From textbooks to Latin dance: Uni educators on having a life outside of campus

Nine years ago, Dr Steve Kerrison found himself at his first dance lesson. 

He was 26 and game to try his hand (and hips) at the pulsating rhythms of Latin music.

Yes he fell over his own feet a couple of times as you would expect, and he ached in “some really strange places” of his body, but something told him he was onto something very special and not to give up. 

He had fun, the people were nice and the music moved him in body, heart and soul.

Fast forward to today and Kerrison, now 35, is a senior cybersecurity lecturer with the Singapore campus of James Cook University (JCU).

Just five-and-a-half years ago, Kerrison moved to Singapore. 

He worked with two other companies before taking up the position at JCU in 2021. 

During his time in Singapore, he has stepped up and taken his passion for dance to the next level.

He joined a dance team and a school called Dance Channel, performing with them for charity events (“nerve-wracking but rewarding”). 

He also partook in a flash-mob production along Orchard Road in 2019 for International Bachata Day (“much to the bemusement of the public”) with the group he was member of at that time. 

Paso doble, the perfect two-step

It’s been said that every good dance routine has a love story woven into it, and Kerrison is no different. 

After all, it was through dance that he met his Singaporean wife, Bee. 

Their paths crossed at various events and classes and before long, she asked for his number. 

“Yup she asked for my number,” Kerrison grinned. 

“I’m quite proud of that fact.”

Kerrison’s sashay of choice is Latin dance - the flash and flourish of the salsa, rumba and cha-cha. 

Why Latin and not, say, ballroom?

 “I enjoy the music,” he shared. 

“I can listen to it even when I’m not dancing.”

And then of course, there are the costumes. 

Sleek, fitted, bespoke. 

And if you think that sounds like they would make the perfect wedding jacket, well, Kerrison thought so too.

One jacket in particular - a white number with a blue flower that he’d used for a mambo number - screamed “wedding photo” and ended up in the couple’s wedding photo album.

“It’s hard to one-up women’s wedding dresses, but I thought I’d try,” he laughed. 

“In the end, that day I had one more wardrobe change than my wife!” 

A quick glance at Dance Channel’s Facebook page yields many photos of a very happy Kerrison. 

Resplendent in a maroon jacket, spiffy in his tuxedo, outstanding in checks, Kerrison hangs on for dear life to the person in front of him as a group of about seven men sit on their haunches and make like a human caterpillar (now there’s a recipe for strange new places to ache).

“Geeks are taking over the world”

A self-confessed geek, Kerrison, who spent many happy hours as a child breaking and building computers, said dancing was a wonderful way to connect with a very sociable community.

“It’s very easy for me to be insular, and dancing forces me to be less like that, so I think that’s a positive impact on me.”

He followed the flow of his personality and got into embedded systems at a university, did web development and system administration - all areas for which cybersecurity has become increasingly important.

Before moving to Singapore, Kerrison had never worked outside his native UK, so living and working in Singapore has been a real cultural eye-opener.

“Being here has helped me gain a better understanding of other perspectives of life - both personal and business. Plus of course, I love the food!”

Overall, the experience “has made it easier to work with a diverse group of people and be understanding of others.”

As the world of technology barrels on and scams become more and more sophisticated, cybersecurity is more needed than ever and can be a demanding subject to teach.

Kerrison said the hardest part was keeping teaching material relevant as it was a constantly evolving field. 

How then does he maintain a good balance between life and work?

“Dance, of course. It’s a great way to share enjoyment with others. I also watch a lot of videos on YouTube. Sometimes nerdy engineering stuff, sometimes other people playing video games. I like swimming too because it forces you to disconnect from technology and you're left with your own thoughts and the sound of water.”

Asked if his love for dance and music built a good bridge to his students, Kerrison said: “I think my appreciation of cringey internet memes brings me closer to my students than my enjoyment of dancing.” 

“I bump into industry colleagues such as academics and cybersecurity professionals in the dance scene quite a lot, though. Geeks are taking over the world, I tell you.”

What comes through most in this interview is the fact that he just loves dancing. 

He told us his arms are a lot less coordinated than his legs and that he sometimes faces the wrong way, but these things don’t faze him one bit.

He isn’t in it to Burn the Floor or be the next John Travolta; he is in it purely for the joy it brings him. 

Oh and the clothes. 

Especially white jackets with big blue flowers.

Scoring in life

Legendary football player Pelé called football ‘the beautiful game”. 

And to James Cook University Singapore’s educator and laboratory manager Joseph Uichanco, it certainly is.

It’s been 23 years since the 38-year-old first started kicking a ball around on the field of his high school at 15 and it’s safe to say he’s never allowed himself to get too far from his cleats since then.

“I got into it because at school, everybody just played it a lot,” said Uichanco. 

“We would play every chance we got.” 

The playing continued at the University of the Philippines, where his fancy footwork got him into some local football clubs.

Graduating with a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Uichanco moved to Singapore in 2011. 

In between looking for a job and going to interviews, he would of course play football.

Those early days bring back many fond memories of his old stomping ground - a field near Kembangan MRT and of an “uncle” who was also named Joseph.

“I don’t really have any mentors in football, but I remember this uncle,” he smiled. 

“I remember him claiming he was in his sixties but he was still able to play very well. He would use skill and smarts rather than strength or agility to beat his younger opponents. That left a mark on me. I’ll think of him when it’s my turn to turn 60 - hopefully I’ll still be playing! One day he told me I played so well I should be named man of the match. I was very young then and it really meant a lot to me - so much that I remember that to this day.”

He eventually joined the Philippine Football Club (Singapore) and before long was back where he loved to be - playing centre fullback.

“We have been quite active in the local amateur leagues,” Uichanco shared. 

“The team has had its ups and downs but generally we do well and whenever we don’t we just play for the fun of it.”

While he normally finds himself in defence, Uichanco said he liked to think he could play in any position.

“With exceptions like the recent pandemic, I’ve been playing football every week, or at least every month,” he said. 

“Football is like an addiction, a habit that you don’t really think about.” 

Considers Singapore his home

Besides his passion for football, Uichanco also likes to bake, is an inline skater, and has recently started a vegetable garden with some colleagues.

He is also a self-taught violin player, and played it so well while in the Philippines, where he had more time to practise, that he taught at the Yamaha School of Music. 

“I love the sound of the violin,” he said. 

“It’s unique, romantic, soothing; it draws out a range of emotions.”

Living and working in Singapore has been a very fulfilling experience for Uichanco, who married his wife, Czarina, here. 

Their son Kaiser, now 6, was born in 2016.

“We consider Singapore our home,” Uichanco said.

“I enjoy the fact that life is very worry-free here. Specifically, I like how everyone is generally nice and respectful of each other.”

He noted that while the cost of living is a bit high, it was “overall worth it”.

Uichanco began his life in Singapore working on an aquaculture research project at Temasek Lifesciences Laboratory. 

It was when that project ended that he joined JCU, initially as laboratory manager managing the science teaching lab and the aquaculture facility.

Teaching was not part of his initial job description; instead he fulfilled a support role while managing the day-to-day operations and facilities. 

But when the university began developing its aquaculture courses, Uichanco felt he could contribute more by teaching a subject or two.

“I wanted to teach because I wanted to get to know the students more, to get to know the culture of the university. I like being an educator because I believe we are all de facto educators, even if it’s not our formal job. If there’s ever an opportunity to impart knowledge, I would share it.”

While it does mean a strenuous workload - Uichanco often works weekends and sometimes needs to attend to emergencies that happen at odd hours - he loves his expanded role. 

He remembered with amusement a recent trip to St John’s Island with some student volunteers. 

“They had so much fun being there and they took so many photos and selfies.”

“My experience in Singapore has been very rewarding. I think I am lucky in that I feel I am appreciated for the things that I contribute. I say this while cognizant of the fact that teachers in other places face some of the hardest challenges.”

The article is brought to you by James Cook University, Singapore.

Top images from (left) Joseph Uichanco, (right) Steve Kerrison.