According to the American Cancer Society’s website, “Studies show that exercise is generally safe during cancer treatment, and can improve many aspects of health, including muscle strength, balance, fatigue, and depression. Physical activity after diagnosis is linked to living longer and a reduced risk of the cancer returning among people living with breast, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancer – among other forms of the disease.”

Dance in general generates a better and positive self or body image; stimulates self-esteem or self-expression; encourages different exercises and sense of well-being; makes a cancer patient laugh; reduces mental tension and chronic body pain; removes the feeling of isolation; strengthen self-confidence; and decreases depression, stress, or anxiety. Thus all these are common issues which a cancer patient fights regularly and dance movement therapy helps in removing them off.

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Barrio Alegria and Breast Cancer Support Services are partnering up to create a project that helps engage cancer survivors and patients in a healing through the arts project.

Barrio Alegria choreographers will develop 4 dance pieces that will serve as a tool to tell of the impact of cancer in our lives. The choreographies will be developed after Barrio choreographers meet with people who have been impacted by cancer: Cancer survivors, people who are fighting it, and family members of folks who have or have fought or have lost the battle to cancer.

Outreach efforts for participation in this project will be focused on cancer patients and survivors.
No experience is necessary. Our choreographers understand that this project is not looking to achieve the mastery of technique but to serve as a healing mechanism for all those impacted by cancer.

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