Persian Dance Class Helped Me Survive an Abusive Marriage…
"Dance is prayer for some of us and formed components of our spirituality in our lives at some point.”
Jeannie, a student who took Persian dance class with me from 2012-2013.
Read about Jeannie's story of cultivating the strength needed to leave a life threatening abusive relationship:
"I took Classical Persian in 2012-2013 and it was transformative and helped me gather strength to get into a DV shelter and to fight on these last ten years!
This [class] really helped me survive an abusive marriage which involved death threats, financial abuse and being unable to escape due to being low income with a super bad car and no sustainable social support with two young children.
Before I was able to get to Safe Place [a domestic violence shelter], I had an hour of class time and time to and from to reconnect from late 2012 -2013. I was very isolated with two kids, a special medical needs toddler, nursing infant barely two years apart, no family, friends disappeared, carrying 90 extra lbs with damaged knees.
I felt disconnected from my body, defeated, isolated, degraded and pretty hopeless. Having already been a survivor of both assault, violence and a purity exam by force, I was not sure I would survive mentally, first abuse, and then abandonment with two kids.
I am so glad I took that class and I am so glad you were as understanding as you were. Your praxis worked with the flow of body and spirit.
I needed one area of respite just to feel human. And it was Classical Persian Dance with you. I regained enough sense of connection to survive the coming onslaught of years of turmoil, and having four more diagnoses with kids' health.
I honestly believe if I had not have had some sense of regaining my dignity in your class from 2012-2013, I would have never survived all of these nearly 10 years of struggle. Thank you again. I still use some movement to manage the trauma and to walk through and attempt to reclaim and reconnect to continue on."
💃 Dance to Heal.