NDEO is a go!
The 2024 NDEO Conference(Revitalize: Breathing New Life into Your Dance Programs and Teaching Methods) was a green light that never went red! DA:NCE attended the conference with a panel of dance experts that spoke on the hypersexualization of children in dance: Anne Green Gilbert, Lynn Monson, Marlita Hill and myself. DA:NCE also exhibited at the conference. That too was a WOW!
The journey began last January when I decided to apply to speak at this year’s conference. It took time to think through the content for the application, challenging because of word limits. Below are some of the questions and some of my underlined answers:
Title: Healthy or Harmful Children’s Dance: Solutions
Description: In children’s dance classes around the nation, children are learning to dance with adult hypersexualized costumes, choreography and music. Children have become covert victims of sexual exploitation in what used to be a safe place – the dance studio. According to the American Psychological Association, many girls are beginning to think of themselves as sex objects and to imitate the porn-style dance moves of their favorite stars. At the same time, many boys are groomed to be hypermasculinated. Additional brain research shows that children do not have the emotional sophistication to understand what they are seeing or doing.
Dance Educators are on the front lines of this issue. This presentation will include definitions of healthy and harmful dance, current research and practical solutions to benefit the dance community. A handout will accompany this session.
Conference Application Questions:
- How are you approaching your topic? What concern or question led you to the development of this proposal and how have you organized your work?
- How are you taking existing practice or research and applying it?
- What will session attendees experience in your session? How can they use the knowledge presented in their practice, classrooms, or studios?
- Diversity, Equity and inclusion (DEI) is a conceptual framework that promotes the fair treatment and full participation of all people, especially populations that have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination because of their background, identity, disability, etc.
I worked on the submission and sent it out for input to several colleagues. Then I turned it in and waited to hear if it had been accepted. May brought a positive result: the acceptance of the proposal. NDEO is a go!
Then the WORK for the presentation began: the creation of a new powerpoint and an accompanying hand-out. The draft was completed by the end of May 2024. In between that time and the start of the powerpoint edits, I had the good fortune to ask a team of experts to join me. Their ‘yes’ to participation was exciting! Continued panel meetings produced edits and additions that made it a collaborative effort. Actually, I’d love to share stories about the behind the scenes work with such capable friends😊 In early September, we had our final panel meeting. I can remember feeling relaxed because the work had been done and because the process had actually been fun! Then onto the actual conference……
Rich and I rolled into Bellevue, Washington for the 2024 NDEO Conference with high expectations that became reality! We had a panel dinner on Saturday night(without Anne Green Gilbert who was teaching several sessions at the pre-conference and conference), checked into the exhibit area assigned to us, and scouted out where we would teach on Sunday morning at 9am.
During our presentation time, there was standing room only. In fact, my husband told me that people were turned away when he came in briefly to take a few pictures. In the exhibit area for the rest of the conference, we were thronged with people who were excited to know about DA:NCE. We almost ran out of sheets for newsletter sign ups, for information on the DA:NCE Coalition and for the Healthy DA:NCE Directory. That’s a good problem to have. Of course, our exhibit booth was also popular because of the chocolate we had on hand to share (shhh—bribery will get you everywhere).
Last, but certainly not least, let me describe a few conference sessions I was able to attend: a meeting with the NDEO board, a wonderful class taught by Katheryn Austin for the independent sector of special interest groups(SIG), an early childhood and K-12 SIG, two sessions for 2024 National Award Recipients, ‘Dance for All: Lorain City School’s Dance Program’(exciting adventures in Ohio), ‘Rejuvinating Pedagogical Practice’, and ‘Mental Health Centered Dance Curricula.’ I also re-connected with Lisa D. Long, a dance professor from Cal State Fullerton who just released a book: Mindful Rigor. Lisa wrote an article for the DA:NCE newsletter in 2019. I also enjoyed time with dance educator Bill Evans.
Friends, the NDEO dance conference was a go for attendees and it can be a ‘go’ for you because the DA:NCE presentation with the powerpoint and handout at the conference can be yours. For free. Here is the link to download the powerpoint and hand-out. It comes with extra note information in the slides for any of you who want to present on this topic.
Let’s Revitalize dance with healthy dance outcomes and insure that joy bubbles into the hearts of the children who dance around the country! As I often say, ‘Healthy dance is the solution to harmful dance.’ DA:NCE Team and NDEO, it’s a go!
