Workshop in a Domestic Violence Shelter
with 1 shelter session
Problem
The women of Gina Gibney Dance have dedicated their lives to rigorous training and their artistry is expressed with freedom and confidence. Survivors of domestic violence have had the opposite experience: their actions and instincts have been restricted and repressed, and they have been stripped of self-confidence. The Domestic Violence Project brings these two opposing experiences together through empowering movement workshops that encourage survivors of violence to develop self-esteem.
The Gift
This gift will allow a dancer to teach one workshop session to survivors at a domestic violence shelter. Ironically, in most domestic violence shelters, little or no attention is paid to the body. The Domestic Violence Project fills this crucial gap by using movement and creativity to help survivors of violence develop self-awareness, regain a more positive self-image and take steps to reclaim their lives. These workshops provide a safe, supportive and empowering atmosphere where survivors can explore – and be in control of – their own movement choices and emotions. Our workshops encourage the women to reflect upon their own personal qualities, experiences and aspirations. By making creative choices and expressing themselves in words and motion, the women develop self-confidence and a sense that their feelings, ideas and creations are important. We also provide many opportunities for the women to interact and collaborate, and help to break the social isolation that is associated with domestic abuse and living in a shelter.