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Defy Gravity!

Growing up with five older brothers in Pittsburgh, it was literally self-defense that fueled Raymont Anderson’s interest in Bruce Lee movies and his dream of studying martial arts. But when the skinny preteen industriously price-shopped all the local karate schools to help persuade his parents, their large family just wasn’t up for extracurricular expenses.

So Raymont devised another plan. Willing to stand, shivering, outside a large urban storefront to closely observe Aikido and tae kwon do classes week after week, he patiently sketched and resketched each unique demonstration—capturing the teachers’ movements alongside their mirrored reflections—so that he could race home to practice, alone, after class.

This same disciplined affinity for balanced body mechanics; blending the precise timing of “gross motor activity” and the fluid nuances of facial expression and eye contact), eventually led Raymont to subtly reinterpret and explore the notion of creating a non-physical connection by choosing non-verbal communication instead.

In other words, Ray’s imagination led to his quiet discovery of a second language, he quips, American Sign Language!

	Be sure to “Watch the Lamb” at: uk.youtube.com/watch?v=H5H6tv4IUss

From there, his muse found a new mode of interpretive dance, “using ASL to silently ‘sing and wave’ the lyrics to popular songs.”

The multi-talented Raymont Anderson had found his calling. He earned an A.S. degree in Visual Arts, then a B.A. in Art Education, became ASL-certified and completed his M.F.A., while teaching art classes in various settings. Along the way he also served as an ASL instructor in the U.S. Senate!

As a performance artist/instructor/choreographer/artistic director whose regional and Broadway credits include Evita, Les Miserables, Man of La Mancha, and many others, Ray has volunteered as a camp counselor with the Society Against Drugs (PA), and worked with the Spirit of Faith Christian Center (MD).

Meditative and soulful, creative, and fun-loving, Ray likes to say that divine intervention “delivered him safely” to dual-doctorate programs with AIHT. Upon completing his D.D. studies in 2007, Raymont is now a candidate for our Ph.D. in Metaphysics. His success has also inspired a coworker, Sylvia Love, to enroll in our undergraduate program in Holistic Health!

Meditative and soulful, creative, and fun-loving, Ray likes to say that divine intervention “delivered him safely” to dual-doctorate programs with AIHT.

Ray enjoys empowering students of all ages to “defy gravity” by choosing to maintain a joyful, creative demeanor at all times: during good times, confusing or uncertain times, and especially during times of serious personal challenge, when joy does not seem easy to come by—unless of course we intentionally create it.

So to help others learn to “defy gravity,” Ray founded two urban mentoring groups that are both named S.T.A.R.S.—Sticking Together Always Results in Success. He also created a performance group, P.H.O.E.N.I.X.—Prayerfully Harmonizing, Optimistic, Empowering, Nurturing Inspiration, and (E)xcellence.

For more information: www.whenyoubelieve.org