How it works
We mail DVDs
We mail interested prisons a complimentary set of Dance To Be Free DVDs for the recreation department and for prisoners to review and experience for themselves. If wi-fi is available, we provide free access to our online dance subscription site.
Set up training
If the DVDs/online classes generate interest, DTBF will schedule the initial live Dance Immersion/Training program.
Dance
We dance at the prison with our Teacher Trainings which are two days long (3-4 hours a day) and are for ALL skill levels. Optimally, we hold 4 trainings over a span of 12—18 months.
Teacher Training
Through our Trauma Informed Dance Teacher Training, we use “Cathartic Choreography” combined with leadership skills to empower our graduates to conduct peer-to-peer programming within the prison. Throughout this transformative experience, we teach the nuts and bolts of choreography, pro-social skills and group dynamics.
Just as importantly, we facilitate therapeutic journaling that nurtures introspection and self awareness that incarcerated women often need.
We have seen this technique help our students deal with physical and mental illness, including PTSD and complex trauma. Our training impacts the lives of students by changing the prison culture from punitive to restorative.
The Women.
Chelsea, a prisoner at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women teaches her original choreography for “My Power” by Beyonce and shares why she chose this song.
Change a life.
Help us continue our vital work with women in prison.
Prisons where we’ve danced.
Colorado
We launched our program at Denver Women's Correctional Facility in 2015. In 2016 we expanded to La Vista in Pueblo, CO. Dance To Be Free has completed 20 teacher-trainings in Pueblo's medium-security women's prison. Over 350 incarcerated women have completed our program. La Vista is demonstrating the fruits of our labor! After years of continual trainings - they are sustaining the program themselves like no other facility. They are teaching us! 2,769 participants have danced over 40 nights in 2023. A sea of bright yellow t-shirts fill up the gym as friends and enemies dance alongside each other. It's pure magic!
Nebraska
Dance To Be Free has completed 16 teacher-trainings at The Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (NCCW). In May of 2018, DTBF was invited to speak at the first ever live streamed Tedx Talk out of a prison. We shared the stage with 7 women serving life sentences who not only inspired the audience but humanized an often stigmatized population! NCCW has been the most supportive and welcoming prison we have had the privilege of working with since 2016. Our graduates have sustained DTBF on a weekly basis for 7 years - even during the pandemic!
Arkansas
In 2017 we expanded into 3 women's prisons in Arkansas in their medium and maximum facilities. There is little to no programming in these rural facilities due to their remote locations. We have maintained our programming due to a large amount of graduates sustaining the classes and local support with our Little Rock Community. It has been challenging to return to prison in AR since the pandemic but our graduates are still dancing! We plan on returning in 2024 to certify more women!
Hawaii
In 2018, DTBF expanded into 2 facilities in Hawaii, the maximum women's prison on Oahu and the jail on Maui. We were given permission to film at both facilities during 3 teacher trainings. Hawaii is another world and in need of programming.
In 2021 we returned to Oahu during the pandemic and had a great experience despite the state of the world!
In August of 2023 we were at the women’s prison on Oahu during the tragic fires on Maui. Our students were grieving the loss of Lahaina. We prayed and listened to them sing.
Mississippi
In May of 2018 DTBF expanded to Mississippi's minimum security women's prison in Flowood where we certified 22 women as dance teachers. In September of 2018 we expanded to the max facility (Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) where we certified 24 women and were given the chance to film our training! In March of 2019 we returned to the max facility to train an additional 25 women who are now dancing with the general population 4 times a week - 85 at a time!
Immediately before the pandemic we were in Mississippi at CMCF and all programming stalled until 2023.
We expanded our mission in January of 2023 to start dancing with men in prison! As of May we were in 2 male facilities, including Parchman. Check out our graduates dancing HERE (sorry for pixelation).
Florida
Lowell Correctional Institution located in Ocala, Florida. Lowell is the largest women's prison in the U.S. housing 3k women. We had an incredible group of 24 eager and ready students! We are now on our third training as of June of 2019. Since Lowell is so huge they have every type of incarceration - from youth offenders to death row.
We have offered 6 trainings since 2018 at Lowell including our latest visit in February of 2023.
We hope to collaborate with Florida State University on researching the benefits of our program.
Virginia
At the Central Virginia Correctional Unit #13, we worked with a dozen women in a minimum security/work release facility in Chesterfield, VA. We had the privilege of being filmed by Freethink based out of Washington, DC.
In July of 2023 we returned to VA to work with a new group of women taught by Misa Terral! We will return in 2024.
Tennessee
In May of 2019 we offered our first teacher training in TN to a dozen women who were eager to dance, express, share and move. Like our other remote locations, Bledsoe has little volunteer support due to the distance to Knoxville or nearby cities.
Since the pandemic we returned to TN in November of 2022 and March of 2023. Misa Terral led the latter training with great results!
North Carolina
Misa Terral, our NC regional dance instructor offered our first training at Swannanoa Women’s Correctional Center in Black Mountain, NC. They have since closed and we hope to expand to Raleigh in the future!
South Dakota
We offered a teacher training in Pierre, South Dakota in January 2020. The women’s prison in Pierre houses a population of 55% Native American women while Native Americans make up 10% of SD’s population.
We are finally able to return to SD in 2024 for our second training!
North Dakota
In 2022, we traveled to our newest prison in New England, North Dakota. The women were struggling with depression and apathy, according to the staff. We had two trainings that year with some great feedback and continuity.
We returned in June and September of 2023 and the women were thriving with the program, dancing weekly to our donated DVDs.
Idaho
In April of 2023, we are expanding to our 18th prison! The women's facility in Pocatello reached out to us and we are making it happen!
We are collaborating with an arts based non profit and a very progressive Warden. We returned in July of 2023 and worked a big group of rowdy women. In 2024 we will expand to the men’s prison in Boise!
Wyoming
In June of 2023, we offered a one day introduction/ Q & A to the women in Lusk Wyoming on our way to the Dakotas! We returned in September of 2023 and worked with 22 women. One unit had been dancing all summer to our donated DVDs. We will return in 2024.
Interested in bringing Dance To Be Free to your facility?
