Today, November 19, over a hundred dancers converged at both Occupy SF and Occupy Oakland for a dynamic and engaging flash mob that called for economic justice and people power in the name of the 99%.  The dance shared the story of our time in powerful, shocking ways and helped amplify the current debate.  In San Francisco the flash mob was greeted by crowds of onlookers who streamed over from the Farmer's Market and from Occupy SF.  In Oakland the flash mob ignited a thousand people to dance together and then commence a march on downtown Oakland.  

The flash mob was produced by Magalie Marcil, founder of Dancing without Borders, and was cosponsored by CODEPINK Women for Peace and the San Francisco chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW).  “The flash mob gives the opportunity for people across generations and walks of life to voice their rage and dreams for the future.  As Emma Goldman said, ‘If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution,'” said Marcil.

"Art through creative community participation can sometimes outperform words in describing the mass demand for reforming a world corrupted by corporate personhood," said Monalisa Wallace, president of the San Francisco Chapter of NOW.

"After nine years of anti-war protests, this was hands-down the most powerful and beautiful action I've participated in.  The dance illustrated that it will take creativity and collective action to uplift American society and redirect our precious financial resources away from war profiteering and corporate greed and into green jobs creation, education, health care and renewable energy. We are the ones we've been waiting for.  And we're not waiting anymore," said Rae Abileah, national organizer with CODEPINK.  Flash mob cosponsor CODEPINK is driven by a “create not hate” call to action demanding an end to US wars and occupations.

Why flash mob at Occupy?
Flash mobs leverage the power of social media, art and collective participation in a positive, non-violent and empowering way, while also activating people across generations and walks of life to create the world we want to see.  This unique flash mob included choreography that evoked the dying system, the awakening of a new society, and the necessary reconciliation between the 99% and the 1%.  Many reporters and politicians have asked what the demands of the Occupy Movement are; this flash mob responded to those questions by embodying solutionary thinking and revealing a new narrative.  Dancers also revealed visionary messages written with tape on their chests at the end of the dance such as: “Universal Health Care”; “Green Jobs Not Greed”; “End War”; “Dance the Revolution”; “Justice & Truth”.

About Dancing without Borders:
Dancing without Borders was born to reclaim the healing and unifying power of free form dance and flash mob as a ritual, community building and empowerment vehicle for real change.

Co-Sponsors
San Francisco Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW)
CODEPINK Women for Peace