Did you know October is Domestic Violence Awareness month? NYC’s Gibney Dance Center’s Community Action initiative has been working for over a decade to educate the public on this issue and empower survivors through dance.

“Dancers…move freely and confidently, using movement as a means of expression,” says artistic and executive director Gina Gibney. “Survivors of domestic violence have had the opposite experience: their actions and instincts have been restricted and repressed.” Gibney offers movement as a method of recovery for survivors, hoping it will provide an opportunity to explore self-expression and re-build self confidence.

The studio is hosting free, public events throughout this month, including information sessions, yoga and guided meditations, a stress-management seminar and a photo shoot campaign where members of the public can have their photos taken for Gibney Dance Center’s Facebook page, holding a virtual “I am against violence” banner. More information is available at gibneydance.org/community or the studio’s Facebook page.