Prevention Through Dance

Today at Voices for Prevention we would like to celebrate dance in the world of suicide prevention. Dance has been proven to be a great form of therapy in addition to standard treatments for depression and mental health disorders. Dance not only allows participants an opportunity for physical activity, but also provides a space for individuals who feel depressed to interact with others on an emotional and social level. Dance allows individuals to move with courage and freedom, that we cannot always express in our everyday lives.

You do not have to be a skilled dancer to enjoy dancing. All it takes is a song in your heart and movement of your body to participate. We at Voices for Prevention encourage all our readers to take a moment today to dance. Turn on your favorite song, close your eyes, take deep breath, and move in any way you feel. Let the music and your heart take lead.

We would like to highlight the work Galen Hooks, a professional choreographer and dancer, does within the dance community. She encourages all her students to dance through their fears, anxiety’s, and sadness to present their true selves to the world. We hope you enjoy the below clip of one of her students KJ dancing. Galen Hooks is based out of California but does travel nationwide and teaches. To find out more about Galen Hooks and her dance courses you may go to https://www.galenhooks.com/speakeasy .

If you or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255, or dial 911. The Crisis Text Line for Georgia is Text GA to 741741, this is a free 24/7 text line for people in crisis.