The dancing started with a bounce, at least for me, anyway. Admittedly ill prepared, the music I had this week at Beautynight was the radio’s top 7. I was overly confident that my will to move and my passion for inspiring it, would creep into even the most reluctant diva’s psyche, inspiring her to bust-a-move with me. I was proven wrong. The problem was obvious; no one was joining me in dance and while my growing group of volunteer friends and I were killing ourselves dancing the Macarena to the Anthem song (featuring lil Jon) none of the women who were there to benefit from our movement inspirations were!
I decided to go to the source and find out, exactly, why we were alone in our movement experiment. Two of the women I spoke to, BJ and her “mom”, B, were the catalyst for what was to follow. The first question that came to mind was to ask them how I could get them to dance with me. The next question seemed obvious, natural. I followed with, “what kind of music moves you?” I facilitate and lead a number of classes per week. Sometimes there is music, often there is not. Usually I choose the set genre, the pitch and the volume. I consider the audience sounds and the desired effect I want the music to have. Sometimes even when there is music, I do not even hear it because I am so focused on what is happening in my body. So it was interesting to learn what kind of music BJ and B like to listen to and to consider what moves them. It was B’s idea for me to take it to the floor and go around and ask other women what kind of music they liked. Clearly, this is what I should have done from the beginning!
Every single one of the gals I spoke to had no problem telling me what kind of music they liked. Some of the music requests included reggae, Cher, Johnny Reed, today’s country, gypsy-even classical. My friends opened up quickly to my inquiry about what kind of music moves them but what I found most curious was how that discussion lead into their hearts. In fact, out of the dozen women that I spoke to, 9 of them revealed something to me that was personal about themselves-what they love and what moves them the most.
In Natural Movement by Susan Aposhyan she writes, “even our thoughts are molecular movements along nerve fibers between neurons in the brain” and that in fact, “Sophisticated medical imaging devices such as PET scans show that thought occurs along certain pathways making a shape in space and time”. It is very likely that my taste in music is not always congruent with the kind of rhythm and music that others find appealing. That said, my question opened up a dialogue about loved ones, children my friends have had or have lost, partners they have lost or were waiting to be reunited with. The response that I got to my questions reflected an inner physiological movement, in this case in the heart, which could happen routinely throughout the day. How we perceive and move in the world specifically to a favorite piece of music is just a reflection of the continuous sequencing of sensations, perceptions and responses that circulate through our bodies and that usually happen unconsciously, fulfilling dozens of functions in the body. However, Aposhyan links conscious movement to feeling an “aliveness” in the body. Perception and response is movement. What we are inspiring at Beautynight is the possibility for sequencing and syncing our sensations with outer expression. To be fully embodied, alive!

About the Author:

Marlene Amado has been a certified pilates teacher since 2004 and has extensive experience as a movement teacher for over 15 years. Marlene completed her BA in Political Science at UBC in 2008 and continues to explore ideas on the body through various research and written publications. She is curious about new and various ways of teaching re patterning in the body as well as finding the deeper nuances of the pilates method. Marlene is committed to facilitating students’ empowerment and positive experience of self through movement. Marlene is a Pilates Alliance Member and is fully certified in all pilates apparatus equipment.

Tuesday night brought some new faces into the Beauty Night arena. When everyone arrived, Alice, the program coordinator from DEWC came up to speak to me about the power outage. There were several things that we had to adjust as the power had not been restored completely. Whether or not it was because they missed us on Monday or due to adjustments during the day at DEWC, we had a full house on Tuesday night. Thank you for everyone for pitching in and making the night flow as smoothly as possible.

One of my favourite parts of the evening was having the dance area. Debbie, one of our yoga instructors and Marlene, one of our pilates instructors and movement teachers encouraged the ladies to dance. Based on the ladies requests for dance classes, Marlene and Debbie (similar to Lauren & I a few weeks ago) asked the ladies to dance. I could hear tons of laughter as the women grooved and moved. At the end of the night, Debbie and Marlene suggested using gentle music for the last hour of the night to get the ladies to stretch and relax. I think this will be a great way to get some of the ladies to try pilates and yoga movement. Most of this will be done in chairs as some of the ladies can not get down to a mat on the floor. Marlene wrote a beautiful piece on our blog about the experience: Connecting Through Movement

If you are interested in writing a blog post for our site, please let me know. We are always looking for volunteers to share their experiences about Beauty Night.

The experiences of the first few years of life set the stage for how capable our immune systems are, how we cope with stress and even our ability to find meaning-worth, in our lives. Research that has emerged in psychophysical therapy and within Laban Movement Analysis supports “the interrelationships of anatomical functioning, personal feeling …and also with the awareness that movement both initiates and changes emotional feelings and about how we think…”[1] When the experiences of everyday life continue to be a place of struggle as well as living in poverty, where do you turn and who can you trust in a world that has placed you in a category that has no formal affiliation, but is set firmly at the margins of social welfare and wellness?

I had a first hand opportunity to join Caroline’s team of volunteers this Tuesday. Amongst the various services provided such as a hot meal, massage and beauty there was an area at the far end of the room designated for dancing. Music wafted from the boom box that rested on a worn piano. My favorite CD was No Doubt and later, some garage rock. The energy in the room was decidedly enthusiastic.  There were smiles as the women were pampered and especially once I introduced myself. I teach pilates in Vancouver to a diverse group of people who can afford to willingly pay to be lead through a series of movements designed to help re-align the spine and correct poor movement patterns.  This was a far cry from the usual demographic that I cater to.  There is no lush flooring to sprawl on or high-end equipment on which to prop ourselves. My role was simply to invite some of the women up to move and dance to the music.  Our goal was to offer the opportunity to move-without judgment and without set standards or expectations. What I saw was a very open group, and an accepting cohort of women.  While I was unable to get everyone in the room to join the dancers at the front of the room, I noticed from those that were dancing, pure delight. There were many who, for personal reasons, did not get up and dance.  One woman expressed how absurd it would be to get up and dance after the day she had had.  After further inquiry she revealed to just having quit drugs.

When I think of connection in the body as I teach I am considering an individual’s relationship within and to her or himself. “To connect is to link, to establish communication… to associate mentally or emotionally”[2].  Considering the daily struggles these women experience that I take for granted, and the necessity of dis- associating oneself from inner/outer in order to survive, it is painfully obvious why so few feel compelled to join our group.   Beauty Night is about offering a safe place where even the most seemingly frivolous approach to wellness is imagined and available. Perhaps my friend may not find it absurd to dance once she has successfully gotten through the hours that lead to another day without drugs. If she is not successful, I will still be there next week offering a safe space in which to move.

A Website Makeover Thanks to Design Faire
Erika Harrison from the IABC/BC team of volunteers from the social media community grant we had received in 2010 spoke to Vanessa Chu from Design Faire to see if she could help us with our website. In less than 14 days, Vanessa had a new website up that reflected our new branding. * The branding was through our promotions committee and IABC/BC during our 10 year anniversary planning. We realized our branding did not reflect the work our society did. Thanks to founding board member, Pamela Lelong we revisited our bylaws and rebuilt our brand based on the cause that we build our society on and the work we continue to do.

With a new website and print materials (thank you Heather Vince) to tell people about our cause, we continued to let people know we were aiming to train 3 facilitators. Three groups of high schools students approached us to be their charity of choice for their YPI (Youth Philanthropy Initiative) project. Honoured to be chosen, we sat down with each group. The students had to create a video and do a presentation about their charity. The winning charity would receive $5000 for it’s cause. We were thrilled to be the recipient of Balmoral Secondary’s charity of choice for the YPI award.

Partnership with UBC Learning Exchange & Chapman Grant
Thanks to our partnership with UBC Trek/ Learning Exchange, we were told one of the students who volunteered for us through this program could apply for a Chapman grant to help us with a student driven program. We told them about our wish to train 3 facilitators and create training materials to continue to build leadership. Lucinda Yeung, one of our UBC Trek students applied for support for our cause. Her proposal was accepted. Through the Chapman Grant, we had an additional $4000 to train 3 UBC Trek students to facilitate our programming.

Canadian Medical Association Invests $2500 in Our Cause
Julia Pon applied for support from the Canadian Medical Association to train 3 medical students to facilitate Beauty Night programming and to educate volunteers in trauma awareness.Through the trauma awareness training, many of our health care volunteers say the training has helped improve bed side manner while working with patients and our participants.

As Bradley suggests, if you are looking for gifts to give, please consider making a donation in someone’s name. We would be honoured if you wanted to invest in our cause.

On Monday, December 19th we held our 11 year anniversary celebration. Almost 40 volunteers helped spread the holiday spirit. CBC captured moments of the night which aired on the 11pm news. When I logged onto the CBC website, I was thrilled with the coverage.

After 11 years of providing programming in the DTES, I was glad that most of the comments were favourable. I wanted to thank the community for supporting our initiative and our partner organizations that work hard throughout the year to change this piece of the world 365 days each year. Many people left warm comments about the story. There were a few comments we were surprised to see.

CBC Reader Comment:

I wish someone would treat me to a makeover! I work 40-50 hours a week to support my family, no one has ever come up to me and said, “you work hard, you go to work every day in order to not be a burden on society, you pay taxes, we believe that you DESERVE a makeover”…no such luck !

 CBC Reader Comment:

Don’t they realize they are just helping these women make more money than if they still looked bad. A 20 dollar proposition becomes 30 or 40. It does, however, help the local dollar pizza shops make more money too. And they buy groceries to make their pizza so that helps people be fed.
For those who many not understand our program, I invite you to contact us as we would be more than happy to share how Beauty Night builds community and how it impacts the lives of our participants, our volunteers, supporters, and community partners.  Many of our volunteers and supporters have posted their comments directly on the site or on my facebook page. Here are some of the responses:

Marina S, Beauty Night Volunteer

I am a volunteer with Beauty Night. I’m speaking only for myself here (not commenting on behalf of Beauty Night).

For those who seem to misunderstand the organization’s purpose, I can tell you that the makeup applications, facials, manicures etc…are wonderful but they are really just a catalyst for the sense of camaraderie and joy that happens at Beauty Nights. As we volunteers give services, we all relax and chat with the women about men, kids, family and life in that comfortable way that women do together. That sense of belonging and the ability to relax together and let go of the ‘daily grind’ for a while in a safe place is something I know I need in my life. If my daily grind included extreme poverty and all the issues that go with that I would need this kind of thing even more.

There are many organizations and amazing individuals in the DTES fighting for affordable housing and human rights. Beauty Night takes care of a very specific part of the healing: Offering a place of respite and friendship (and pampering!) for women.

Stacey, supporter, past volunteer

I once lived in Vancouver and helped out with Beauty Night Society & it was something I’ll never forget….I want to thank you for that opportunity! I think you have an amazing heart for what you have started & am happy to hear it is going 11 years strong!!!

Kim, supporter and past volunteer

Its just shocking to read negative comments on such an amazingly wonderful program – just sad that some people cant see the beauty in giving to others.

Chris L, supporter

Great piece on CBC. Some silly comments tho. You’re giving dignity, that’s important. Merry Christmas.

It was the first time since 2002 that we have had negative comments about offering makeovers to women living in poverty. In 2002, here are some of the responses.

According to Dr. Karen Stancer, the physician coordinator of the Women¹s Initiative at the Downtown Community Health Center:

“Every Tuesday night is Women¹s Night.  The purpose is to provide a safe environment where women in the community can access health care.  As you know, many of the women are socially isolated and face multiple other life barriers such as addiction, homelessness, and poverty.  In the waiting room, a (donated) minimal hot meal is served, after which an (donated) activity is offered such as raffles, games, yoga, meditation, health forum, movie, etc.
Several times, I have asked Caroline MacGillivray to put on a Beauty Night.  On a routine Tuesday evening approximately thirty women come to the clinic, whereas on Beauty Night we have had one hundred and fifty women.  The response would seem to show the women of the community want Beauty Night.
How do I interpret the numbers? As a physician, I have always been impressed by how much an individual¹s spirit affects their health.  On Beauty Night, the women enjoy themselves without anything being asked in return.”

According to Mary Wreglesworth, President and Volunteer Co-ordinator of WISH (Women’s Information Safe House):

“Ms. MacGillivray and her volunteers offer their services in conjunction with those agencies in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside that do, in fact, offer emotional support, hot meals, pre-employment training programs, health care, and shelter from the streets. The fact that not only WISH Drop-In Centre embraces Beauty Night but also agencies like the Downtown Eastside Community Health Clinic, DTES Women’s Centre, Carnegie Centre, Positive Women’s Network, Dr. Peter’s Centre, and Union Gospel Mission – to name just a few – speak volumes on the benefits offered by this wonderful organization.

It should also be noted that it was WISH who nominated Caroline MacGillivray for Flare Magazine’s Volunteer of the Year Award; we feel that Flare should be commended for its wise choice in presenting her with this honour.”

Thank you so much to all that support and work with us to build a healthy community. I will continue to share your thoughts and comments on our site. In closing of this post, here is one of the testimonies on the CBC site.

According to Annie B, one of our Beauty Night Volunteers:

I am a volunteer with Beauty Night I go twice a week every week to help out in whatever capacity I can, and I can tell you it is the most worthwhile thing I have ever done. These ladies are funny, great spirited and wonderful, they are not only my clients they are my friends and I look forward to seeing them each and every week.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to not only feel beautiful and respected but also to have a laugh a resource to make new friends and enjoy themselves as we are all entitled to do. I personally know that there is no better way I could spend my time and being with these ladies for two evenings a week is worth more to me than anything.

I don’t understand why anyone would begrudge these services however I would suggest that if you do perhaps you take a step outside your own box and do something worthwhile for someone else and see how quickly your own preconceived notions of who deserves to get what diminishes.

CKNW: Lives getting better by Cosmetics?

CBC: Downtown Eastside Women Treated to Makeovers

CBC: Early Edition Full Show December 19th

Windburn is just part of the job.

It was noon and just outside of the Elizabeth Fry Society in New West when I had met up with Ms. Claus and Brent, our kind chauffeur Elf. We operate a little grassroots at times, so with no help from flying reindeer and a trusty sleigh, we had to do things our own way. We crammed ourselves (quite literally) into Brent’s truck which was filled with boxes bursting with stockings. I took a peek to see what treats had been stuffed inside by our volunteers and I was excited for the recipients. These were some good items!

It became clear to me as soon as we had descended upon our first unsuspecting woman, this is not just about handing out stockings. She was not expecting our arrival, certainly the look on her face didn’t give any indication. She smiled shyly at us and then slowly resumed her conversation on the phone while investigating the contents of this bright package now on her lap. Soon other women emerged from their rooms to see what the commotion was all about. Words escape me to accurately describe what took place: as each woman took the stocking handed to her, life entered her face as she whispered her words of gratitude, a smile replacing the worried expression that was once there. We sang our way out, leaving behind a group of excited, waving and hopeful women.

We ventured on to Surrey, dropping in on the Front Room which was crowded with people gathered to get out of the cold, have lunch and listen to a visiting church choir sing Christmas carols. We apologized to the men seated with the ladies, that what we had they’d probably not be interested in anyway. In their good manners and kindness several of them replied “That’s ok, she deserves it.”

The final drop-off points at safe-homes and recovery houses were the most profound. We can only begin to imagine what these women have had to deal with in their past and continue to battle today. Cautiously they would come out to greet us and Caroline in all her sweetness would break into song “We wish you a Merry Christmas…” as she handed out the stockings. The quiet and still houses we entered, we left filled with laughter and chatter. I watched two women as they examined the contents of their gifts at the kitchen table. I could hear them discussing the AG hair care products they had received – products they could never afford but had always seen in salon windows. Some women said they were going to wash and do each other’s hair! One woman pulled me aside to say she was scheduled to go in for surgery that afternoon and we had been such a happy distraction in her day full of anxiety.

We were ready to pack up and go when we were told we had missed one woman.
“She’s at the computer, but she’s deaf.”
I approached her, waved and handed her a stocking. Suddenly she looked like a child, her face full of wonder at this stranger dressed in red who had just handed her a present.
She mouthed “Thank you so much”.
“You are welcome, Merry Christmas,” I signed back. Suddenly the stocking was temporarily forgotten and it was a flurry of hands as we talked about Christmas, being deaf, Beauty Night Society and why we were both there.

At our last stop,  an older woman was outside placing suitcases into the trunk of her car. At the sight of us she cheerfully said “Well Christmas has sure come early!” We told her we were there to bring some cheer to the women of the house, she told us she had come to bring her granddaughter home. With that, a young woman came bouncing out of the house, suitcase in hand. Caroline handed her a stocking, “This is for you, darling. Merry Christmas.”  As the girl ran back into the house, the Grandma hugged each of us, “I don’t know who you are, but thank you. Thank you.”

These stockings are made, filled and delivered with LOVE.
All the contents are things most of us take for granted: soap, shampoo, a toothbrush. And yes, we fill them up with other unexpected treats like hair accessories, jewelry, makeup samples and lotion, but more often than not, these little luxuries are unattainable because of the price tag. I realized what’s appreciated more than the stocking is the gesture itself. These women welcomed this boisterous, loving interruption in their day, in a life where they might see more bleak days than happy ones. It’s a gift of kindness and compassion from the donors and the volunteers, and it’s an act of love because we’re telling them we care and that we want them to smile. And they did.

As Caroline and I departed at Gateway skytrain station, we came across a young woman desperately trying to scale some stairs while using crutches and juggling two large bags. As soon as we approached her to offer help, she broke down in tears. She explained she just came from the hospital and was trying to catch the bus to visit her kids and her cell phone had died. We helped her get to her bus stop, and let her use our phone to have someone pick her up. As she explained to her friend that two women had stopped to help, she finally saw who stood in front of her, Ms. Claus and an Elf. And she laughed at the insanity of it all. As we left her, Caroline whispers to me “See? It’s so much more than just a stocking.”

Sometimes it seems like we’re fighting a losing battle and all we ask for is a break and maybe a bit of hope. And that’s exactly what these stockings are all about.

Ms. Claus and Elf Heather

Headed home to change into my suit
red velvet and white cuffs to boot.
A Santa hat adorned my head
Jeannie joined me in matching red.

Car stuffed with stockings we embarked
to the shelter to play the part.
Santa’s helpers, arms stuffed with stockings
so many boxes we had difficulty walking.

Women were delighted
We all felt excited.
Hugs came from all around
Hope and dignity a bound.

One moment touched me most
A woman haunted by violent ghosts
who never let anyone touch her
was so moved by the stocking she stirred.

Once then twice
she hugged me and Jeannie – oh so nice.
Eyes full of tears
She said we made her year.

Moments like that are
why we do the work
that we do.
Because we believe
hope, love and touch
can change lives so very much.

Last night dressed as elves,
we dropped by Wish, Serena’s place and Woodwards.
With gift bags and stockings
we handed out door to door.

My thought’s from the end of last night:
“Sad tales heard tonight
In some cases Xmas stockings
Brought great delight.
Joy to all of the women we saw tonight
Dealing with homelessness,
… Addiction, mental ill health
Poverty, violence and strife.
Glad we were able to share
A little Xmas delight.”

Happy 11 years to all of our supporters, participants, volunteers and corporate and community partners! Thanks for making it possible for 11 years, 16 000 makeovers!