Dance It Out

“Dance it out” is a dance program for teenagers aged 12 to 18 living at the Adolescent Protection Unit "Agia Varvara" in Nea Smyrni. The title captures exactly what the program sets out to do, movement and dance become a means to "dance out" whatever weighs you down, to free yourself and to connect with yourself and with others. Through creative movement workshops, the participants come into contact with dance within a safe, experiential and inclusive framework, designed specifically for their psychosocial needs and the effects of institutional living.

Through movement games, improvisation, trust exercises and collective choreographies, the participants take on different roles, from dancers and choreographers to audience members, cultivating creativity, cooperation and a positive self image. The program operates as Educational Action Research, the team observes, records and continuously adapts the activities according to the needs of the group.

This action addresses the need for access to cultural and creative opportunities that is often missing from communities like this one.

Key elements of the program:

• Regular, progressive workshops that gradually build trust and physical contact within the group.

• Training for the facilitation team in safe physical contact techniques and group management with teenagers in residential care.

• Documentation of the benefits of the intervention through a research text developed alongside the implementation.

Credits

Coordination, research: Maria Papadopoulou

Facilitation: Dora Sarri, Lina Vergopoulou

The program was implemented with the financial support and under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture.