Glory Realm Creations … Catering to your dance needs

Jun 06, 2021 News

---

“I love reading books on dance techniques and I do a lot of research on the purpose behind the art, the meaning of each movement in dancing because I have learnt that dance has a language of its own.”

 

By Rehanna Ramsay

Kaieteur News – Worship dancing is a common feature in Christianity and Messianic Judaism. This type of dancing is usually portrayed with movements accompanied by instruments which when incorporated carries specific spiritual messages and/or declarations. In most modern churches, a dance troupe serves as part of the worship team which is displayed as a spectacle on Sundays and special occasions.

For Racheal Balack, a worship dancer for the past 16 years, dancing is not merely an occasional part of the Christian experience; it’s a purposeful pursuit. She explained that the Christian worship experience cannot be complete without “worship dancing.” “Worship dancing has a language of its own. There is prophetic dance and there is warfare praise dance which is distinct from simple praise dancing, even the colours of the clothes and the instrument used have a symbolism and there is meaning behind the different types of dance in ministry,” she added. The 21-year-old University of Guyana (UG) student noted that while worship dance is not a topic widely taught in churches, she is hoping to help change that. For this reason, Balack launched her business, called “Glory Realm Creations,” last Thursday.

Glory Realm Creations is designed to offer customers the various types of clothing, instruments and other paraphernalia to cater to all their dance needs. Balack told Kaieteur News that she hopes the business will inspire the curiosity of other Christian dancers to equip themselves with a deeper knowledge of “the art of worship dancing.” Through the venture, the young dancer and entrepreneur is offering a wide range of items, which can help raise the bar of worship dancing in the local churches. She noted that each item has specifics that can assist in making “the dance experience more glorious.” “We have tambourines, tabrets, timbrels, war sticks, flags and a host of other items that are helpful to the dancers to get the message across,” she added. Balack, who started dancing when she was five years old, said that she continues to study the craft extensively. She noted that there are certain defining moments in her life that led to her decision to become a dancer. “I can remember I won a pageant at my nursery school because of my dance presentation and how the commentator raved about how talented I am when it comes to dance really encouraged me to continue,” she said, adding that she later received a confirmation that dancing is what she was meant to do during a church service. “I was about nine when there was a service where all the older girls danced and at the end, the preacher was praying for them and speaking over them and an altar call was made for a young lady in the congregation who has a passion for dance…that person was me. I stepped forward and the pastor prophesied over my life confirming my desire to pursue dance is linked to my purpose,” she said. Since then, Balack has blossomed into a dance teacher for Worship in Spirit and Truth (Wist) Ministries International Inc., and has been part of the Fan the Flames dance troupe at her local church, the New Life Assemblies of God at Samatta Point Grove, East Bank Demerara. The young dancer credits the knowledge she garnered so far to her list of teachers, which includes, Ms. Sandia Ramnarine and Ms. Natoya Leitch. “I love reading books on dance techniques and I do a lot of research on the purpose behind the art, the meaning of each movement in dancing because I have learnt that dance has a language of its own,” she said. From a personal perspective, Balack said that worship dancing has brought her through many life’s challenges. She recalls how this type of dancing helped her overcome depression when the pandemic first started. “I remember waking up in the middle of the night feeling worried and was so depressed one night that I decided to get up, put on my worship garments, go to the living room, put on the music and just dance, and by the time I was done, depression was gone. I know of many times where God came through for me when I choose to use the gift of dance to worship him,” she said. In the interim, Balack continues to study dance extensively so that she can help impart her knowledge for other Christians to incorporate in their worship experience. She noted that Glory Realm Creations is a platform by which she is excited to share her knowledge and testimony. “Glory Realm Creations was launched after much thought, prayer and considerations, so I am excited to see what will happen through it,” she said.

---

---