Grier Cooper

One Billion Rising, a global dance revolution slated for Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2013, invites the world to take it to the streets and dance in support of ending violence against women. Imagine one billion people all over the world, using the power of numbers to spread this message…. And you could be one of them. Call it the world’s largest flash mob –and who doesn’t love a good flash mob – especially one with a purpose that aims to serve the greater good.

As a sticker on the OBR website states, hard times require furious dancing.

The catalyst of this dance phenomenon is V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls started by playwright Eve Ensleur (creator of The Vagina Monologues ) and a group of women in New York City. Each year Eve allows groups around the world to produce a performance of the play, as well as other works created by V-Day, and use the proceeds for local individual projects and programs that work to end violence against women and girls.
V-Day also stages large-scale benefits and produces innovative gatherings, films and campaigns to educate and change social attitudes towards violence against women.

The legendary dancer Debbie Allen has choreographed a simple dance sequence to the One Billion Rising anthem “Break the Chain” written by acclaimed songwriter Tena Clark. “Break the Chain” was recorded by young women and the flash mob features teens from around the New York City area.

Feeling inspired? It’s easy to get involved. Search the website to find a local rising in your area or start one yourself. You can also download the toolkit and help promote the event or start your own rising. There’s still plenty of time to learn the choreography; it’s simple and straightforward.

Here’s a video to get you started. Learn the moves directly from Debbie Allen:

All over the world, the word is spreading and people are rehearsing. It’s easy to see why when you consider:

• IN THREE WOMEN ON THE PLANET WILL BE RAPED OR BEATEN IN HER LIFETIME.
• ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITY
• ONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION

One Billion Rising France:

OBR Hong Kong:

The words “dance activism” have been rolling around in my brain a lot lately and I’m toying with ways to take it out in the world to help promote dance as an integral part of our culture. Dance is a tool of expression, celebration and connection in so many other countries… why not ours? With obesity levels in the United States reaching an all-time high, it’s certainly clear that people need to move more often, in general.

Question:Which sounds more fun: an hour of salsa dancing or an hour on the treadmill?

No contest, right? But dance needs to be more accessible in order to reach more people. Take it out of the studio and off the stage… bring it to the streets….

like in Paris:

It’s already starting to happen with events like Beth Fein’s dance anywhere® , Bay Area National Dance Week and let’s not forget flash mob dancing.

In fact, dance anywhere®, the global dance party, is coming up on March 30^thnoon Pacific Time, 3pm NYC, 9pm Europe. Visit the website for more information or to register your own event. Beth Fein created the event in 2005, after asking the question:

What if there was a public celebration of dance everywhere, around the world, simultaneously?

What if, in one moment, the whole world started dancing?

Plenty of people want to find out the answer… I happen to be one of them.

The 14^th Annual Bay Area National Dance Week, the most extensive and best-attended dance festival in the nation, follows a few weeks later, beginning on April 20^th with One Dance, a different take on flash mob dancing (learn the choreography here). Joyce Theater is also producing Le Grand Continental by Montréal-based choreographer Sylvain Émard at the South Street Seaport this summer in New York.

What would the world look like if more people were dancing? Let’s find out.

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Grier Cooper

the writer in a dancer's body

Tag Archives: flash mob

One Billion Rising: A Global Dance Revolution

Dance Set Free From the Stage and the Studio