Dancing With War: Refugees use dancing to heal
Written by: Lianne Carla Catbagan, April 21, 2023
Photo of the United Ukrainian Ballet in Giselle, courtesy of UUB
“The Dance-Movement Therapy Sessions Provide Something Through The Body That Allows Them To Not Only Be In Their Head, But Moving, Connecting, And Sometimes Forgetting What They Have In Their Head.” - Tatiana Lazuk, Ukrainian dance therapist at the UNF
war against Russia, refugees are seeking ways to heal after the traumatic experiences they have faced. Such as the loss of many homes, loved ones, and comfortable lives. Throughout the transition of their escape, they’ve settled in many neighboring and global countries far from their homes, one of them being Quebec’s Province, Montreal.
These refugees have found many ways of coping in the new setting, whether it be finding a new home or relying on family, friends, and even hosts, they’ve all shown progress with rebuilding a grateful and content mindset.
Today, Montreal seeks to help individuals recover from these conflicts by welcoming many incoming refugees from this war, helping them get settled into these foreign lands and creating their new lives.
Located in the heart of the Mile End of Montreal, the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada (UNF) organizes wellness activities such as dance movement therapy, in hopes of helping refugees. The Ukrainian dance therapist, Tetiana Lazuk, is one individual who helps facilitate just that. Leading the dance-movement therapy classes at the UNF, through the tongue of Ukrainian, she strives to support these refugees from the war through the art of dance.
What happened between Ukraine & Russia
Photo by Kyodo via AP images
Ukraine was the center of conflict in 2014 when Russia annexed Europe’s Region, Crimean Peninsula, and began arming and assisting separatists around the Donbas region in the country’s southeast. Russia’s sudden force of Crimea was the first time since World War II, that a European state annexed the territory of another.
Returning the conflict back in 2021, Russia then formed a great military presence near its border with Ukraine, including within neighboring Belarus.
The conflict carried further on at tremendous lengths, being the source of 8,000+ lives that were lost, 5.4 million reports of displacement within the country, massive defects of environmental damage, and 8 million inhabitants of Moldova, Poland, and other adjoined states rapidly forced to flee their homes and drop their daily lives. All of which, caused by Russia’s attacks. Leaving refugees set left and right, and not many places to go from the loss of their homes and loved ones.
How dancing has proven to soothe the soul
With many dancers of all kinds of backgrounds, they’ve proven that dance is more than just a way of movement, but a passion, a dream, and a way of overcoming the fear of the past and present. According to WebMd, they’ve stated that dance is not only a great way of becoming fit, but also exercising helps overcome or limit depression and anxiety, along with preventing negative thoughts.
Lazuk’s experience as a native Ukrainian?
“We need to help [displaced Ukrainians] land and be successful in Canada, for those who wish to stay,” says Michael Shwec, president of the Quebec Provincial Council of Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
Because of Lazuk and her drive of dance, she and her company have been able to achieve these goals and reach for so much more in efforts to support the refugee community.
Lazuk, a native Ukrainian, shares that her experience with moving to Canada was a completely different ride, compared to the refugees who’ve had to flee their homes without choice to save themselves. Claiming that unlike the refugees, she was fortunate enough to feel confident, and have the choice to decide her preparedness and the future ahead of her.
“These people were forced to leave their country, and many of them had excellent, great professions, perfect life conditions, and now they are forced to move to another country,” said Lazuk. “Many of them don’t speak English or French, so they need to learn, they need to adapt.”
From Lazuk’s experience as a dance therapist, she explains that specialized psychotherapy, a diverse way of service to those with emotional and mental challenges, is the key to helping those in need and easing them from the mental damage caused by this war. Her way of this therapy, being the share of her dance-movement classes, welcoming those new to the neighborhood and caring for their hardships.
“The Dance-Movement Therapy Sessions Provide Something Through The Body That Allows Them To Not Only Be In Their Head, But Moving, Connecting, And Sometimes Forgetting What They Have In Their Head.”
their experiences as refugees coming straight off Dnipro Region of Ukraine, just 5 days before the interview. Orlova vents how she’d only be able to escape with her one child, missing her 11 year old son due to injury. Despite her hardships, she shares that it felt like a relief coming to safe bounds in America. Orlova beams,“Today this was a stress relief.” she says “And we’re grateful to relax.”.
Young Sofia agrees how these dance sessions have raised her hopes in pursuing the arts of dancing in the future. Her experience in the studio had given her the hope needed to pursue her small dreams of dancing back home in Ukraine - “My dream,” she says, “came true.”.
The class Dance instructor, a refugee of the 2017 Cameroon war, finishes with his overall goal to help individuals find ways of distressing and coping, through the freedom of dance.
The instructor says, “I want them to feel joy… because I know how it is to be in their places. It's very hard.” “It was very hard for me too.” he says, reflecting back on his history as one who’s had to flee the comfort of their home.
Photo by ERIN CLARK/GLOBE STAFF, capturing Pacynko children playing ball and biking around their small makeshift bedroom, housed in a former kindergarten classroom in Chernivtsi, Ukraine.
“A simple activity, bringing comfort to moms and kids, refugees far from home.”- CNN’s Miguel Martinez, March 24 2022
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