The pelvis is the center of the body, but it’s rarely the center of attention. Pelvic Sanctuary, a community health and wellness nonprofit based in Detroit, Michigan, aims to change that.
“Everybody has a pelvic floor,” says Allison Schulte, Executive Director and Founder. “There’s a misconception that pelvic health only matters for cisgender women who’ve given birth, but actually your pelvic floor is three layers of muscle at the base of the pelvis. We don’t discuss or acknowledge it enough.”
Along with supporting a healthy bladder, bowels, spine, hips, prostate, and other organs, the pelvis plays a major role in how we move, even how we breathe. Still, caring for it can be a sensitive—even stigmatized—topic.
“Part of what we do is open up the conversation and try to normalize it as part of our health that we should pay attention to,” says Schulte.
As a physical therapy assistant and an experienced bellydancer, Schulte realized that a great way to get people of all genders comfortable talking about their pelvis was through art. So she developed an accessible, creative way for Pelvic Sanctuary to kickstart those essential conversations in Detroit: Hip Vibes on the East Side, a six-week class series combining pelvic health and bellydancing.
Supported by a GIG Fund grant, Hip Vibes was free to attend—childcare included. Each week, Detroit-based speakers shared knowledge on pelvic health and guided conversations on topics including Black maternal health, menopause, and more.
Participants circled up to talk through their own experiences and forge connections with one another. Every class concluded with stretching, movement, and bellydancing—no experience required.
“When you’re in a dance class, you’re paying attention to your body in a way you don’t usually,” says Schulte. “Everyone’s having fun, giggling, relaxing, then oh: we’re thinking about hips, anatomy, and the pelvic floor. It relieves the tension and makes it less clinical.”
ALLISON SCHULTE, PELVIC SANCTUARY“So many dysfunctions that people are not aware of are manageable and preventable. But there’s a lot of shame or embarrassment with certain conditions, so people don’t ask for help.”
Schulte partnered with Secret Garden Gallery to host the classes in Detroit’s East Warren neighborhood, drawing in next-door neighbors and curious visitors from across town. For the culminating event—a bellydance showcase—Schulte invited top Detroit bellydancers from a variety of traditions to perform and share with attendees what bellydance has meant to them physically, mentally, and culturally.
Hip Vibes has led to a burst of new connections—and new ideas.
“The students really wanted the classes to continue,” says Schulte, so she’s put together a fundraiser to keep them going through the summer and fall.
Pelvic Sanctuary’s partnership with Secret Garden Gallery worked so well that they want to co-create another event: an exhibition featuring original artwork based on oral histories collected from the Hip Vibes participants’ stories.
“These sharing circles were incredibly powerful, so nobody wanted this to end,” says Schulte. “We built community.”
Arts Midwest’s GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness is a grant of $2,000 – $15,000 for nonprofits offering arts programs with a wellness focus in Midwestern communities. It also offers professional development opportunities for grantees.