Veteran dances her way to Creative Arts Festival

For Army Veteran Dari Pfeiffer, dancing is freedom. “It is joyful movement. I’m able to try to paint a picture of how this makes me feel and maybe do a little storytelling along the way.”

Pfeiffer is an aerial dance performer, or aerialist. Her art form merges elements from both the dance and circus worlds.

“If I were to sum it up, I would say Cirque du Soleil,” Pfeiffer said of her creative specialty. “They have jugglers and all different types of artists, but when you see something suspended from the air, that’s what that is. We create a dance in the air.”

A long path back to dance

In college, Pfeiffer majored in English and pursued electives in acting, voice and dance. In 1994, her path took a dramatic turn when she joined the Army.

“At that time, I was able to find some improvisational dance classes, so I continued, and then I got promoted, had a family, and different demands didn’t allow me to pursue it,” she said. “I just felt very disconnected from that art form.” When she retired from the Army in 2015 as a chief warrant officer, Pfeiffer felt stressed and “burned out, physically and emotionally.” Then, while receiving care at the VA Detroit Healthcare System, she heard about the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival (NVCAF).

Sharing her art

With the encouragement of Detroit VA creative arts therapist Shelley Knoodle, Pfeiffer gradually reconnected with the world of dance. She will share her art during this year’s NVCAF, which takes place May 11-18 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“I was an artist and dancer before joining, and so this is really kind of the first opportunity for me to bring something that I really love to do,” she shared.  “I’m excited to bring it to the community and share this expression with them.”

The NVCAF is open by invitation to Veterans who are receiving care through VA, enrolled at a VA facility and have placed first in their facility’s local creative arts competition.

“Avenues are always open”

“Really, in relation to dance and how that has helped me as a Veteran, I have had the support of VA, however aggressively I wanted to pursue that,” said Pfeiffer. “Whether I wanted to show up more, whether I wanted to be in therapy, or whether I wanted to connect, the avenues are always open.”

Today, Pfeiffer sees dance as both liberating and essential to her well-being.

“I’m where I feel really good and I feel really happy, and I wouldn’t have used those words over the years,” she added. “I would have said ‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ or ‘Things are good,’ but I don’t think I would have felt I’m actually happy—and this is what helped me get there.”

Learn more about the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.