The Bishops’ Blue Coat High School ‘Pneuma Dance Group’ Perform at The Archbishop of York’s Pilgrimage Service
The Bishops’ Blue Coat High School’s ‘Pneuma Dance Group’ Performed at The Archbishop of York's Pilgrimage Service at Chester Cathedral held on the 2nd June. School Chaplain,Rev’d Hana Amner reflected:
Our ‘Pneuma Dance Group’ recently had the honour of being invited to perform at the Archbishop of York’s Pilgrimage Service at Chester Cathedral. Choreographed by Jess in Year 8, the students told a powerful story of God’s presence with us through life’s most difficult times. We are incredibly proud of the dedication, creativity, and faith they shared through their performance.
Do you know the story We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen?.
It's the story of a family setting out on an adventure to find a bear:
We're going on a bear hunt.
We're going to catch a big one.
What a beautiful day!
We're not scared.
Uh-oh! A river!
A deep, cold river.
We can't go over it.
We can't go under it.
Oh no!
We've got to go through it!
This story echoes the reality of life. The journey we take will always include difficult terrain: thick, oozy mud, deep, cold rivers, and long, wavy grass. Much of the time, we know we can't avoid these challenges. We have to go through them.
One thing that struck me while listening to the different pilgrimage stories being shared was how unique pilgrimage looks for each person. It made me reflect on what pilgrimage looks like for Pneuma. Students who had never really connected before joining the dance group have become something more. When I watch them work together, I see a sisterhood. I see moments of celebration when someone achieves something, kindness when someone needs support, and compassion when someone is struggling.
It reminds me that on this journey of pilgrimage, even when we may feel physically alone, facing thick, oozy mud, deep, cold rivers, and long, wavy grass, we are never truly alone.
At the heart of Pneuma is a desire to share messages anchored in the reality that God is with us. At the service, the group performed a dance to A Prayer by Kings Kaleidoscope. The dancers described the piece to Archbishop Stephen as beginning in a place of darkness and uncertainty, before ending with the realisation that Jesus is present. He knows what it means to suffer, walks alongside us in our struggles, and holds us through the hardest times.
Pilgrimage is different for everyone, but perhaps its deepest truth is the same: wherever the journey leads, God goes with us.