In Boulder Creek, Jazzercise Instructor Amber Walker and Boulder Creek Rec, under District Manager Hallie Greene, brought dozens of people of all ages together to dance to “Break the Chain,” the One Billion Anthem. Why dance you ask? One Billion Founder, Eve Ensler explains, “Dance is dangerous, joyous, sexual, holy, disruptive, contagious; it breaks the rules. It can happen anywhere, anytime, with anyone and everyone, and it’s free. Dancing insists we take up space, we go there together in community. Dance joins us and pushes us to go further and that it why it’s at the center of ONE BILLION RISING.” How wonderful of Amber Walker and Hallie Greene to bring this together!

In Santa Cruz, over 150 women, men and children marched down Pacific Avenue holding candles in support of women and girls who are suffering rape and worse, and then came together at the Museum of Art & History, packing in the entry hall and up the stairs, and filling the patios.

There were table displays by various Women’s organizations working in Santa Cruz, including the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission that our own Sheila DeLany serves on, as well as Walnut Ave Women’s Center, Women’s Crisis Support, Survivors Healing Center (which had a display at the Redwood Mountain Faire last year), and others.

The World Chorus sang, and it was beautiful. Then Santa Cruz too joined in the “Break the Chain” dance, and the celebration went on for many hours. VWC members Linda Moore, Donna Ziel, Sheila DeLany, and Nancy Macy were among those at the event. (Please send us your experiences if you attended! Send to nbbm@cruzio.com)

Click on these links for more info:

One Billion Rising Info page:

http://www.onebillionrising.org/pages/about-one-billion-rising

Learn the dance:

http://onebillionrising.org/blog/entry/let-debbie-allen-teach-you-the-steps-to-the-break-the-chain-choreography

Watch the “Break the Chain” video/download the song:

http://onebillionrising.org/blog/entry/we-have-an-anthem”

Photo attached. World Chorus performs at Santa Cruz event. Please credit Linda Moore.