Bring #dorkdancing to the streets of your community
Your Playbook
Bringing #dorkdancing to the streets, and building community around mental health, doesn’t happen on its own. It’s going to take some time, reflection, and work. But that’s where the good stuff comes in.
It won’t be easy, but it will be great. We are in this together, dancing with purpose. Heck, sharing the #dorkdancing journey with others can be downright addicting: it feels good to help others feel good. Let’s start this party.
Your 1st Teammate
Hi, my name is Ethan and I am here to help you through the journey of successfully starting #dorkdancing for mental health in your community. Here, you can learn more about me and my Dork Dancing mental health story. By reading this story, you will understand why I am so passionate about mental health.
All of my ideas and advice will be rooted in my experience starting Dork Dancing in my community in Da Nang, Vietnam. Here, you can learn about why and how I started Dork Dancing in Da Nang. I highly recommend reading through this post to provide context. It highlights the beginning of my journey and explains the process behind the playbook, below.
Just like you, I’m a dork. I don’t really know what I’m doing but I’m learning as I go. What’s so great about #dorkdancing is this: it’s a space for radical acceptance and growth. Within a leadership context, #dorkdancing has given me incredible permission to just show up as best I can. That’s all we can ask of ourselves.
Here, you can learn about some of the impact that #dorkdancing has inspired thus far. It’s really great. AND we have bigger dreams too: we really want to get the world #dorkdancing.
That can’t happen without leaders like you. I’m excited about the potential of playing on the same team.
Here’s how to get started, step-by-step.
Step 1: Bring it Out
Understand your Why?
It’s time to connect
Everything starts by looking inwards. What do you care about and why?
If mental health is something that you are passionate about, and want to advocate for, then you are in the right place. Advocating for mental health starts by telling your story and speaking openly.
Bringing it out requires action. The first steps are:
Reflect on Your Mental Health Story. Here’s the prompt. Write it out and/or speak it out. Complete your Dork Assessment to evaluate how you feel and write some goals. Get a Dork Diagnosis. Share your reflections on your mental health story, and Dork survey results, with others for feedback and good conversation. (Optional but recommended!)
Next, schedule a 30 or 45 minute call with Ethan to connect with the dork who started #dorkdancing. In the call, you will chat about your interest in mental health and #dorkdancing. If you have written reflections, email Ethan ahead of time before the call.
Step 2: Bring it ON
Embrace Your Inner Dork
It’s time to dance
To inspire others to let loose, dance, and advocate for mental health, you got to show them the way. Again, it starts with you.
If dancing like a dork is something you already do and enjoy, then you are already halfway there! #dorkdancing for mental health starts alone in your room and grows from there.
Bringing it ON requires action. The first steps are:
Dork dance in your room, in private, and record yourself. Invite a friend and dork dance again. Share your recording(s) on social media and tag @dorkdancing #dorkdancing (Optional but recommended!)
Dork dance outside and record yourself. It’s recommended that a friend help out. After recording yourself, make an invitation for others to join! It’s time to go public. Consider making a FB group Dork Dancing (Name of Your Community) to start connecting.
Step 3: Bring EM Out
Help Others Discover Their Dork
It’s time to lead & build community
The invitation is live and open, now it’s time to lead. If you are finding interest online, then this is a great beginning. Now it’s about bringing that online interest, offline, and creating real-world, fun experiences!
This is when strangers become friends. With time, those friends evolve into strong, lifelong bonds: #dorkdancing for mental health really works, but it takes showing up and being there for others. Community-building is all about energy, giving and authentically caring.
Bringing EM out requires action. The first steps are:
Prepare the speakers. Make sure they are loud enough!
Learn how to host a #dorkdancing event. Watch these how-to tutorials for ideas and resources (in progress).
Invest in people. Dance. Connect. Listen. Learn. Laugh. Love.
Create more opportunities for connection with other Dork events to keep them coming for more! We recommend to start with food!
Look for other volunteers to help. Build your team. Get the community involved. Give other people leadership roles. Growing and sustaining kickass community takes time and work, AND it’s quite fun too!
In Review
When pursued with love and attention, it works
Really, #dorkdancing for mental health is super simple. That’s the beauty of it. You dance, you share, you advocate for the mental health cause, inviting others to join. If you love the idea, community, and campaign, and lean into that positive energy, the rest will follow.
Here’s the main ideas on the steps we recommend, the playbook summary
Understand your motivations
Reflect on your story, write & share
Develop your views on mental health, as a cause
Speak openly & become a mental health advocate
Dance like a dork publicly
Learn to dance without overly caring what others think
Dance alone, with friends, and strangers
Start indoors, then venture outside!
Advocate for mental health
Document your journey, record the dancing, and share on social media. Collect mental health stories too
Connect with dorks personally, invest in others. This community is centered around connection & support.
As a community leader, inspire growth within others, turning spectators into advocates. Become a leader that cultivates leaders. We are all fighting for the same cause, dancing with purpose.
