V3 Dance, a ministry started by Biola students, has quickly been gaining online momentum. | Courtesy of V3 Dance Ministry

V3 Dance premiered a teaser video on April 20, containing a choreographed dance routine via YouTube that received approximately 8,000 views and 170 likes in the first two weeks.

In their video description, they state, “We are V3, which means ‘victory through vision through voice.’ We are a new team that uses dance as a form of worship to give glory to Christ our Lord.”

Biola students participate in V3 Dance ministry

V3 Dance, which was launched in April 2012 by Eddie Moon, a prospective art student, is a branch of the non-profit organization, V3, founded in December 2010.

V3 is an organization that offers singers and dancers an opportunity to showcase their gifts through talent shows, café nights and worship nights, while also giving people an opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

V3 Dance is a ministry specifically geared toward dance. It consists of eight dancers, two of whom are Biola students. The entire team aspires to use their gifts in dance to share the gospel in the secular community.

A desire to share the gospel through dance

With the unexpected attention gained through online media, Moon said that V3 Dance hopes to use the media as a platform to share the gospel through dance as they prepare for their primary goal: to share the gospel at national dance competitions.

“It started by a vision of having a legitimate Christian hip-hop dance team going out competing with secular dance teams,” Moon said.

By engaging with secular teams, V3 Dance desires to be the beacon of light in the dance community rather than remaining contained in the Christian bubble.

“I am sick of Christian dancers only performing for churches and Christian events,” Moon said, mentioning that he is not aware of any explicitly Christian dance teams involved in secular competitions who are committed in representing God’s kingdom.

Moon and his team members desire to be a uniquely Christian dance team. They are committed to an uncompromised Christian lifestyle, which they hope to reflect through their music and life.

“Although we are all sinners, we want to do our best in reflecting the image of God,” Moon said.

Team maintains both high standards in secular setting

The team is committed to abstaining from drugs and alcohol and they are intentional in their music selection. Instead of having music that points to sex, drugs or personal glory, they purposefully choose music that points to Jesus, while maintaining the same musical taste and quality as secular dance teams.

“It is our music that will reach people, not our dance. We worship through our dance, but if we mute the music we are just dancing,” Moon said. 

Having personal experience in the secular dance community, Moon shared that the majority of the dance community is filled with drugs and alcohol, and he hopes V3 Dance will bring Christ into the scene.

They hope to be Christ’s witness by the lyrics of their music while engaging in conversations with the peers they encounter, encouraging and praying for them.   

“If V3 saves even one person, it is truly a success,” said David Hong, a freshman engineering physics major and member of V3 Dance.

V3 Dance gains momentum online

In the past two weeks, V3 Dance has reached many people across the world through their YouTube channel, receiving positive feedback from many viewers, Moon said. People who claim not to be religious have offered their respect to the team through comments on their page.

Great affirmation from viewers has fueled V3 Dance to persevere as they dedicate at least three hours of their Thursday and Sunday nights to vigorous practice. They plan to release a video on their YouTube channel every two weeks as they continue to train for national competitions.

“It is our job as Christians to glorify God in everything that we do with the gifts we are given,” Moon said.

Committed to being a good steward of his gifts, Hong uses his gifts to worship and glorify God.

“Dancing is one of my favorite ways to worship God. It’s my personal form of worshipping God,” Hong said.

Ultimate hope is to make an impact as a team

The team has decided to stay exclusive in order to maintain and nurture their uncompromised identity in Christ, according to Moon. “We want to stay humble and focused," Moon said.

He said with a smaller group, it is easier to keep members accountable as they grow together as a team, mentioning the possibility of expanding in the future.

United together, the team strives to be the stepping stone for other Christian dancers who are committed to sharing the gospel.

“We are a team of prayer and a team without compromise,” Moon said.

Moon and Hong hope that V3 Dance can be a pioneer for Christian dance in the secular community as they continue to sharpen their gifts in dance for the glory of God.

“As as a single person you may or may not make an impact, but as a unified team you can make a huge difference,” Hong said.