Walking Miracles

A video adaptation of a moving, intense theatrical work based on stories told by six survivors of child sexual abuse.

  1999  •  45 minutes   •  English

Prior to creating the Walking Miracles video,  survivors of child sexual abuse worked with psychotherapist Callie Justice, Project Director Barbara Dickinson, and dancers/choreographers Thaddeus Bennett and Thema Bryant to share and explore their experiences within a traditional psychotherapy framework.  They saw their experiences expressed in movement by professional dancers, and the stories were then incorporated into a script and combined with dance performance, photography, painting, and music.  The script for the project emerged directly from the words of the survivors, with additional writing by acclaimed poet Jaki Shelton Green.  James R. Carlson composed the original musical score.  Dickinson and Justice then worked with Co-Artistic Director Jeff Storer and the ensemble of dancers and actors to co-create a performance which shares the truth, humor, pain, and triumph of survival.

The 1997 stage production of Walking Miracles had a profound impact on many who saw it.  Survivors, therapists, educators, and community activists and advocates expressed keen interest in seeing the powerful stories reach an even wider audience.  Filmmaker Kenny Dalsheimer recorded the production and worked with Artistic Directors Barbara Dickinson and Jeff Storer and Psychotherapist Callie Justice to adapt the theater piece to video.

Walking Miracles explores the intense emotional experiences and hard-won self-knowledge that the survivors shared, strips away the silence and secrecy of abuse, and makes known its enduring after effects. It serves as an audiovisual catalyst for healing and for greater understanding of this important human rights issue. A Viewer’s Guide is available.

WARNING: Walking Miracles is not intended for children and contains explicit descriptions of child sexual abuse.

Contact us if you if you have questions or wish to view the video.

Reviews

Walking Miracles is one of the most moving and effective tools I've encountered for educating the public about the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse. The artful weave of dance, theater and survivor's stories creates a compelling picture that gets to the core of the experience in a way that didactic teaching materials cannot. The painful subject matter is handled with great respect, and the ultimate message is one of hope, strength and empowerment.

Awards

Honorable Mention – 48th Annual Columbus International Film and Video Festival