Members praise dancing at Tabuan Jaya Neighbourhood Park.
GRACEFULLY moving their arms to tempo of the music, they sway to the left and the right.
As they continue their movement, stepping forward, pumping their arms like synchronised swimmers performing on land, beads of sweat build up on their foreheads, rolling down their noses and faces.
This group of mainly women can be seen moving in unison, offering rhythmic praise in a form not unlike a typical Sunday morning service at Tabuan Jaya Neighborhood Park every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.
The session normally lasts about an hour.
At first glance, it might appear like tai chi, a Chinese meditative exercise, rooted in martial arts, but it’s not. Then, what are they doing? Well, they are doing what is called praise dance which originates in Taiwan.
Dancing in groups in parks is already a long tradition in Chinese culture and society, so praise dance is just another appropriate form of outreach in this cultural context.
Anyway, it’s beautiful to see people moving together, manifesting unity and joy in working together.
Praise dance is a form of exercise with the movement combining aerobic, dancing and physical exercise, according to Margaret Fong, who is in charge of Tabuan Jaya Anglican Church Dance Ministry.
She said through praise dance, a person could enhance his or her physical fitness and improve the spiritual mind as all the praise dance songs use Bible verses.
“At the same time, it builds a caring body among the community and is suitable for all ages.”
The founder of praise dance is Wu Mei Yun, a music teacher from Taiwan.
Fong, who is the dance instructor, said Wu, who returned to Taiwan in 2003 after retiring from America, started the Praise Dance Series 1 at the age of 68.
Each series comprises 12 praise songs with a duration of one hour, and to date, there are six series of praise dance.
Fong (second right) and fellow members during a praise dance course in Singapore.
Fong said praise dance is now conducted “all over the places” – in Hong Kong, China, America, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and certain parts of Europe.
The music is also composed by Wu who also choreographes the dances, using a range of styles from Chinese traditional and aboriginal, Spanish and Hawaiian ballet to pop and hip hop. The lyrics are Bible passages.
Fong said praise dance offers health benefits such as reduced stress, weight loss and increased joy of connecting with others.
“I’m very thankful to the Lord for His love and grace upon me that through teaching praise dance, my health and fitness level has improved.
“I have shed almost 10kg and reduced four inches of my waist. And now, I don’t have to take any glucosamine pills to control my knee pain,” said Fong who has had been with the Praise Dance Ministry for five years now.
She said she felt particularly happy while doing praise dance to the soothing music, rhythm and tempo of the songs. And most importantly, the lyrics are words of Bible verses.
“While exercising, I can also apply these words as my daily prayers as well as a lamp of my feet and a light for my path.”
Fong said she learned praise dance when she was in New Zealand in 2008 and started the class at Tabuan Jaya Anglican Church in 2009.
Later, she extended it to the community of Tabuan Jaya Neighborhood Park, Jalan Wan Alwi (back of Ibraco Office) and Persatuan Perkhidmatan Warga Emas, Ong Thian Swee Road, Kuching, in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Shirlina Tan finds praise dance physically and spiritually beneficial.
Now, she has another four members as instructors and assistants during dance sessions at three different locations – Tabuan Jaya Neighbourhood Park every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7am to 8am; Tabuan Jaya Anglican Church every Monday and Thursday from 6pm to 7pm and Persatuan Perkhidmatan Warga Emas, Jalan Ong Tiang Swee, every Tuesday and Thursday from 6.30am to 7.30am.
Fong was formerly a hockey player, having played for her club – Telecom Malaysia – and the state between 1972 and 1985.
She also held the secretary post of the Sarawak Women Hockey Association (SWHA) since 1975 before becoming its president from 2003 to 2010.
During her tenure as SWHA secretary and president, Sarawak’s women hockey became into a force to be reckoned with in national championships and Sukma, especially between 1996 and 2002.
Aside from that, SWHA also produced several players who represented the country in international competitions, including the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
But now Fong enjoys praise dance.
“I think I enjoy praise dance more than playing hockey. Praise dance benefits me not just physically but also spiritually.
“At this age now, I still can do all the moves,” the 67-year-old said.
There are now about 100 members actively doing the dance routine.
Praise dance member Ding Wei Ing said the exercise had helped remove her bad headaches.
“Last time, I used to have headaches quite often. This affected my life – so much so that I didn’t feel like doing anything.
“But since taking up praise dance at the Tabuan Jaya Neighborhood Park in 2010, my headaches were gone,” the 66-year-old said.
Ding testified her muscles and joints are more relaxed now.
“I feel so happy while doing praise dance with the soothing music and the wordings of the songs.
“Another thing is we have good fellowship among the instructors and fellow members,” she added.
Another member Shirlina Tan, 61, testified praise dance had benefitted her physically and spiritually.
“I have been doing it for nearly three years and I really enjoy it.
“Praise dance has improved my physical fitness and through the music and lyrics, my spiritual mind has been strengthened.”
Tan said she really appreciated the commitment of the instructors who teach voluntarily.
Praise dance originator Wu Mei Yun.
Apart from praise dance, Fong said members were also involved in community work such as cleaning the Tabuan Jaya Neighborhood Park by gotong royong every quarter of the year.
So far, they have participated in the Community Carnival Day, jointly organised with the Kuching City South Council, at the Tabuan Jaya Neighborhood Park in 2012.
Activities such as praise dance performance, tug-of-war competition, eating competition and basketball competition were among the programme.
Fong said to enhance their knowledge and skills, their instructors-helpers have been voluntarily attending praise dance training courses each year since 2009. The courses are run by Wu (Mei Yun) either in Singapore, Johor Bahru, Taipei or Sibu.
It is believed the most important aspect of praise dance is that it provides a holistic approach to health and well-being.
Praise dance is a wonderful form of worshipping and dancing exercises which benefit one’s whole being.
It’s seen as good for the physical and mental well-being of the community and the participants.
Praise dance reduces the number of working days lost through absentism due to illness, and increases workers’ efficiency, concentration, mobility and hence productivity at work.
It provides a healthy environment for people to meet socially to share their experiences.
It increases mental alertness and bone strength, lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system and enables better sleep.
Most importantly, praise dance is good for one’s whole being – the inter-connection of the mind, body and spirit – as it involves exercises which express love, joy, thanksgiving, praise and worship, thereby promoting spiritual health.
It contributes to bringing the Spirit of God for comfort and healing as one tunes one’s mind, body and spirit to the dancing exercises through the music and lyrics.