Freedom from violence….
In a world where violence has systematically robbed individuals of the freedom to live and breathe freely in their bodies, the importance of dance has become more pressing than ever before.
From the beginning of time, movement has communicated joy, pain, community, and love. Dance is and has always been a force for resilience. Over time, the power of dance has been politically, socially, and culturally restricted while across our global society, violence and greed have gained power. People find themselves feeling disconnected, disassociated, and dissatisfied. Together with One Billion Rising, Kolkata Sanved will enhance the revolution against gender-based violence through the profoundly transformative power of dance.
Saving Lives Through Dance…..
Kolkata Sanved believes that all individuals, from marginalized and mainstream population, should live with dignity and self-respect. This basic sense of empowerment and integrity can be achieved through Dance Movement Therapy (DMT). This approach was developed to break the exploitative, patriarchal, and oppressive boundaries that have restricted women and girls in India. We believe in the profoundly transformative power of movement that is not choreographed, staged, or for the sake of pleasing others.
Cycles of violence begin and end with the body. When individuals experience violence, feelings of guilt, shame, and self loathing create negative stigmas associated with the body. The Kolkata Sanved program allows individuals to find freedom within themselves through movement which works to break the mental and emotional patterns of violence.
The Kolkata Sanved approach focuses on using dance as a vehicle for learning necessary life-skills, renewing a healthy mind-body relationship, addressing psychosocial issues, and developing new community bonds. Dance as a resource for such personal and community development has yielded impactful positive results as individuals create their own paths to empowerment and freedom.
Dance Movement Therapy and Transformation…..
DMT has proven immensely successful in addressing the trauma experienced by survivors of human trafficking and violence. Trafficking violates basic human rights, especially those connected with the body including agency, movement, freedom, and expression. Using dance and movement sensitively provides an avenue for survivors to re-build self confidence, a positive mind-body connection, and importantly, hope. Through a creative process that works to shed negative stigmas associated with the body, survivors unlock their potential and become empowered activists in their own right, promoting gender equity and human rights.
Dance is not only an art form or a tool for rehabilitation, it is as an untapped force connecting humans across the globe that has the potential to change the way the world approaches empowerment and peace building. It is not the horror stories of exploitation that propel our work for justice, women’s rights, and social change. It is the happiness, hope, and unadulterated power that dance and creative expression evoke in individuals and survivors of trafficking and violence alike that show the power of this work to change lives. Movement has the ability to heal, transform, and empower. Too often, our world focus on material necessities while forgetting the immense importance of mental and emotional wellness, of joy and expression, of agency, dignity, and creativity. Dance promotes all of these.
The Event…
On December 18th 2014, Kolkata Sanved and Tabla Maestro, Pandit Tanmoy Bose will team up with One Billion Rising and Eve Ensler, the renowned American playwright, performer, feminist and activist, to stage an inspirational performance showcasing the power of movement to amplify the voices of anti-gender based violence activists in India. This year’s inaugural performance will bring together 100 youth residing in and around Kolkata who have found freedom in dance through the Kolkata Sanved program. Youth will rise together in an un-choreographed dance of freedom, making an internationally recognized statement against gender based violence. From this year onward, The Kolkata Sanved One Billion Rising performance will be an annual event highlighting the power of movement to change lives and to change the world. The annual performance will spark debate and discussion spanning many disciplines including gender and dance activism.
“Kolkata Sanved believes that all individuals, from marginalized and mainstream populations, should live with dignity and self-respect. This basic sense of empowerment and integrity can be achieved through dance movement therapy.”
For more information about Sohini Chakraborty watch this Creating4Change Sneak Preview:
To contact or follow Kolkata Sanved’s work:
E-mail– [email protected], Web– www.kolkatasanved.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kolkata-Sanved/279528645417344
