On Thursday Half Moon Bay will join cities around the world for One Billion Rising, the largest day of action in the history of V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.
One Billion Rising began as a call to action based on the statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.
So on Feb. 14, 2013, V-Day’s 15th anniversary, people across the world will express their outrage at violence toward women and demand change in locally organized flash dance mobs — surprise performances of a choreographed dance.
Here in Half Moon Bay, a flash dance mob is planned to take place in the New Leaf Community Market's parking lot starting at noon.
Organized by Coastsider Dasha Bogdanoff-Jerabek, everyone is invited to participate. You just need to learn the steps, which is a simple dance sequence to the One Billion Rising anthem “Break the Chain” written by acclaimed songwriter Tena Clark. You can learn the choreography to the anthem directly from dancer and award-winning choreographer Debbie Allen by clicking here.
Or, you can just come to New Leaf and watch.
“It’s great to have this peaceful demonstration here at New Leaf,” said Leslie Geller, New Leaf’s marketing and community outreach coordinator, who is planning to come into work and video the event even though it’s her day off. “The organizers asked if they could host a flash dance mob here, and we thought it sounded like a great idea considering the issues they are raising awareness about.”
The dance will actually only last four and half minutes long. The performers will most likely perform in the parking area in the front of the store, said Geller, who thinks a lot of people are planning to attend.
One Billion Rising is described on the V-Day web site as:
• A global strike
• An invitation to dance
• A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends
• An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers
• A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given
• A new time and a new way of being
“When we started V-Day 14 years ago, we had the outrageous idea that we could end violence against women,” said founder Eve Ensler. “Now, we are both stunned and thrilled to see that this global action is truly escalating and gaining force, with union workers, parliament members, celebrities, and women of all backgrounds coming forward to join the campaign. When we come together on February 14, 2013 to demand an end to violence against women and girls it will be a truly global voice that will rise up.”
Are planning to attend? Will you dance or watch?
IF YOU GO
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, noon to 1 p.m.
New Leaf Market parking lot
150 San Mateo Road, Half Moon Bay
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