Why DanceForHOPEVI?

As a survivor of domestic violence and rape, Dr. K, turned to dance as a healthy coping mechanism and resilience factor which continues to serve her holistic healing journey to this day - hence the cultural arts focus for Girlfriendism's non-profit branch, H.O.P.E. Her dissertation research, Caribbean Women, Music, and Dance: Self-Expression and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Recovery, is a qualitative exploration of Caribbean women in the U.S. Virgin Islands who have recovered from IPV. The findings affirmed that survivors in the U.S. Virgin Islands attributed their healing, resilience, cultural pride and resilience in part to Caribbean music, dance and culture. See below for an excerpt of the introduction - it begins to shed light on why H.O.P.E. offers culturally specific services to serve survivors of violence and foster commUNITY healing:

Historically, Caribbean women, who are descendants of Afro-Atlantic peoples, have used music and dance to continually represent…