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FLIGHT, FIGHT, FREEZE! Moving Toward Peace is a successful, interactive dance program that
promotes non-violence and anger management with inner-city youth and adultsl in Cincinnati, Ohio. The program
builds participant's self esteem and empowers people to to take a stand for
positive things in life. Some examples would be: gettting good grades or a promotion, rejecting peer pressure, say no
to drugs and crime, to support one another in moments of need, to
listen to inner feelings and impulses, and to express themselves
creatively.
By introducing people to a healthy creative outlet for anger, stress
or helplessness, we instill a sense of self worth in each participant,
aiding their drive to get better grades or continue their education,
enter the work force, continue to be creative, support local artistic
programs and become active community members.
Facilitators guide participants through a dance warm up to music,
including an opportunity to improvise on their own, followed by
exercises designed specifically for that day's topic. Topics include:
body awareness, anger management, how to support others, violence
prevention and creative expression. The activities are designed to
teach how to: respect personal space; identify things that make them
angry; explore how anger grows and ways to decrease it; and support
each other in hard times. The workshops transform fight and flight
energy into healthy assertion and positive decision making, and always
finish with a large circle of the students holding hands. Teachers
The workshops are facilitated by the FLIGHT, FIGHT, FREEZE!
Ensemble, a group of local dance artists who are a part of a unique
professional company, radical in its commitment to teach children
different ways of expressing and releasing anger and acting
non-violently. Calendar: Upcoming dates Testimonials
"Since we began the program with our seventh and eighth grade students,
we have seen remarkable results. Violent confrontations . . . are down
from last year by 10%. . . The students rave about the program and
can't wait from one session to the next. Even our most hesitant
students are taking an active part in the program, and they love it!"
---Kathryn Chambers, principal
95% of participants showed development of anger management skills. The
students reported learning "there are different ways to handle anger",
"anger is not to solve everything" and "to take anger out on a pillow
or a ball rather than a person."
---Based on program results from 2003-04
Our students learn coping skills that will
reduce stress and contribute to life long habits of well being and
social adjustment.
---Meredith Hardin, Hays Elementary Click here to read more testimonials
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