Happy June 14th! (1 YEAR REVIEW)
Today is June 14th, 2021. Last year it was June 14th, 2020. If you do some calendar math, you get a difference of exactly 1 year. Yes, that’s right. Dork Dancing is turning 1 year old, it’s our BIRTHDAY!
One year ago, Ethan rolled out to the streets with his small, red JBL speakers. This was his very first time hosting #dorkdancing for mental health to the open public. He didn’t know what to expect. 30 minutes later, he met Thai and they shared a dance. This day marks the beginning of a journey. For Ethan and Thai, a journey of a lifetime.
Over the course of the next 365 days, Ethan, Thai, and a number of incoming DORKS did some serious work: dancing, marketing, and community building. Along the way, more and more people got involved, supporting #dorkdancing efforts. As more people joined and contributed, it became easier. An entire team of Dork Dancing hosts developed over time to support — shoutout to Bence, Lil Trâmy, Michael, Mon, Thanh, and Jorn!
1 year later and the Dork Dancing concept/ effort finds itself in a very different place…
These numbers help communicate progress, but the journey goes so much beyond these numbers. It’s really about people and the moments that the community has shared along the way.
All the jumping. All the laughter. All the smiles. Every day is an opportunity to dance. For joy. For community. For mental health positivity.
We dance a lot together, but have grown even closer through shared meals, games, sports, meetups, travels, and more at Dork Events. COVID19 has brought much of the world farther apart through forced isolation and separation. For us, instead of looking at where we cannot go, we are appreciating where we are and who we can be with NOW, because that is within our control.
This year has been something incredible, a social experiment of sorts. We’re excited that the experiment seems to be working locally, within Da Nang, Vietnam.
We can’t wait for the journey ahead. We hope to spread this concept to more people in new places, building mental health communities and awareness along the way. We have big plans and big dreams. Our mission is to get the WORLD #dorkdancing for mental health to end surrounding stigma, illness, and inequity.
At 1 year old, we are getting bigger, but our growth stage is still measured at infancy. We think it’s worth mentioning: Happy June 14th!
Dork Dancing is a grassroots mental health initiative, campaign, and community effort. We depend on charitable giving to inspire impact. We hope you may consider supporting by donating.