Dance event scheduled to raise sexual violence awareness

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STRIKE, DANCE, RISE —   NEVEAH Dance Group, shown here, will be performing at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School auditorium February 14 as part of a worldwide event called "One Billion Rising" to raise awareness on putting an end to sexual violence. The event is sponsored by REACH, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services of Oxford County. 

AREA — More than 1 billion women and children on the planet have been sexually assaulted, said REACH Coordinator Stephanie LeBlond. 

A significant number of sexual assaults occur right here in Oxford County, she said. Two-thirds of all reports REACH receives, she said, typically involve 18-year-olds and younger. 

"We are talking about our kids," she said. 

To raise awareness of physical and sexual violence, REACH (Rape Education and Crisis Hotline), a non-profit Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Service in Oxford County, is hosting a "One Billion Rising" event, February 14, in the OHCHS auditorium. 

The event will begin at 7 p.m.

One Billion Rising is a worldwide movement held in conjunction with V-Day, a global activist movement to raise awareness and put an end to sexual violence against women and young girls, LeBlond explained.

The event is inspired by the "The Vagina Monologues," a play that touches on matters of love, sex and rape, written by Eve Ensler, who also helped launch "V-Day." 

This year marks the 15th anniversary of The Vagina Monologues, LeBlond said. 

She said Ensler, an activist against violence towards women, estimated that currently, around 1 billion women and children on Earth have been sexually or physically assaulted. 

"We are trying to get people to stand up and say 'enough,'" LeBlond said.  

The event is meant for dancers and dance companies from different areas of Oxford County to come together as one and "move the Earth." 

She said everyone is encouraged to attend. 

Also on February 14, WOXO Radio in Norway will discuss sexual violence in Oxford County at 1 p.m. and local churches will ring their bells all at once, to raise awareness. 

The theme of One Billion Rising, said LeBlond, is "rise, dance, strike." 

NEVEAH Dance Group, Art Moves Dance, Jaci's Jazzettes, along with five other dancers and dance companies will feature performances.

"Different counties are doing different things," LeBlond explained. For instance, she said, other nearby counties are considering doing a flash mob at 1 p.m. to raise awareness on the issue. 

"They [One Billion Rising] were hoping if we got enough people to stand up, dance and strike at the same time, that we could 'shake the world,'" LeBlond said. 

LeBlond encourages those interested in attending the February 14 event to visit www.onebillionrising.org and learn the choreography to "Break the Chain" so they can all join in. 

"On the website you can actually learn the steps to the dance," LeBlond said. 

"We are trying to rally people," she said. According to LeBlond, REACH staff have been holding practice sessions to learn the dance. 

She said everyone is encouraged to stand up and join the performance. "We want as many people to join in as possible," she said.

Light refreshments will be provided. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under to raise money for efforts to end sexual violence.