Ballerina helps sexual assault survivors with free dance classes
A professional ballerina has created a nonprofit organization to help sexual assault survivors.
Lissa Curtis wants to help others after she was raped by her former coach while on the World Ballet Tour in Romania in 2014.
Curtis started the nonprofit Safe Haven Ballet out of Dover, New Hampshire, in 2019 and is able to offer free dance classes through her fundraising.
"My goal is that after that hour goes by that they leave better. They leave feeling they could tackle their next day a little bit stronger, a little more pep in their step," said Curtis.
The nonprofit will have its first Nutcracker Christmas performance in North Berwick at the end of the month.
Money raised at the performance will go toward free classes for the dancers involved in the program. Curtis says in the future, she plans on starting a separate classes at Safe Haven for children recovering from trauma.