Free Fantastic Live Show on Valentine's Day 3-4pm at LA City Hall South Plaza To End Violence Against Women and Girls

Spend Valentine’s Day supporting One Billion Rising for Revolution in their global campaign to end violence against women and girls. Simply attend this incredible free event filled with amazing acts, awesome artistry, dancing galore, and motivational speeches.

Just take the Metro Red Line from Universal City Station to Civic Center, avoiding driving and parking hassles. For those hesitant to travel eve on a spectacular sunny southern CA day, you can still watch it live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLnypm1oGdk.

You’ll be moved by the passion of people who put together such an extraordinary lineup: Crunch Fitness Aerial Pole Performers, Magnolia Memoir Cinematic Alt-Rock Group, Flash Mob Dance as choreographed by Debbie Allen, Speakers: Sufi Bradshaw and G. Hannelius, Belly Dancers, DJ, and surprise guests. More information below on these terrific talents.

Organized by V-Day Studio City founder and resident Thespian, Maxie Solters, One Billion Rising DTLA is sure to brighten up your Valentine’s Day whether you have a sweetheart or not.

For Solters, “It’s far more than a movement. It’s a call to action for worldwide change. By standing up and rising together in one incredible weekend, we demand that violence against women stops. We demand that we are able to walk down the streets without fear of being assaulted. We demand to be heard and take back our power.”

Maxie has been working with V-Day International for eight years and her passion for the cause has only grown. She produces and performs in the V-Day Studio City production of The Vagina Monologues every year to raise awareness and funds.

Solters revealed, “I will continue to do so as long as my heart is beating. This rising is personal to me on many levels. It’s not an option for me not to rise. It’s something in my soul and every fiber of my being. We will continue this movement until the violence ends. I’m sure of it.”

Peace Over Violence, a local charity committed to building healthy relationships, families and communities free from sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence, will be sharing resources and information about their programs, services, and ways to volunteer!

A Window Between Worlds, a nonprofit organization, dedicated to using art as a healing tool to empower and transform individuals and communities impacted by violence and trauma, is offering a free, hands-on art workshop designed for everyone. Make sure to stop by and let your creative juices flow!

Co-organizer, Kristina Mitchell is diligently devoted, having proudly organized One Billion Rising LA for the last three consecutive years. She has worked with V-Day for eight years and produced/directed The Vagina Monologues for five.

According to Mitchell, “Violence towards women and girls is a human inflicted, global epidemic. However, there is a cure. The problem is also the solution. If we can commit these atrocities, we can STOP them. It’s up to us to help each other and educate the world on how to live harmoniously and treat women with respect, equality, and kindness.”

Flash mob dance leader, Tina Banchero, will be joined by students from: Everybody Dance LA, which serves 2000 lower resource youth with free or low cost high quality dance classes; and Gabriella Charter School, an award winning charter school providing each student with daily dance opportunities.

Banchero, a professional dancer, teacher, and feminist, has been working for women’s rights since her college days when she realized she had only one female friend who hadn’t been raped, sexually assaulted or abused. “ I was devastated by the shear number of women in my circle who had experienced some sort of violence.

Once Tina began teaching, she found the amount of students with similar trauma was “staggering.” She has dedicated her life to breaking the cycle and believes that we can change this worldwide dilemma “through education, advocacy and art.”

Back by popular demand to lead the flash mob dance for his 3rd year in a row is Akil LuQman, revered for his role as the first Young Simba in the original National tour of The Lion King.

As a survivor of more than a decade of physical abuse and sexual assault, Akil is avid about healing his traumas while being a guiding light and role model for others. “One Billion Rising is my life’s work. It’s a pleasure to lend a hand when I can.”

Newly launching A.K.I.L. (Ambassadors of Kinetic Intelligence and Light) on V-Day and recurring monthly on the 14th, Akil aims to connect people from around the globe to heal the world on an energetic level. Join at: http://www.onebillionrising.org/events/the-body-of-light-meditation/#.VMfn2bXsep4.facebook and www.facebook.com/akilcall

LEARN THE FLASH MOB DANCE: Online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJQvJNfn0kc or go to youtube and type in How to learn “Break the Chain” Dance.

Participating in this worldwide celebration, taking place simultaneously in over 200 countries, is guaranteed to lift your spirits.

You can also contribute to the cause by sharing online at onebillionrising.org what Revolution means to you and hear how others define the phenomenon.

For this author, Revolution starts with a decision deep inside not to allow abusive behavior in any form, to or from yourself and those in your home, work place, neighborhood, city, state. That will, in turn, hopefully spread across the universe.

Violence is not only physical, domestic, and sexual. It also refers to verbal, emotional, psychological, and spiritual abuse. The damage is similarly deadly.

The most effective antidote is treating each other with Love, Tolerance, and Acceptance, essential keys to a peaceful planet. Let’s do our part now and Make Love Not War!!

In the words of John Lennon, “Imagine all the people living life in Peace.”

I’m eternally grateful to my daughter for sharing her passion with me and honored to have had the opportunity to help organize such an extremely worthy event.

TALENT: ALTERNATIVE ROCK GROUP MAGNOLIA MEMOIR, critically acclaimed for their artistic boldness, prodigious musicianship, imaginative arrangements and Frontwoman Mela Lee’s unique five octave vocal range, will perform tunes from their third studio album, Pale Fire, as well as their latest single, “No One Like You,” apropos for the occasion as it’s a beautiful ballad about love.

Check out the video of their single “Odds & Ends” here: https://bit.ly/OddsAndEnds

The highly eclectic band has been favorably compared to Spoon, The Black Keys, Florence & The Machine, Etta James, Sam Smith, Annie Lennox and Fiona Apple. Their growing fan base includes numerous tastemakers and celebrities such as Ryan Gosling, Will Forte, the late Andrae Crouch, and Margaret Cho (who directed one of their music videos).

Magnolia Memoir is Frontman, Alexander Burke, piano, Keys, vibraphone, organ; Mela Lee, vocals; Aron Forbes, electric and acoustic guitar; Keith Crutchfield, drums and Gordon Bash, upright & e-bass.

CRUNCH FITNESS AERIAL POLE PERFORMERS (alphabetically):

Isabelle Gleason is an accomplished life-long dancer and Level 6 gymnast. She made her dance performance debut at age four and went on to achieve mastery in multiple genres including modern, jazz, tap, and ballet. Her combined gymnastic and dance background provided the ideal pedigree to establish an outstanding aptitude for aerial pole in little more than a year’s time.

Lindsey Kimura is the Co-Founder and President of the Pole Championship Series (PCS) and Director of Business Development and Marketing for the XPERT Pole Fitness Professional Training program. She is an ACE and AFAA certified XPERT Pole Fitness Master Trainer, a Johns Hopkins University Public Health Studies graduate/ESPN All-American Varsity soccer player, and has taught pole fitness since 2009.

*Choreographer: Mercy Malick is an actor, musician, and multi-genre acrobat who has choreographed and/or performed pole sequences in numerous TV shows and films, most recently ABC’s “Castle” and TBS’s “Franklin and Bash.” Additional choreography credits include multiple films and a recent Old Navy commercial campaign. She currently teaches pole sport and yoga at Crunch Fitness in West Hollywood and Burbank.

Veronica Mendoza, a true free spirit and Santa Barbara native, is an actor and model who found pole sport two years ago. She has performed Lyra, Tissu, and Trapeze for media including Good Morning America and Associated Press, and now hopes to bring aerial pole arts to television and beyond, showcasing the many facets of the sport and the dedication, passion, and strength it requires.

Katherine Wallace is an Australian actress and dancer. Past works include feminist play Vinegar Tom, World Peace Goddess Poling for Somaly Mam Foundation, Demi Lovato’s anti-bullying performance at the TCA’s, and the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Shakespeare Benefit. Katherine believes in the power of art to contribute to social transformation and is honored to be part of One Billion Rising.

WHO: One Billion Rising LA in support of V-Day for One Billion Rising For Revolution 2015. “V-Day” is a 501(c)(3) non-profit created by Eve Ensler, author of “The Vagina Monologues.” V- Day raises money and awareness to help women who are victims of violence across the world.

1 in 3 women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. Every February, we rise – in hundreds of countries across the world – to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face.

We rise through dance to express joy and community and and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.

CONTACTS / Local Organizers for One Billion Rising Los Angeles:

Maxie Solters 818-929-0043

Kristina Mitchell 612-237-6544

Debra Graff 818-326-9003