Move to Move Beyond®
Healing through Movement
“Movement gives me wings and a sense of freedom.”
Workshop participant
The Move to Move Beyond® program is an evidence-based program that offers the transformative power of movement to survivors of gender-based violence and their families.
Launched in 1999 in partnership with Sanctuary for Families, the Move to Move Beyond (MTMB) program provides an environment for positive physical expression and has vividly demonstrated that movement, physical awareness and creativity can play a remarkable role in healing trauma. The program has since expanded to include partners such as Safe Horizon, Barrier Free Living, Henry Street Settlement, Community Health Action of Staten Island among many other New York City organizations.
Over 100 free Move to Move Beyond (MTMB) program workshops are offered annually to individuals and families who are on journeys to healthier futures, and a virtual model of our Move to Move Beyond (MTMB) program workshops was also created in response to COVID-19 and its impact on survivors. Gibney is continuing to offer this model as a way for each partner to determine the best way to support their communities.
The central dynamic of an abusive relationship is one person having power and control over someone else. A collaborative workshop environment, paired with our four-part program model, encourages choice, self-expression, trust-building, and sharing:
Four Part Model
Our workshops follow a unique four-part progression that reflects the Company’s artistic process:
1. Look Inside: Reflect: Movement and creativity foster reflection and self-awareness that can lead to greater self-confidence.
2. Speak Through Movement: Express: Movement and creativity encourage choice and decision-making. These activities help participants listen to their inner voices, express their feelings, choices and thoughts using their bodies.
3. Work Together: Collaborate: Moving and creating in a group is an enriching experience with valuable social and artistic rewards. Working together validates the experiences of every member of the group and helps to feel more connected to one another.
4. Take Care™: Dancers share effective tools, which participants can easily practice on their own outside of the workshops, for stress reduction and self-care.
Impact
According to programmatic evaluation, 94% of participants reported that the workshop helped them to connect with themselves and with others. The most common emotions experienced before the workshop were feelings of tiredness, stress, and nervousness/anxiety. After the workshop, most clients reported feeling energized, confident, and inspired.
“I found myself really connecting to the music and to giving myself that time to connect… to my body, which I had disconnected from for a long time.” -Study Participant
The results of a recently published study showed that survivors of intimate partner violence who participated in Move to Move Beyond (MTMB) program virtual workshops experienced improved mood and reduced tension. Survivors also found new ways to express themselves, attune to their bodies, learn new self-care habits, and build community as they engaged in the workshops. Over the course of the study, the participants’ symptoms of PTSD and psychological distress lessened.
Learn more about the study here.
Learn more here or contact Emily Tellier at emilyt@gibneydance.org.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call NYC’s 24-hour hotline at 1–800-621–4673, the National Domestic Violence 24-hour Hotline at 1−800−799−7233, or 911 for emergencies. You can also use SafeChat to chat with an advocate at Safe Horizon, Monday through Friday between 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.
The Move to Move Beyond® program has received generous support from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, the New York City Council, and the NYU Community Fund.
MOVE TO MOVE BEYOND is the exclusive, registered service mark, and GIBNEY is the exclusive service mark, of Gina Gibney Dance Inc.