If you are dancing this Thursday for V-Day and like me, find choreography difficult, I have created a table with the Debbie Allen steps next to the lyrics. I really love this dance and I love the way it tells the story of the song in gesture! I am not a dancer and have never written choreography down before. I just copied what was written in the You Tube and added a few words to hopefully make it even clearer.
My apologies for any errors, but I hoped it might help others get the hang of the dance. It helped me to understand and visualise the structure better, which I couldn’t get from just watching the video over and over. I hope it helps.
Have a wonderful time dancing and may you all have a joyous and safe celebration on V-Day!! There are now 199 countries signed up- and did you see our Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s clip in support of V-Day. Hope she’ll be dancing too!
Lyrics by Tena Clark; Music by Tena Clark/Tim Heintz; Choreography by Debbie Allen
| PART | LYRICS
I raise my arms to the sky |
Invocation
Free dancing or see Sheffield You Tube ideas for this bit |
| 1 a | Walk, dance, rise Walk, dance, rise
|
Walk on spot, 1R, 2L, 3R,4L
Side R, Step L |
| b | Walk on spot, 1R, 2L, 3R,4L
Party , party (pivoting, arms up) |
|
| 2 | I can see a world where we all live Safe and free from all oppression No more rape or incest, or abuse Women are not a possession |
Box step: start R foot fwd, cross L, R back, L to start. TWICE
Swag R, Swag L REPEAT ALL |
| 3 | You’ve never owned me,
don’t even know me I’m not invisible, I’m simply wonderful I feel my heart for the first time racing I feel alive, I feel so amazing |
Hand crosses: R out, L out, cross
Walk back Walk fwd
Clap in circle clockwise starting bottom left, 3 times |
| 4 | CHORUS: I dance cause I love Dance cause I dream Dance cause I’ve had enough Dance to stop the screams Dance to break the rules Dance to stop the pain Dance to turn it upside down |
CHORUS: Step, party (choose how you want to ‘party’)
Pivot, party
|
| 5 | It’s time to break the chain,
oh yeah |
Arms circle clockwise
Break, ball change (break chain to left over right knee) swag R, SWAG R REPEAT |
| 6 | In the middle of this madness,
we will stand I know there is a better world Take your sisters & your brothers by the hand Reach out to every woman & girl |
(REPEAT 1A & 2)
Walk on spot, 1R, 2L, 3R,4L Step to R, Step to L
Box step start Right foot fwd, cross L, R back, L to start. Swag R, Swag L REPEAT |
| 7 | This is my body,
my body’s holy
No more excuses, no more abuses
|
Wave down body
cross hands over lap Namaste up, down, side, side
R foot fwd, L hand STOP gesture L foot fwd, R hand STOP gesture R foot fwd, L hand STOP gesture L foot fwd, R hand STOP gesture |
| 8 | We are mothers,
we are teachers, |
Walk back 4 counts
Walk fwd arms out 4 counts Point all directions and at each other |
|
9 |
CHORUS:
I dance cause I love oh yeah |
(REPEAT 4 & 5)
CHORUS: Step, party Pivot, party
Arms circle clockwise Break, ball change (break chain to left over right knee) swag R, SWAG R REPEAT |
| 10 | Dance, rise Dance, rise Sister won’t you help me, sister won’t you rise x4 |
CHA CHA
In the Debbie Allen version you cha cha in own space, but we can also have fun connecting and dancing to each other (as they do in Sheffield version), as long as we keep a track of the count: 8x 8 beats! |
| 11 |
This is my body, my body’s holy
No more excuses, no more abuses |
(REPEAT 7 & 8)
Wave down body cross hands over lap Namaste up, down, side, side
R foot fwd, L hand STOP gesture L foot fwd, R hand STOP gesture R foot fwd, L hand STOP gesture L foot fwd, R hand STOP gesture |
| 12 | I dance cause I love Dance cause I dream Dance cause I’ve had enough Dance to stop the screams Dance to break the rules Dance to stop the pain Dance to turn it upside down It’s time to break the chain, oh yeah Break the Chain, oh yeah Break the Chain |
(REPEAT 4 & 5, but break chain 8 times)
CHORUS: Step, party Pivot, party
Arms circle clockwise (start bottom left)
Break, ball change (break chain to left over right knee) swag R, swag R 8 times |
| 13 | One billion rising! | Hands in circle up, down to centre
Point right finger fwd and raise vertically up (in the Debbie Allen choreo you bring the finger from skywards to fwd) |
Find your local event at the one billion rising org website or if you are an Australian Byron shire local, see you at 7am Main Beach on Thursday, February 14. More details at the FB event page. Read the blog below or the one billion rising org website to understand more about the event. 
