Dancing Well: The Soldier Project

Dancing Well: The Soldier Project brings the uplifting power of music, dance, and community to Veterans and families coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and brain injury. We offer a powerful alternative to the depression, hopelessness, and isolation that can be so persistent in the lives of those with PTSD.

What can I say about the program Dancing Well? I found it when I was going through a very low point and on the verge of ending all. I was shutting down and desperate. I love to dance but I had severed all ties with the outside world and I was very negative. I decided to give it a try and that was it!

The way Ms. Deb teaches, the dances are very simple and easy and meant to be fun. I can laugh at myself and with others. The fact that many of us are military also re-establishes the bond and camaraderie of the ranks. The dances and socialization kept me smiling and engaged so I didn't think of anything negative, and the shadows and shame were kept out, at least for that night or two. Little by little, I have started to venture out.

The program was a lifesaver for me. I hope it can be expanded.

—Veteran with PTSD

PTSD affects:

• Nearly 1/3 of Vietnam Veterans
• 1 in 5 Iraqi war Veterans
• 11% of Veterans of the war in Afghanistan
• As many as 10% of Gulf War Veterans

Brain Injury:

• One of the “signature injuries” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan due to head injuries from improvised explosive devices.
• Symptoms sometimes overlap with PTSD, can affect memory and emotions and increase risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Impact on Families:

• PTSD and brain injury affect relationships with spouses, children, friends, and others.
• According to one researcher, “The harrowing combination of nightmares, flashbacks, hyper-vigilance, hyper-arousal, anger, and depression that plagues people with PTSD is often overwhelming for family members, too.”
• PTSD is one of the mental health issues most likely to negatively impact relationships.

The Dancing Well mission is bold, but simple: to help Veterans coping with PTSD and brain injury to heal and connect with others through uplifting dance, joyful live music, and a supportive community. 

This program is awesome! I felt so welcomed. I enjoyed the smiling faces and the warm hugs. I truly believe it will help me through the anxiety, fear, and discomfort that came home with me from combat.

—Veteran with PTSD

In our most recent dance series, 100% of Veterans with PTSD reported that they:

• felt welcome
• felt engaged with other participants and open to socializing with them
• felt a sense of community from being with other Veterans and loved ones
• felt they belonged to the Dancing Well group
• felt freedom to express themselves during dance sessions
• found the program fun and would recommend it to others
• are "very likely" to attend again 

There is always more to be done to support the emotional and physical wellbeing of Veterans with PTSD. Of our most recent cohort:

• Only 59% said they can handle down feelings easily
• 25% are not comfortable around groups outside of Dancing Well
• Only 2 in 3 strongly agree they have a sense of purpose in their life

Dancing Well has been scientifically proven to increase wellness in Veterans with PTSD, reducing tendency to isolate, improving mood and outlook on the future, and increasing feelings of connectedness and willingness to engage with others. 

I'm a Veteran, and when I came back from Iraq it was really hard. Dancing Well changed my life. The dancing, the people, everything. It's the best thing in my life.

—Veteran with PTSD

We are unique in creating a safe, welcoming environment for afflicted Veterans and their loved ones. With a 10-year track record, our dance program is carefully tailored to Veterans coping with mental, emotional, and physical challenges. We:

• modify dancing in the moment, catering to the unique needs of each Veteran, accommodating any issues they may have with anxiety, mobility, comfort, or pain
• provide a dance space designed to minimize symptoms of PTSD and brain injury, including low, non-fluorescent lights and a designated “Comfort Zone” for participants to go to if they begin to feel overwhelmed
• offer a welcoming social experience and fun, healthy exercise that includes Cross-Body Movements to build new neural pathways, a foundational component of healing from PTSD and brain injury

We are developing a leadership training to replicate our program in communities across the country and are currently working on a module on Military Sexual Trauma (MST). According to a recent VA study, MST affects an astonishing 41.5% of women and 4% of men who served in the Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan.

Dancing Well feels like being in the military again. The sense of camaraderie and caring for each other, you don't get that anywhere else.

It has helped me tremendously with my depression and limited mobility.

It helps you forget your troubles.

—Veterans with PTSD

Please give today!

Dancing Well has earned the Platinum rating on Candid (formerly Guidestar).