Group seeks to ‘break the chain’ of exploitation through flash mob awareness

Bustling farmers markets Saturday were momentarily halted by one single request: “Break the chain.”

It’s a dance stepped around the world as nearly 1,000 flash mob events on or around Valentine’s Day are planned as part of the One Billion Rising campaign to end the exploitation of women, which can include sex trafficking, rape, child marriage or domestic abuse.

For the four-minute dance, more than 50 red-shirted individuals infiltrated as flash mobs each of the Sarasota and Bradenton markets.

“The same dance is happening everywhere, so you feel a part of the community,” said Geri Messer, a coordinator of the Bradenton and Sarasota events.

Bonnie Gray taught about 100 people the dance moves at her That’s Dancing! Dance Education for Adults studio in downtown Bradenton. The dance, choreographed by notable dancer Debbie Allen, took about 40 minutes to learn by heart.

“It’s a powerful feeling,” Gray said. “It’s a wonderful event.”

The campaign is called One Billion Rising because it’s estimated that a billion women and children are affected by exploitation, coordinator Bobbi Blackman said.

“It’s a global thing,” Gray said. “It’s not just in other countries; it’s right here in Florida.”

Martha Katz, a Chicago resident who went to the Women’s March on Washington last month, said she participated in the One Billion Rising flash mob in Sarasota to continue her support for women’s rights. Gen Simpson, of Sarasota, knit three pussy hats for her daughter, Gigi, and granddaughter, Alohi, also at the event, and for Katz, which she said took her a day each to make. The cat-eared hats were a part of a project of the Women’s March to create a sea of pink.

The lyrics of the upbeat song called “Break the Chain” by Tena Clark allude to building women up emotionally and physically to end the cycle of exploitation.

“I think people understand why a dance mob when they see it and hear the words, it’s very powerful,” Blackman said. “I’ve never ended it without crying.”

Another flash mob event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday at Coquina Beach.

This story was originally published February 11, 2017 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Group seeks to ‘break the chain’ of exploitation through flash mob awareness."