Cerise Tean
I attained a Diploma in Tourism and Resort Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. Upon graduation, I prayed and waited for a job for 7 months, never did I expect Barclays Bank to open its doors to me. I always wondered why the banking industry instead of my inclination towards the hospitality line.
Week after week in Good Gifts City Church, the Tithes and Offering declaration would be flashed up on the screen and the church will declare together in unison. God revealed His goodness to me. Slightly under 4 years of being employed with Barclays Bank, my efforts were recognized by the management and in February 2017, I was told that I am next in line for a promotion. Let me pause at this timeline – February 2017.
I have been a dancer for 14 years and began moving in prophetic dance 7 years ago. In 2015, I came across a video on a Dance for Parkinson’s Disease programme by Mark Morris Dance Group. In this video there was an interview conducted with an old man, where they asked him how he felt about the programme. He replied ‘when music begins/class starts, we are no longer called patients, we are back to ourselves.’ His response resonated in me, however, I left it as that.
In 2016, I was invited to St Andrews Cathedral to dance for a musical. I was asked to dance to this old hymn, when I survey the wondrous cross. Halfway through the song, my dance movements slowed down and came to a pause. In that moment, I heard loud sobbing from the congregation and right at that moment, I was convicted by God that if dance and movement could impact, bring someone into a personal encounter with God and point people back to the Father and His heart, I would want to do this all my life. This is where I also encountered the power of movement for myself. I went home that night and re-watched the same Dance for Parkinson’s Disease programme video. This time, after hearing what the old man responded to the interviewer, it hit me that if dance could free and liberate people from negative mindsets and labels such as a chronic illness/disease patient, healing and restoration can actually take place. Scientifically, 80% of illnesses/diseases stem from the mind. I got down to researching further and found the use of somatic movement and dance for other chronic illnesses like Dementia, Alzheimer, Cancer and Stroke and began to apply for courses.
At the same time when I was told about the plan for my promotion in Barclays Bank in February 2017, I was also informed that I got accepted into the Dance and Movement Studies and Psychology Joint Honours’ programme in University of Derby, UK. It is a 3 year full time programme where modules focus on both professional dance training as well as dance therapy. Modules include performance techniques, dance for teenage depression, Taichi and comparisons between dance and rock climbing – where both happen to be activities that I have been doing for years. Without a doubt, I knew that this was a God-given opportunity as I am considered a mature dancer beginning training at 27 years of age.
God pleasantly surprised me with another aspect. I checked my full time programme and accommodation fees and the total cost matched my savings amount. With this, I need not burden my parents with my pursuit. Wave after wave of His goodness continued to flow in the 6 months I was preparing myself for the UK. From this, I learnt that in our time of waiting on God, we should never fail to set our hearts on Him. I thank God that He opened Barclays Bank’s doors 4 years ago to provide for my finances 4 years later. Furthermore, His faithfulness in seeing my dream of pursuing dance come to pass which was propelled by experiencing Him through prophetic movement. Dance was first created by Him to worship Him. I want to use dance to give back to the society as well as redeem this expression of art for God, allowing healing and restoration to manifest and have many encounter, experience and be transformed.