Can I lay the blame for liturgical dancing at Bishop Trautmans feet?
As a convert I was stunned when I first saw it. I find that I am more conservative than most cradle Cathoilcs I know.
You should be more than stunned; you should be angry. Inaestimabile Donum and Canon Law state: "The faithful have a right to a true Liturgy."
Dance is not allowed whatsoever. The document Dance In The Liturgy contains a full explanation. To summarize:
"[In western culture] dancing is tied with love, with diversion, with profaneness, with unbridling of the senses: such dancing, in general, is not pure."
"For that reason it cannot be introduced into liturgical celebrations of any kind whatever: that would be to inject into the liturgy one of the most desacralized and desacralizing elements; and so it would be equivalent to creating an atmosphere of profaneness which would easily recall to those present and to the participants in the celebration worldly places and situations."
The Bishops have expressly prohibited any and all forms of dancing in the Liturgy.
That said, the bishops stand behind the phrase: Therefore, it is commended for study by diocesan liturgical commissions and offices of worship.. They justify the use of liturgical dance by saying they are still "studying" it. However, NO guidelines have been laid down on this study; hence, it is prohibited.
The pastor at my (now former) parish, tried to introduce liturgical dance. He chose 'volunteers' from amongst the 11th grade students preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Coincidentally, I had been asked to teach one of those classes that year and I was shocked when the DRE asked for kids to volunteer. I confronted her with the above documents; now it was her turn to be shocked. She spoke to the pastor who gave her the 'go ahead' nod. The following week, the same kids were called out of class. This time I confronted the pastor.
He tried to side step the issue by telling me to think of it as "liturgical movement". He even explained that the nuns across the road, performed liturgical dance at their weekday masses, as if this were some form of approbation. As chaplain to these nuns, I suggested he remind them of the bishop's admonitions.
When the kids were called out again on week 3, I wrote to the Diocesan Office for Liturgy and Divine Worship. In their response, they cited some arcane VCII document on 'multiculturalism' and threw full support behind the pastor. Undaunted, I wrote back quoting the Inaestimabile Donum clause. In their response, they agreed with the statement. That was the end of liturgical dance at that parish.
By nature, I normally am not confrontational. As a Catholic in love with our Lord and my Church, I was not going to sit back and allow this to occur in my parish. Worse yet was the notion that a priest was asking young, impressionable youth, preparing for a Sacrament, to sin.
Know your rights!. Then, act on them. You can learn more about liturgical abuse at this link.
Is Your Mass Valid? Liturgical Abuse
If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to freepmail me. Whatever you do about this abuse, do not give up this beautiful faith. If I could stop it in a diocese run by one of the most reprobate bishops in the US, you can too. God speed!