As regards the matters you raised in your letter: In the
teachings there is nothing against dancing, but the friends should remember
that the standard of Bahá'u'lláh is modesty and chastity. The atmosphere of
modern dance halls, where so much smoking and drinking and promiscuity goes on,
is very bad, but decent dances are not harmful in themselves. There is
certainly no harm in classical dancing or learning dancing in school. There is
also no harm in taking part in dramas. Likewise in cinema acting. The harmful
thing, nowadays, is not the art itself but the unfortunate corruption which
often surrounds these arts. As Bahá'ís we need avoid none of the arts, but acts
and the atmosphere that sometimes go with these professions we should avoid.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 3o June 1952 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a
National Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, The
Importance of Arts in Promoting the Faith)
