Dance is a transformative force for wellness, community building, and emotional regulation. As a seasoned dancer with 38 years of experience, I am dedicated to bringing the joy of dance to diverse communities and sharing the multitude of benefits with people of all ages.

My dance journey began with a medical recommendation however, I soon discovered that dance offered more than just physical benefits. It empowered me and transformed me from a shy and introverted wallflower into a confident and charismatic leader. This personal revelation inspired me to advocate for dance as a universal activity for everyone.  I recognized three core reasons to dance – for entertainment, wellness, and spiritual connection.

‘Dancing from the Inside Out’ is a dance workshop where we focus on dancing for three reasons.  The first reason is that dancing is fun and entertaining.  We get to be silly and playful and we get to enjoy our favorite songs.  The second reason we dance is because it’s so gosh darn great for our bodies.  We’ll build up our muscles and bones and we’ll destress our minds all because that’s something that dancing automatically does for us.  The third and probably the most important reason we will dance is to honor that which is sacred.  We’ll listen to the things our body is telling us, we’ll listen to what the universe might be telling us, and we’ll remember that we are together and we are also one inside ourselves.  Then, we’ll take all that dancing and bring it out of ourselves and into the world by sharing it with each other. 

After receiving a dance degree with an emphasis on educating the whole person, I leveraged my expertise by bringing dance education to non-traditional venues. I’ve been actively collaborating with Ohio state parks, Ohio libraries, and Ohio schools to bring the power of dance to communities across the state. With generous support from the Ohio Arts Council, I’ve been conducting the ‘Dancing From the Inside-Out’ workshops at various locations, including Wayne County Public Library’s Wooster Branch, Medina County District Library’s Highland Branch, Burr Oak, Mohican, and Deer Creek State Parks throughout the summer.

Driven by a passion to make dance accessible to all, I’m grateful for support from the Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Arts Council which enables the extension of the ‘Dancing from the Inside-Out’ workshops to participants of all ages and from all spheres of community. These workshops offer an array of dance styles, encompassing musical theater, ballet, modern dance, jazz styles, and global circle dances, providing participants with a diverse and enriching experience.

Emphasizing the significance of community building, I cherish making partnerships with organizations that share my vision of providing dance classes that enhance lives and cultivate strong communities, offering lifelong wellness opportunities through dance. The positive impact of my workshop was evident in the demonstration performance at Wayne County Library’s Wooster Branch last week. Participants from the ‘Dancing from the Inside-Out’ workshop showcased their newly acquired dance skills to the tune of the Doobie Brothers’ “Listen to the Music” on Wednesday, August 9th, 2023.

My commitment to inclusivity and creative aging stems from a few things.  Growing up in a rural community it seemed that dance was seen as nothing but a form of entertainment.  Years ago there was an extremely competitive viewpoint that closed people away from the emotional, physical, and spiritual benefits of dance. After studying in Scandinavia and performing in Europe I wanted to focus on making simple dance class programming for young people and I wanted them to work toward feeling good about their bodies and creating their own narratives through the universal language of dance. This felt like a cavernous calling in my soul. 

I quickly found that a traditional dance studio model did not work for this expressive dance art form because it would require large numbers of children and it drew clientele interested in entertaining recitals and performances. I knew the playfulness of my dance style and the exploratory nature of my work would be full of people who did not want to perform their stories, they only wanted to write them with their movements.  I continually drew people who wanted to dance for the sake of dancing and people who needed to process what their body was working to help them understand.  

For nearly a decade I worked within faith-based organizations that wanted to help this form of dance to succeed but also had theological frowns on their faces about dancing.  They wanted dancing benefits but they didn’t know how it would work. They wanted to support me but didn’t know how to adjust the mindset that dancing was something sinful that would draw people to lust.  They wanted no bare feet, no shoulders, and no curves.  It was an uphill climb.  I taught the dancers to be themselves and that their grace, poise, and happiness would cause the naysayers and any devious person to feel wrong about seeing them and misconstruing the dancing. There were times when people were against the outreach efforts, but no one could deny that a dance class is pretty much an American right of passage. I recognized that accessibility was going to be an ongoing journey.  My workshops are now a trauma-informed dance course that holds space for participants and I remain dedicated to creating environments where dance is open and accessible to everyone.

‘Dancing from the Inside-Out’ is supported by research, the funding for my program aligns with the findings of a Creativity and Aging Study, conducted in collaboration with George Washington University and the National Endowment for the Arts. The study highlights the powerful positive effects of community-based art programs led by professional artists on the general health, mental well-being, and social activities of older adults, proving its role in true health promotion and disease prevention.  I received additional training from Lifetime Arts in New York City.  I plan to advance my mission of encouraging a modern and positive approach to engaging America’s growing population of older adults through creative expression. My work focuses on empowering independent adults interested in exploring the arts in a social group setting and fostering lifelong learning through artistic experiences.

My dedication to promoting the benefits of dance and making it accessible to all is unwavering through three decades and it underlines the transformative potential of dance in enriching lives and building strong communities. My passion for seeing dance embraced by everyone serves as an inspiration for you, the reader, to move one dance step at a time.

For more information about the ‘Dancing from the Inside-Out’ workshops and registration, please visit https://ohiodnr.gov/home/news-and-events/all-events/parks-wc-events/arts-in-the-parks

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– Kimberly Crislip Jarvis is available for interviews to discuss the transformative power of dance and her efforts to promote wellness and community building through movement and music.

-For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact:

Kimberly Crislip Jarvis

kscjarvis@gmail.com

330-309-7030

Kimberly’s workshops: 

Burr Oak State Park, July 21-23

Mohican State Park, July 28-30

Deer Creek Park, August 11-13

Mohican State Park, August 25-27

Burr Oak State Park, September 1-3