipers moved in a circle, shuffling, clapping, and singing their praise. That spirit lives on in the shout and the praise break that still erupt in Black churches today. Beginning around the 1970s, many congregations also embraced choreographed liturgical and praise dance, drawing on modern, jazz, and African diaspora movement. Today dance ministries in flowing white garments, colorful tunics, banners, ribbons, and tambourines are a cherished part of Sunday worship, Easter programs, and church anniversaries across the country.

The Art Inside

The cover shows five dancers in white with jewel-toned tunics of purple, orange, gold, green, and red, arms raised toward heaven. Inside, the pages move through every expression of worship. A troupe in bright robes waves flowing streamers, a banner with a cross, and a ribboned tambourine beneath "God reigns forever and always." A dancer in deep red velvet leaps across a smoky stage for "God's love never fails us." Two women in lavender and blue reach for each other's hands for "God is faithful through generations," and a kneeling dancer in soft purple bows her head for "His mercy endures forevermore." The year also includes a joyful lift, a golden spin, and a line of dancers in white for "All glory belongs to God."

About the Artist

Greg Perkins brings a photographer's eye to worship in motion. With a particular focus on praise dancers, he captures the lifted arms, sweeping garments, and expressions of surrender that make the ministry of dance so moving to watch. His images become the foundation for richly finished artwork that celebrates faith in the African American church.

Ready for the Church Year

The opening page covers September through December 2026, so it can go up today. Each month gives the artwork the full top page, with a soft watercolor date grid below for rehearsals, services, and ministry events. Holidays are printed on the grid, previews of the previous and following months help with planning, and a notes line sits at the bottom of every page. The title shares its name with the beloved 1996 gospel anthem by the late Richard Smallwood, a song many dance ministries know by heart.

A Gift for the Dance Ministry

It makes a meaningful gift for the family's praise dancer, the dance ministry leader, the young dancer just joining the team, or the whole ministry as a thank-you for their service, whether for Christmas, birthdays, ministry anniversaries, or Easter.