Sexual Violence Survivors Find Hope, Support Via Dancing Is My Voice

FAIRFAX, VA — On Sunday, survivors of sexual violence will gather on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., for Dancing Is My Voice 2022. The annual event allows attendees a chance to connect with each other, share resources for hope and healing, and participate in creative public expression.

"For me personally, I have found a lot of healing in being able to talk about my experience," said Lisa Francia of Fairfax, the founcer of Dancing is My Voice. "When I was in a trauma recovery program, after I was raped in 2012, one of the things that they told me ... was that somebody has to talk about the trauma that happened to them an average of about 20 times before they can start to experience any healing. You just have to get it out."

Sunday will be the sixth year Dancing is My Voice has met at the Lincoln Memorial. This year's theme is "Moving Together Through the Pain," and will feature speakers, raffles, and opportunities to dance and participate in Zumba and yoga classes. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Although Sunday's event is open to the public, Francia encourages fellow survivors to attend and take advantage of the resources that will be available and the opportunity to enjoy themselves with those who had similar experiences.

"I know it's a really heavy topic. It's to support survivors of sexual violence, but it's supposed to be a super-fun day and we have different providers who we can connect them with," she said.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, will present an introduction to their services and Cherie with conduct a Defend Yourself Self-Defense Workshop.

Other speakers making presentations on Sunday include:

• Tiffani Dilworth, a licensed clinical professional counselor and author of 11 Tools to Help Manage the Aftermath of Trauma and Types of Grief
• Crystal Brooks, Best Selling Author of When Silence is Misunderstood and a certified forgiveness coach
• Sandy Krowne of ChangeistheMovement

"The idea is to bring different people together, different providers, who will give people ideas for how to get through it, but also just all of us being together," Francia said. "There's something about sharing a common experience."

Partners for Sunday's Dancing Is My Voice 2022 include: Victim Services Branch and the Metropolitan Police Department; Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA); DC Forensic Nurse Examiners; Safe Shores DC Children’s Advocacy Center; DC Victim Hotline; Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN); Network for Victim Recovery DC; Crime Victims Compensation Program of the DC Superior Court; Tzedek DC; OSSE/DC ReEngagement Center; Defend Yourself; Tears for Children; The Linner Foundation; Artbae; Microsoft; Wegmans Bethesda; and the Women's Small Business Initiative, LLC