Case Study: Exit12 Dance Company's 7-Week Workshop Series at the Brooklyn VA
Introduction
Exit12 Dance Company, an organization dedicated to using dance as a medium for storytelling and healing within the military and veteran communities, conducted an 7-week workshop series at the Brooklyn VA Medical Center. This program, running from January 28th to March 11th, engaged Veterans from the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC), an outpatient program designed to assist Veterans with serious mental illness in developing skills and support systems for improved quality of life and community reintegration.
Program Overview
The workshop was led by Exit12 Dance Company’s Artistic Director, Roman Baca, alongside co-facilitators Lisa Fitzgerald and Adrienne De La Fuente. The sessions aimed to foster body awareness, self-expression, identity, and connection through movement-based exercises. Throughout the series, participants engaged in guided movement practices designed to encourage mindfulness, creativity, and self-exploration. A music therapist from the PRRC mental health treatment team provided clinical support and live improvised music to enhance the movement experience.
Objectives
The primary goals of the workshop series were:
To provide Veterans with a safe and supportive space for creative self-expression.
To use movement as a tool for identity exploration and personal storytelling.
To build a sense of community and connection among participants.
To demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of dance and artistic engagement in mental health recovery.
Impact and Outcomes
Throughout the 7-week series, Veterans experienced significant benefits, including:
Enhanced Emotional Expression: The workshops facilitated the exploration of personal experiences, allowing Veterans to express emotions that may have been difficult to articulate through words alone.
Increased Social Connection: Participants developed a sense of camaraderie, breaking down walls of isolation and fostering mutual understanding.
Improved Body Awareness: Engaging in movement helped Veterans reconnect with their physical selves, enhancing self-perception and confidence.
Moments of Joy and Respite: The workshops brought smiles and laughter to participants, creating a space of relief and enjoyment within their treatment journey.
Culminating Performance
On March 11th, the series concluded with a performance by Exit12 Dance Company dancers Taylor Gordon, Nicholas Cunha, Ed Gotthelf, Adrienne De La Fuente, and Lisa Fitzgerald. This performance was shared with the Brooklyn VA community and served as a powerful testament to the role of dance in storytelling, education, and healing. The event encouraged dialogue between Veterans, hospital staff, and the broader community, reinforcing the importance of artistic expression in both advocacy and recovery.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Exit12 Dance Company and the Brooklyn VA demonstrated the transformative impact of movement and storytelling on Veterans’ mental health and well-being. By integrating dance into psychosocial rehabilitation, this workshop series not only provided Veterans with a therapeutic outlet but also affirmed the value of the arts in fostering healing, connection, and community reintegration. Moving forward, this initiative serves as a model for future arts-based programs aimed at supporting the Veteran community.