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Through classes and performances,
Purple Moon Dance Project hopes to become a vehicle for
positive social change, promoting acceptance and understandingof
diverse heritages, bringing peace and healing and to our
communities.
Purple Moon Dance Project is...
"diversity made physical"
Artistic Director Jill Togawa's background
includes many years of formal dance training in hula, modern
dance and ballet, and additional study of Balinese, Japanese,
and African folk dance traditions.
Both Jill and her artistic collaborators
share a common vision of creating art in movement built
on indigenous spiritual traditions, enabling women to achieve
greater intimacy with themselves and with each other.
Purple Moon Dance Project has provided
workshops and classes for the lesbian and women's multi-cultural
communities it serves, as well as benefit performances for
non-profit organizations such as:
- San Francisco Women Against Rape
- San Francisco Women's Building
- All Our Families Coalition
- Asian Pacific Islander Lesbian
and Bisexual Network
- University of San Francisco's
Center for Gender Equity
- Los Angeles Asian Pacific Islander
Sisters
- ULLOAH (Lesbians of African Heritage)
- VIVA (Latina/Latino Lesbian Artists)
- Asian Lesbian Network
Each of our educational programs is
individually adapted to the needs of the group we serve,
whether they be seniors, women in recovery from substance
abuse, pregnant women, or other groups. Purple Moon Dance
Project uses non-western dance and spiritual traditions
to honorthe importance of ritual in other cultures and to
allow the expression ofsensuality between women.
A typical program may include the
following:
- physical warm-up
- meditation
- improvised and structured movement,
in partners and as a group
- percussion, music and spoken word
- performance by class members to
acknowledge the efforts of the participant
Purple Moon Dance Project's programs
are more than just fun...
-- they are a tool for therapy!
Dance improves self-awareness, promotes
comfort with one's body, and increases strength and flexibility.
Dance releases stress, and supports self-expression and
self-esteem.
Each group we teach will receive different
benefits. For older lesbians, it was important for us to
address fears about their capacity for movement,loss of
flexibility, and possibility of injury due to age. For women
in recovery, dance provides a positive outlet for their
excess energy, promotes self-esteem, and allows them to
focus their self-awareness.
WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE THE IDEAL
ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERY WOMAN TO RECEIVE WHAT SHE NEEDS WHILE
PARTICIPATING FULLY IN THE GROUP.
- Some of the groups we've served
in the past are:
- Women and Children's Family Services
- Women's Alcoholism Center
- Latina Self-Help Project
- Asian Pacifica and Bisexual Network
- National Latina Health Organization
- All Girls Photo Project
- California Women’s Commission
on Addictions
- GLOE; Gay and Lesbian Outreach
to Elders
- Alternative Family Project
- Lavender Youth Recreation and
Information Center (LYRIC)
- Stanford University
- Pomona College
- National Women’s Music Festival
- The Riley Center
- Women’s Health Leadership
- Harvey Milk Institute
Let us know if we can create a program
for your group! |