Our 2025 Series Was Generously Supported By

About Our Annual Youth Dance and Safety Event

The goal of our series is to get more youth who live in NIAS and areas with high gun violence rates to move more and feel safe as they walk around their neighborhoods. To achieve this, sessions include fun dance energizers to help the youth warm up to each other and beginner street safety lessons. Our sessions are always beginner-friendly and adapted to meet the group’s needs. Since 2019, the series has impacted the everyday lives of over 450 youth between 6 to 18 years old.

The 2025 series will not have ANY 1-on-1 contact or physical contact. Street Safety games and drills will be implemented only.

How It Started

The first free Youth Dance and Safety event was in 2019, after Sumera and her sister, Sarah, discussed safety being a factor in why attendance remained low in so many of the free after-school and weekend youth dance and fitness classes that her peers were running in a few communities. Without a parent or older sibling available to drop them off and pick them up, many would not attend. Sumera decided to ask three community partners if they wanted to host a session where they could combine both a dance component and a self-defense component. Three one-off sessions were held across 3 communities and all of the sessions FULL.

To find out more about the 2023 Dance & Safety Event highlights, click here.

Our Safety Facilitators (2019 to 2025)

• Niv Goffman and Jesse Solloum from Krav Maga Maleh Canada

• Gemma, MMA fighter and owner of Girls Who Fight Inc.

• Nikki, Six Krav Maga

• Kris, a martial arts coach, men’s nurse, and kinesiologist

• Sumera, kids and youth street safety curriculum and games only

A List of Host Organizations

2024 Spring & Fall Schedule

To talk to me, please me a message below ;)