'Jesus Christ Dancers' Asked Not to Perform at Holiday Festival Event
by James L. Lambert
December 12, 2005
(AgapePress) - - An official with the City of Chula Vista (California) Recreation Department asked a local Christian hip-hop dance group to not perform at a city-sponsored "Holiday Festival" last weekend. The dance group was scheduled to perform at the city-sponsored event on December 3, but was told after the program began that it could not perform. The six-girl dance troupe -- with participants ranging in age from 8 to 12 -- wore shirts identifying themselves as a "Jesus Christ Dancer." AgapePress was told of the incident by Phil Magnan of Biblical Family Advocates.
John Gates, senior supervisor for the Parks and Recreation Commission of the City of Chula Vista, declined to comment on the reasoning for his decision to cancel the performance. When asked about the decision, Gates said that he "was asked to refer the matter to the city attorney's office." Four calls were made to the city attorney's office with no response.
An eyewitness to the event and a father of one of dancers, Al Reyes, questioned the supervisor's decision. Reyes told WorldNetDaily that Gates was asked about a Hawaiian dance group that, according to Reyes, performed "Feliz Navidad," "The First Noel," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and a Hawaiian prayer song that was sung in another language.
After challenging a city representative on this point, Reyes said Gates told him that, "I don't understand those songs, but I do understand what those shirts say."
The dance group, which normally numbers 11 dancers, is headed up by dance instructor Lita Ramirez. Ramirez said she is "disappointed with the decision to stop the performance," adding that she "made it clear to city officials that this was a Christian hip-hop dance group and that they would perform a Christian hip-hop dance."
Ramirez also has a contract with the Parks and Recreation Commission to conduct dance classes that are scheduled to start on January 17, 2006. A brochure for the city lists that Ramirez will be teaching on Christian hip-hop dance next month. She stated that "because of this incident I am concerned about my future employment with the city."
Referring to removal of her group from the Holiday Festival, Ramirez asserts the city "made a biased decision. I was told that there were complaints about the T-shirts. When asked further about the complaints, a city official changed his story."
The Jesus Christ Dancers group is sponsored by Calvary Christian Academy and is associated with Calvary Chapel of Chula Vista.
James L. Lambert, a frequent contributor to AgapePress, is the author of Porn in America (Huntington House), which can be purchased through the American Family Association. He is a licensed real-estate mortgage loan sales agent and can be contacted through his website.
