Valentine’s Day was not just a day of chocolates, flowers and candy hearts at the University of Montana campus this year. Thursday at noon meant time to rise up. Rise up against violence against women, since one out of every three women will be raped or abused in her lifetime. UM students along with Missoula community members joined on the oval to join the world in “One Billion Rising”, a movement to change this violence through dance. Dance students learned a simple routine a few days before the performance, and the steps were available to anyone online.
“Being a part of the “One Billion Rising” dance was exhilarating, and it felt good to make a change” said dance student at UM.
Broadcasted on NBC, videotaped by the camps newspapaer, the Kaimin, and being known worldwide was great recognition for the message. UM joined America and over two hundred countries worldwide in a dance to make change. Valentine’s day is a day of love, not violence and hate. This was definitely shown by the smiles on all the dancers’ faces that afternoon in the oval. One dance will not solve the world’s problems, yet UM women and women across the globe are willing to bring awareness, so that in twenty years we don’t still have the same problems. We dance today to fix the problems of tomorrow.