"The Frog": A Dance Video Project

by Andrea Gallier

Why do people stay in abusive relationships?

That is the question I wanted to answer with this project. There’s a lot of reasons, and none of them are the victim’s fault.

When you’re In the boiling water, you no longer feel you can trust yourself. You believe the things about yourself they taught you to.

If you’re able to jump out, it can take years to realize what even happened to you. Trying to explain it is another thing. I’ve found that when I try to tell my story in writing I always end on a positive note.

But the truth is, nothing about it made me feel strong. Nothing about it was beautiful or poetic or okay and this dance won’t even capture what it’s like to be be in an abusive relationship and recover from it- but it felt like something I needed to do to continue processing my experience. I no longer believe that most people are good deep down.

What I do believe in is myself. (There we go, positive again 😭🤷‍♀️).

“The Frog”

Intro from this YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/Sqp3e9xEfAg (not sure where the original is from)

Song: ‘Tumbling Lights’ by The Acid

Additional sound effects: freesound.org

Filmed at:

-Krause Springs in Spicewood, TX.

-Five Mile Dam Park in San Marcos, TX.

-Historic Stagecoach Park in Buda, TX.

First published on www.thedancingbackpacker.com