The international dance is a unified way that participants can support victims of violence.

On Valentines Day, crowds will gather all over the world.  It's an effort to have one billion people all support women who have suffered violence.

It's a flash mob style dance that will break out in more than 190 countries.

Missoula resident Susan Stubblefield tells NBC Montana, "I saw the statistic that one in three women will be raped or beaten in their lifetime and it shocked me. I had no idea it was that high."

Creators made no mistake in choosing dance as their form of demonstration.
A co-organizer of Missoula's One Billion Rising gatherings says, "Dancing is healing and it's a way when words fail and when strikes fail and when sit-ins fail and when voices are silenced.  Dance is rises above and when the pain is too strong, dancing is what can rise above that."

These people are practicing, but the steps are simple enough that anyone can just arrive at their city's gathering and join in.

Gatherings are scheduled for 12:00 Thursday, February 14th at the University of Montana Oval, 6:00 pm that night at Caras Park with an address by Mayor John Engen and Friday, February 15th at the Dennison Theater after the Vagina Monologues which start at 7:00 pm.

In Bozeman, dancers are gathering in the MSU Strand Student Union Building ballroom at 2:30.  

More information on the global movement is available at onebillionrising.org.