Dance Community

Protect Children in Dance

Dance studio owners and staff are concerned about the media onslaught from dance hypersexualization. In years past, dance studios lacked adequate tools to address the challenges presented by the over-sexualization of children in dance training and performance. But not now. DA:NCE gives teachers practical advice on how to begin a dialogue in their school, studio, or community setting around age-appropriate dance experiences for children. Our materials demonstrate how evidence-based research can be shared with colleagues, parents and adults within the dance industry. As a result, community and colleague collaboration, educator knowledge, and informed studio leadership become the keys to educating the public about this trend as dance studios usher in healthy movement choices for a culture that needs guidance and our protection from exploitation. Whether you are committed to teaching age-appropriate dance, or you need evidence-based resources, DA:NCE will support the choreographers and teachers in your studio to articulate the importance of age appropriate dance. Our free resources can help you get your message across.

Short Videos

Resources

What do the experts say?

Wholesome to Hypersexualized: What Happened to Children’s Dance?

A Public Health Issue: How a Pornified Culture is Distorting Dance

What does hypersexualized children’s dance look like?

How can I find out more?

Learn more about this issue

Next steps

What else can you do?

I want to nominate a dance studio for the healthy dance directory.

I want to educate others in my studio or community about this. Do you have a resource?

I have a dance experience I want to share.

I want to to get more involved. Tell me more about the DA:NCE Coalition.

Connect with our Executive Director and Founder –

Mary Bawden

She founded DA:NCE (Dance Awareness: No Child Exploited) to create awareness through the collaboration of credible experts with excellent research to provide free evidence-based educational materials for dance educators, parents, and concerned adults.

 

Talk to her directly:

Nonpartisan Statement

DA:NCE is a nonpartisan, unifying organization that welcomes input from any individual that values protecting children from hypersexualization in adult costumes, choreography and music inside and outside dance environments.