Photo by: Melanie Dexter
Hands are for Holding is an in-school dance experience based on Gibney’s Hands are for Holding ® model, developed to start a dialogue with young people around healthy and unhealthy relationships using dance performance and exploring topics such as boundaries, consent, bullying, and choices in everyday interactions.
-An in-school dance assembly based on Gibney’s Hands are for Holding ®.
CLICK HERE for a brief video sample.
Ormao Dance Company and TESSA are partnering to address an urgent crisis for middle and high school youth in El Paso County. This program provides a proactive and preventative approach to the social and emotional well-being of our youth. Dance provides this dynamic point of entry for meaningful dialogue within a safe space. Led by community educators, the program fosters discussion of relevant topics such as signs of bullying, the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, social isolation, boundaries and consent, and technological abuse.
El Paso County is the FIRST community outside of NYC to implement this program which will create a new generation of healthy, positive relationships. We are seeking awareness, support, and partners to launch this essential program in our community. Our first year goal is to reach 3000 youth during the 2019-20 School Year.
This program offers 4 dances with a TESSA facilitator engaging conversation and providing relevant learning in between each dance. The 4 dances are:
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- Connections: Dancers address the issue of technological bullying with movement, music, and dubbed text messages that increasingly interrupt the dance.
- Isolations: Dancers embody physical bullying and show how 1 person can make a difference by supporting the victim.
- Boundaries & Consent: Dancers movement reflects how you can set boundaries, change boundaries and also how to gain consent for boundaries as well as learn to respect others boundaries.
- Side by Side: 2 duets occur simultaneously, one duet reflects an unhealthy, manipulative relationship while the other duet shows a healthy, supportive relationship.
The program also includes interactive opportunities for students:
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- Gestures: Everyone learns 6 gestures representing patience, respect, support, equity, negotiation, and trust to help remember these aspects of a healthy relationship.
- Back to Back: Selected students come forward to work with the dancers and while in pairs, learn to rise from seated position as a physical example of how a healthy relationship can look and feel.
Program basics:
Location: Your school cafeteria, large assembly room, an auditorium.
Technology: Access to music sound system and preferably 2 microphones.
Duration: 50-80 minutes.
Available: Mondays 8am-12pm / Wednesdays 8am-12pm
Number of Students: 50 minimum to a maximum of 70.
Cost: Please inquire so we are better able to structure your cost to the program you choose.
