Battered, bruised and broken.
That’s the state in which abuse primarily leaves its victims.
Discussions about abuse are hard to have, but must not be avoided. Local dancer and instructor Shamira Cummings-Arita has realized that sometimes it’s best to have these discussions without words.
Cummings-Arita, founder and artistic director of For the Love of Dance, has created “Broken,” a contemporary original dance work. It tells the stories of women who are trapped in situations of domestic violence, and physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
“Emotional, sexual, physical abuse, we’ve all experienced that at some point in our lives, or know someone who has,” Cummings-Aritasaid.
The production serves as a choreographed interpretation of being down in the depths and later becoming empowered to overcome being “Broken.”
A seasoned dancer, Cummings-Arita came up with the idea for “Broken” after having her own emotional experience, involving different forms of abuse in her family.
“This happens to a lot of people,” Cummings-Arita said. “There was a woman not long ago who died from physical abuse and she didn’t get the opportunity to voice what was happening to her.”
When coming up with the idea, Cummings-Arita had to acknowledge the public’s role in abuse.
She said people who are abused go to work like nothing’s happening, and those around them may see the bruises and black eyes, but tend to distance themselves from being involved.
She decided she had to say something the only way she could.
“I was like ‘what can I do?’” Cummings-Arita said. “All I know how to do is dance. Then I realized we could make something and say something.”
Cummings-Arita is well connected in Baton Rouge’s dance community, and was able to quickly put together her team. After learning of the subject matter, it didn’t take much convincing for the other dancers to hop on board.
“My mother went through years of it, so it’s close to home,” local dancer Le’Brian Patrick said.
Patrick and Cummings-Arita danced together frequently in the past. As soon as she asked him to join “Broken,” he accepted.
Patrick teaches women’s and gender studies at Xavier University. He often has to teach his students about domestic violence and other types of abuse. Patrick said he viewed “Broken”as an opportunity for the audience to hear an important message.
“The thing with dance is, because we don’t use words, there is no language barrier,” Patrick said. “Our body is our language, and everyone speaks with their body. This is one of the best ways to get the message out because seeing things is different from hearing them.”
His hope for “Broken” is that everyone relates to the dancers and begins to reflect on themselves, whether they are a victim, perpetrator or neither.
Dancing isn’t the only way the stories of “Broken” are told. Cummings-Arita also incorporated body art.
Each dancer will have a separate patch of purple — the color of domestic violence awareness — painted on them, representing what Cummings-Arita describes as “the pain we all carry.” The performance will also include sculptures, singers, poets and artists interspersed throughout the dance.
“Among all of us, we’re telling different stories, but with one message,” Cummings-Arita said.

Gallery • 31 Photos

Anjana Nair

Dancers Shamira Cummings-Arita and Le'Brian Patrick rehearse a duet for "Broken", a production meant to empower abuse victims which will be held January 30, 2016 at 6 PM at The Red Shoes on Government Street.