A professional dancer with cerebral palsy says that his faith has allowed him to see how his disorder is actually a blessing.
CBN News reports that Jerron Herman always dreamed of making it big in the Performing Arts world. However, he was born with cerebral palsy, and from an early age he was told that he would never make it as a professional dancer. Yet, he used people’s negative statements as well as his christian-based faith, and move to New York City where he currently works for the Heidi Latsky Dance Company, an international Dance Company that includes people with all sorts of disabilities.
When the doctors diagnosed me, they told me that I wouldn’t be able to close myself or feed myself, and I would need assistance for pretty much everything I did. My body is more than just sack. It’s actually an instrument to do great things with and I’ve been a professional dancer for six years.”
Herman’s strong faith started at home, where he was often told God was the author. He feels that cerebral palsy was given to him intentionally, so that he could learn, teach, and inspire, through the arts.
“I grew up in a Christian home where I was often told that God is the author of palsy — that it’s intentional, and it’s part of your life,” Herman told Faithwire. “So it was never couched in the context of ‘lack.’ My disability was not a defect — it was an asset.”
When Herman arrived in NYC for college, he initially became a writer, which was his goal before he learned half of feeling being a dancer could be.
I’m a theater geek, and a writer first,” he explained. “I wanted to be a storyteller … through theater, primarily. And I wanted to write for Broadway, and I wanted to write for television — that was my dream.”
Herman said that through a series of events, he somehow ended up in the dancing industry. Now, not only does he work for an international Dance Studio, but he also recently starred in a video featured on Great Big Story. Since its release, the two-minute clip has garnered over 2 million views.
Herman’s message to others living with cerebral palsy is to use the disorder to their advantage. He said that having this disorder should not equal a “pity party,” but rather a tool that God has chosen to give strong people in order to change the world.
“Believe and trust God. That’s been the emblem of my life. I know that people go through things, and there are real fears, real barriers. But also there’s a real God, who cares for your life, who cares for your heart and the things that you want to accomplish…….There’s something missing in people’s creative lives. I’m seeing … it looks a lot like a pity party. And I’d like to create work that generates and reflects, but also pushes forward.”
What Jerrod Herman below in his powerful video, entitled, Dancing with Cerebral Palsy.
[Photo: YouTube]
