My name is Lissa Curtis. I am a professional ballerina, black belt martial artist, wife and mother, and someone who has survived horrendous sexual assaults. My trauma occurred in 2014 at the hands of my ballet director. I continue to fight for justice in civil court more than five years later.
I dreamed of opening Safe Haven Ballet years before its existence. In my personal journey to heal from sexual violence, I realized that while talk therapy, in or out-patient care, and medication has its place and importance, many survivors do not have the financial means or support from family/friends to even get basic help. I found that movement and artistic based modalities helped me cope with my PTSD just as much, if not more, than the other interventions. Safe Haven Ballet will offer survivors what has never been available in New Hampshire, the opportunity to take free ballet, movement and art based Trauma Sensitive classes.
Safe Haven Ballet will also produce under my direction uplifting ballet based performances in the community, welcoming dancers from across New England and beyond. Among these performances will be the Annual Be BRAVE Gala which has raised more than $60,000 for local New Hampshire Crisis Centers since 2016.
Executive Director